08.06.2026: UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl has paid tribute to MOBO Group Founder and CEO Kanya King CBE, who has died at the age of 57.

The MOBO organisation announced on Wednesday June 3 that Kanya had died after “a courageous and characteristically determined battle with colon cancer”.

UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl joined UK Music members in paying tribute to Kanya, stating: “On behalf of UK Music I offer condolences to Kanya King CBE’s friends and family, as well as all the lives of the many people that she touched. Kanya was a great visionary, with huge ambition, determination and perseverance, the likes of which we will probably never see again. She leaves a permanent and positive mark on music and society as a whole. The warmth, friendship and bravery that she displayed is an inspiration to us all.”

A tireless champion and campaigner for Black musicians and their impact on British culture, Kanya’s work has helped change the face of the UK music industry over the past three decades and will continue to do so for generations to come.
The MOBO Awards, launched and funded by Kanya in 1996, have played a vital role in raising the profile of black artists over the past 30 years.

In March of this year, Kanya wrote an introduction for UK Music’s Black Music Means Business report into the economic and cultural contribution of Black Music over the past 30 years, which you can read here.

She also spoke at the report launch event at the Speaker’s House in Westminster on March 18. Addressing attendees, she said: “This report is important. It’s fundamental. We all know the importance of Black Music and culture in this room, but now we can tell everybody else. We’ve seen its influence, we know its impact and today we finally have more data to prove it.”