MOBO Awards: Irish acts Jordan Adetunji and SPIDER score nominations

The nominations for the 2025 MOBO Awards – a major celebration of Black music and culture in the UK and beyond – have been announced, with Irish acts Jordan Adetunji and SPIDER both receiving nods.

Following a phenomenal year for the Belfast star, with the viral success of his single 'KEHLANI', and collaborations with both the track's namesake and Lil Baby, Jordan Adetunji has scored two nominations – for Best Newcomer and Song of the Year.

SPIDER, meanwhile, has been nominated in the Best Alternative Music category. This year saw the Tallaght-raised, London-based artist release her acclaimed five-track project an object of desire.

“Each and every time we unveil the MOBO Awards nominations, I am taken aback by the sheer amount of incredible talent we have in the UK," comments MOBO's founder, Kanya King. "It inspires us all to continue pushing the industry to be more inclusive of a greater variety of Black music and culture. The music coming out of the UK this past year has been some of the best we have had in years. These distinct, uncompromising voices – across different genres from R&B and Soul to Grime, Hip-Hop to Jazz and Alternative – are not just soundtracks for our days. They provide healing and reflection, and also escapism in times of need..."

The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle on Tuesday, February 18.

See the full list of nominations below:

BEST MALE ACT
BASHY
CENTRAL CEE
D-BLOCK EUROPE
GHETTS
NEMZZZ
SAMPHA

BEST FEMALE ACT
CLEO SOL
DARKOO
JORJA SMITH
LITTLE SIMZ
NIA ARCHIVES
RAYE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
BASHY - BEING POOR IS EXPENSIVE
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’
JORDAN ADETUNJI - ‘KEHLANI’
LEOSTAYTRILL - ‘PINK LEMONADE’
ODEAL - ‘SOH-SOH’

BEST NEWCOMER
CHY CARTIER
ELMIENE
FIMIGUERRERO
FLOWEROVLOVE
JORDAN ADETUNJI
LEN
LEOSTAYTRILL
MYLES SMITH
ODEAL
POZER

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
MEEKZ - ‘MINI ME'S’ (DIRECTED BY KC LOCKE)
MNELIA - ‘MY MAN’ (DIRECTED BY FEMI BELLO)
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
CLEO SOL
ELMIENE
FLO
JAZ KARIS
JORJA SMITH
NIPPA
ODEAL
SASHA KEABLE
SHAE UNIVERSE
SINEAD HARNETT

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ACT
ALT BLK ERA
BOB VYLAN
HAK BAKER
KID BOOKIE
NATIVE JAMES
SPIDER

BEST GRIME ACT
CHIP
D DOUBLE E
DUPPY
KRUZ LEONE
MANGA SAINT HILARE
SCORCHER

BEST HIP HOP ACT
BASHY
CRISTALE
HEADIE ONE
NINES
POTTER PAYPER
SKRAPZ

BEST DRILL ACT
163MARGS
CENTRAL CEE
HEADIE ONE
KAIRO KEYZ
K-TRAP
POZER

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
ASAKE
AYRA STARR
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
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
AJ ODUDU
CHUCKIE ONLINE
CRAIG MITCH
HENRIE KWUSHUE
MADAME JOYCE
MICAH RICHARDS
SPECS GONZALEZ
THE RECEIPTS PODCAST
ZEZE MILLZ

BEST AFRICAN MUSIC ACT
ASAKE (NIGERIA)
AYRA STARR (NIGERIA)
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
SKILLIBENG
SPICE
VALIANT
YG MARLEY

BEST JAZZ ACT
AMY GADIAGA
BLUE LAB BEATS
EGO ELLA MAY
EZRA COLLECTIVE
KOKOROKO
YUSSEF DAYES

BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ACT
ELIZA ROSE
NIA ARCHIVES
PINKPANTHERESS
SALUTE
SHYGIRL
TSHA

BEST PRODUCER
CEEBEAATS
INFLO
JULS
M1ONTHEBEAT
P2J
SAMMY SOSO

BEST GOSPEL ACT
ANNATORIA
IMRHAN
LIMOBLAZE
REBLAH
STILL SHADEY
VOLNEY MORGAN & NEW YE