Credit: The Asian Awards

Kanya King, founder of the MOBO Awards, has died at the age of 57.

The entrepreneur, who was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1999, founded the awards show that celebrates music of Black origin in 1996.

On June 5th, the MOBO Awards announced that King died on June 3rd following a battle with cancer.

“It is with immeasurable sorrow that the MOBO Organisation announces the passing of its Founder and CEO, Kanya King CBE,” the statement began. “Kanya passed away peacefully on 3 June 2026 after a courageous and characteristically determined battle with colon cancer. She was surrounded by her family, close friends and love.”

The tribute went on to recognise King’s efforts to champion Black music, no matter the difficulties she faced along the way.

“Thirty years ago, Kanya King remortgaged her home, alone, without institutional backing or industry support, to build a stage that would transform British music forever,” the post read. “She was a single mother from a Kilburn council estate who was told that Black music was too niche, that there was no market and that the industry was not interested. Instead of arguing, she built.”

It continued, “Six weeks later, the first MOBO Awards was broadcast to the nation, and nothing was ever the same again. What Kanya created was never simply an awards ceremony. It was an act of cultural justice. MOBO did not just celebrate Black music; it legitimised it, amplified it and transformed the cultural landscape of the UK.”

King previously announced that she had been diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in December 2024. In September that year, she was told she had six months to live.

In their post, the MOBO Awards concluded, “The world was a profoundly better place with Kanya King in it. The MOBO family is heartbroken, but endlessly grateful, proud and inspired by everything she gave to music, culture and future generations. Rest in power, Kanya. You built this. All of it.”