Stone to be laid in honour of Mobo founder Kanya King for 30th anniversary

A commemorative stone will be laid in honour of Mobo founder Kanya King at her former school to mark the 30th anniversary of the music ceremony.King died this summer following a battle with colon cancer at the age of 57 – three decades after she launched the Mobo Awards music ceremony in 1996.It has since grown into a national institution, with King playing a major role in bringing black music and culture to the mainstream in the UK.Kanya King attends the Mobo Awards in Manchester (Peter Byrne/PA)PA ArchiveMobo will celebrate three decades of the organisation’s contribution to black music and culture with a series of events throughout November including unveiling a stone at King’s former school, Queens Park Community College in Queen’s Park, London, in honour of the late founder.The Paving the Way stone will be unveiled on November 18, marking exactly 30 years since the first Mobo Awards ceremony was held, in honour of King’s roots and recognition of her impact across British music and culture.Meanwhile a BBC programme, presented by DJ Target, will take viewers through some of the most defining moments, performances, and cultural milestones from the Mobo stage since it was first founded in 1996.The programme, Mobo 30: Iconic Moments, will air on November 11 on BBC One.Kanya King died this summer (Lucy North/PA)PA ArchiveThe anniversary celebrations will also see V&A East Storehouse present a special temporary display featuring a selection of memorabilia from the Mobo archive.Opening on November 18, the display features a collection of items capturing the organisation’s journey since it was first founded and the wider cultural impact it has made over the past three decades.The display will remain on view at V&A East Storehouse in east London until summer 2027 to coincide with the conclusion of V&A East Museum’s inaugural exhibition, The Music Is Black: A British Story.