Newcastle will host the MOBO Awards for the first time in 2025, it has been announced.
The awards have celebrated black musicians since 1996, honouring artists such as Little Simz, Stomzy and Beyoncé.
Ahead of the ceremony, organisers will run the MOBO Fringe Festival, series of activities and events celebrating black music and culture with Newcastle City Council and members of the local community.
The 2025 event will take place at the Utilita Arena on 18 February.
Kanya King CBE, founder and CEO of MOBO Group, said: “Newcastle is a city steeped in history, culture, and a dynamic sense of community alongside an electric nightlife, making it the perfect host city.”
Last year’s awards took place in Sheffield with Potter Payper, Central Cee and Raye taking home the top prizes.
Kay Greyson, a rapper from Newcastle, performed at the announcement at the Civic Centre and said it was “incredibly significant”.
“Newcastle’s often been a place where we’ve felt we’re too far north, we’ve been underrepresented,” she said.
“This is going to prove, not just to the people who are here, but more importantly to the young people who are sitting there, just like I was, dreaming of the MOBOs.
“This is going to prove to them that it’s much closer than they think.”
Leader of Newcastle City Council, Karen Kilgour, said the awards would have a “huge economic impact on our cultural sector”.
“But the lasting impact, we hope, will be on our community,” she added.
