The winners for the 2025 MOBO Awards emerged Tuesday night at a star-studded ceremony held at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena with Nigerian artistes makingex huge impression at the event.
Nigeria’s singing sensation, Ayra Starr, was among the top winners with Bashy, Darkoo and Odeal, who landed two prizes each, while Central Cee became the joint most-decorated rapper in MOBOs history.
Central Cee (real name, Oakley Caesar-Su) won Best Male Act for the record-breaking third year in a row, bringing his total award wins to seven, tied with Stormzy, but he
was not in attendance at the grandeur ceremony to accept his award.
Ayra Star beat some seriously stiff competition to win Best International Act, triumphing over this year’s Grammy Award dominators Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé.
The Nigerian singer-songwriter also came top in the Best African Music Act category, becoming the first woman to win the gong in 16 years. Below is full list of winners.
2025 MOBO AWARDS WINNERS
BEST MALE ACT
BASHY
CENTRAL CEE – WINNER
D-BLOCK EUROPE
GHETTS
NEMZZZ
SAMPHA
BEST FEMALE ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH got2b
CLEO SOL
DARKOO – WINNER
JORJA SMITH
LITTLE SIMZ
NIA ARCHIVES
RAYE
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
BASHY – BEING POOR IS EXPENSIVE – WINNER
CLEO SOL – GOLD
GHETTS – ON PURPOSE, WITH PURPOSE
JORJA SMITH – FALLING OR FLYING
SAMPHA – LAHAI
SKRAPZ – REFLECTION
SONG OF THE YEAR
CENTRAL CEE FEAT. LIL BABY – ‘BAND4BAND’
CHASE & STATUS, STORMZY – ‘BACKBONE’
DARKOO FEAT. DESS DIOR – ‘FAVOURITE GIRL’ – WINNER
JORDAN ADETUNJI – ‘KEHLANI’
LEOSTAYTRILL – ‘PINK LEMONADE’
ODEAL – ‘SOH-SOH’
BEST NEWCOMER
CHY CARTIER
ELMIENE
FIMIGUERRERO
FLOWEROVLOVE
JORDAN ADETUNJI
LEN
LEOSTAYTRILL
MYLES SMITH
ODEAL – WINNER
POZER
VIDEO OF THE YEAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH LNER
MEEKZ – ‘MINI ME’S’ (DIRECTED BY KC LOCKE)
MNELIA – ‘MY MAN’ (DIRECTED BY FEMI BELLO) – WINNER
RAYE – ‘GENESIS’ (DIRECTED BY OTIS DOMINIQUE & RAYE)
SAMPHA – ‘ONLY’ (DIRECTED BY DEXTER NAVY)
SKEPTA – ‘GAS ME UP (DILIGENT)’ (DIRECTED BY STEVEO)
UNKNOWN T FEAT. LOYLE CARNER – ‘HOCUS POCUS’ (DIRECTED BY FELIX BRADY)
BEST R&B/SOUL ACT SUPPORTED BY KISS FM
CLEO SOL
ELMIENE
FLO
JAZ KARIS
JORJA SMITH
NIPPA
ODEAL – WINNER
SASHA KEABLE
SHAE UNIVERSE
SINEAD HARNETT
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH MARSHALL
ALT BLK ERA- WINNER
BOB VYLAN
HAK BAKER
KID BOOKIE
NATIVE JAMES
SPIDER
BEST GRIME ACT SUPPORTED BY TRENCH
CHIP
D DOUBLE E
DUPPY
KRUZ LEONE
MANGA SAINT HILARE
SCORCHER – WINNER
BEST HIP HOP ACT SUPPORTED BY BBC RADIO 1XTRA
BASHY – WINNER
CRISTALE
HEADIE ONE
NINES
POTTER PAYPER
SKRAPZ
BEST DRILL ACT
163MARGS
CENTRAL CEE
HEADIE ONE
KAIRO KEYZ
K-TRAP
POZER – WINNER
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
ASAKE
AYRA STARR – WINNER
BEYONCE
GLORILLA
KENDRICK LAMAR
LATTO
MEGAN THEE STALLION
NICKI MINAJ
TEMS
TYLA
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV SHOW/FILM
ANGELA WYNTER AS YOLANDE TRUEMAN IN EASTENDERS
CAROLINE CHIKEZIE AS NOMA IN POWER BOOK II: GHOST
DIANE PARISH AS DENISE FOX IN EASTENDERS
DIONNE BROWN AS QUEENIE IN QUEENIE
GHETTS AS KRAZY IN SUPACELL
JACOB ANDERSON AS LOUIS IN INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE – WINNER
JASMINE JOBSON AS JAQ IN TOP BOY
JOSH TEDEKU AS TAZER IN SUPACELL
KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR AS BOB MARLEY IN BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE
TOSIN COLE AS MICHAEL IN SUPACELL
BEST MEDIA PERSONALITY
90’S BABY SHOW – WINNER
AJ ODUDU
CHUCKIE ONLINE
CRAIG MITCH
HENRIE KWUSHUE
MADAME JOYCE
MICAH RICHARDS
SPECS GONZALEZ
THE RECEIPTS PODCAST
ZEZE MILLZ
BEST AFRICAN MUSIC ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH LOCO MUSIC
ASAKE (NIGERIA)
AYRA STARR (NIGERIA) – WINNER
BNXN & RUGER (NIGERIA)
KING PROMISE (GHANA)
ODUMODUBLVCK (NIGERIA)
REMA (NIGERIA)
SHALLIPOPI (NIGERIA)
TEMS (NIGERIA)
TYLA (SOUTH AFRICA)
UNCLE WAFFLES (SOUTH AFRICA)
BEST CARIBBEAN MUSIC ACT
POPCAAN
SHENSEEA – WINNER
SKILLIBENG
SPICE
VALIANT
YG MARLEY
BEST JAZZ ACT
AMY GADIAGA
BLUE LAB BEATS
EGO ELLA MAY
EZRA COLLECTIVE – WINNER
KOKOROKO
YUSSEF DAYES
BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ACT SUPPORTED BY MIXMAG
ELIZA ROSE
NIA ARCHIVES
PINKPANTHERESS
SALUTE
SHYGIRL
TSHA – WINNER
BEST PRODUCER
CEEBEAATS
INFLO
JULS – WINNER
M1ONTHEBEAT
P2J
SAMMY SOSO
BEST GOSPEL ACT SUPPORTED BY PREMIER GOSPEL
ANNATORIA – WINNER
IMRHAN
LIMOBLAZEin
REBLAH
STILL SHADEY
VOLNEY
