The 2024 MOBO Awards will be held in Sheffield for the first time

The Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBOs) is set to be hosted by Sheffield's Utilita Arena on February 7.

The awards ceremony has previously taken place in London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Coventry and Leeds.

MOBO founder Kanya King said in a press release that "MOBO are excited to be kicking off the 2024 Awards season and heading to the city of Shieffield for the very first time for the 26th MOBO Awards."

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"Our desire to bring MOBO to different cities across the UK has always been rooted in the desire to unite massive talent from a local and global level, as well as fans, to deliver an iconic music experience rooted in celebrating Black music's present and future, as well as elevating the culture and being a driving force for social change."

King also toasted the "rich underground scene" that Sheffield has to offer, with the hope that the community outreach the MOBOs brings will engage and elevate the "talent yet to break through" in the city.

Sheffield city council leader Tom Hunt expressed that the city was "thrilled" to host the MOBOs, stating that he "cannot wait to roll out the red carpet."

Nodding to Sheffield's "rich musical history" and "reputation for hosting major events," Hunt said that "music runs through our blood, and this parternship with Mobo and Utilita Arena Sheffield is another example of our ambition for this city and an opportunity for us to celebrate our diverse music and culture."

On the back of Nia Archives' Best Electronic/Dance Act win at the MOBOs, a newly introduced category, Kanya King said that "the return of garage, drum 'n' bass and jungle is really exciting as well because it is being interpreted in a new way by a new generation of artists."

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"It's impossible not to feel slightly nostalgic when I hear it because it reminds me of the early days of the MOBO awards in the 90s with Goldie, then Ms Dynamite and later Katy B, and so many others who have soundtracked the club scene for years."

Archives had been part of a campaign to bring back an electronic dance category, writing an open letter to the awards series ruing that "once upon a time [the MOBOs] championed Black dance artists and had categories such as Best Dance Act, Best Jungle Act and Best Garage Act but by the early 2000s, these categories ceased to exist."

Tickets are now on sale for the 2024 MOBO Awards, buy them here

Tibor Heskett is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow him on Twitter