MOBO Awards 2026 to celebrate 25 years of grime with shows from Wiley, Chip & more

This year’s MOBO Awards is set to celebrate a quarter century of UK grime, revealing that the likes of Wiley, Chip and more will perform at the 2026 ceremony.

Set to take place on March 26 at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, the 2026 MOBO Awards will also mark its 30th anniversary, spotlighting Black British music and culture.

In a special showcase curated by DJ Target named MOBO Salutes: Grime 25, the awards ceremony will feature performances from D Double E, Chip, Nolay, Scorcher, and Wiley.

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“Celebrating grime on the MOBO stage feels incredibly meaningful,” says MOBO CEO Kanya King. “It’s one of the most important cultural movements this country has produced.”

She added that grime’s rise “reflects MOBO’s own journey – championing homegrown sounds, elevating new voices and helping take underground culture into the mainstream.”

Other performances from Olivia Dean, FLO and Tiwa Savage will take place across the night, while Eve and Eddie Kadi will take the reins on hosting the award ceremony.

Read this next: PinkPantheress, Skepta, and Jim Legxacy among 2026 MOBO Awards nominees

This year, Little Simz leads the way with four nominations, which include Album of the Year, Best Female Act, Best Hip Hop Act, and Video of the Year. Olivia Dean, kwn, and Jim Legxacy also picked up multiple nominations this year.

Elsewhere, other nominations went to Skepta, Central Cee, FKA twigs, salute, Jazzy, and PinkPantheress, who recieved a nod under the Best Dance and Electronic Act category supported by Mixmag and BEMA.

Check out the full list of nominees for the MOBO Awards 2026 here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on X