The 2022 MOBO Awards nominees were announced on Friday (November 11), and they replaced “Best Reggae Act” category in favor of ‘Best Caribbean Music Act’.
Skillibeng is nominated for both Best International Act and “Best Caribbean Music Act”. For the latter category he joins fellow St. Thomas native PopCaan, Spice, Koffee, Shenseea, Sean Paul, as the nominees.
The Crocodile Teeth artist is placed among Beyonce, Burna Boy, Chris Brown, Drake, Jack Harlow, Jazmine Sullivan, Kendrick Lamr, Summer Walker, and Tems for the Best International Act nomination.
Last year Dancehall stars Spice, Shenseea, Sean Paul, Popcaan, Skillibeng, and singer Lila Iké were nominated for Best Reggae Act.
It was Skillibeng’s first time being nominated in the best International Act category alongside Doja Cat, Drake, Kanye West, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, Polo G, Rema, Wizkid, and Young Stoner Life (Young Thug & Gunna).
Noticeably absent from the any category this year is U.K hit maker Stefflon Don.
According to WorldMusicViews, chart-topping UK rapper Dave led the nominations this year with nods in five categories for Album, Song, and Video Of The Year, Best Male Act, and Best Hip-Hop Act.
Launched in 1996, the MOBO Awards are an annual presentation that recognizes “music of black origin” including hip hop, grime, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and African music in the United Kingdom. The 2021 ceremony will take place on Sunday, December 5 at the Coventry Building Society Arena and will be live-streamed on YouTube and aired on the BBC at 8 PM UK Time.
The winner of the category will be determined by a MOBO Awards specialist committee. Last year, Shenseea was the first woman to win the Best Reggae Act award and the year before Buju Banton won the MOBO Award for Best Reggae Act after he released his comeback album Upside Down 2020.
The awards did not take place in 2019 and 2018.
Damian Marley emerged as the winner in the category in 2017, while Popcaan, who is currently working on his fifth studio album, had won back-to-back, in 2015 and 2016.
Shenseea, Koffee, Spice and Sean Paul all released albums this year.
This year’s YouTube sponsored MOBO awards are scheduled for November 11 at the OVO Arena in London on November 30.
