Jamelia leads British artists at Mobo awards
Jamelia will be flying the flag for UK artists at this year’s Mobo awards - with three nominations.
The 23-year-old Brummie, who has had a remarkable comeback this year, has been nominated for UK Act of the Year, Best Single and Best Video.
Jamelia, who was unable to attend tonight’s launch party because she was attending her uncle’s funeral, released a statement saying: “I’m totally over the moon.”
The star, who is also nominated for this year’s Mercury Music Prize, said: “It’s absolutely overwhelmed to receive so many nominations.”
The singer has had a remarkable comeback this year after taking a break to have baby daughter Teja, and has had hits with the likes of Superstar and Thank You.
American Hip hop star Kanye West has secured the most nominations in this year’s Music of Black Origin awards – a record seven.
Kanye, whose album The College Dropout rocketed to the top of the charts, is nominated for Best Hip Hop, Best Video, Best Producer, Best Single, Best Album and has two nominations in the Best Collaboration category.
Nominees for the UK Act of the Year are jazz singer Amy Winehouse, Dizzee Rascal, Jamelia, former Fame Academy student Lemar, 16-year-old soul singer Joss Stone, and The Streets.
Joss Stone’s Soul Sessions is the only British nomination in the Best Album category, which features Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Kanye West, OutKast and Usher, and Jamelia the only UK name in the Best Single category, for Thank You, her song about domestic abuse.
Only one of the names nominated for Best R&B Act, Fame Academy student Lemar, is British. The others, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Brandy and Usher, are all from across the Atlantic.
All the names on the Best Hip Hop category – G-Unit, Beyonce’s boyfriend Jay-Z, Kanye West, OutKast, and Chicago rapper Twista, are American.
There is also a new category on the list, Best Ringtone, for which the nominees are Black Eyed Peas with Where is the Love, Eamon’s F*** You (I Don’t Want You Back), Mario Winans I Don’t Wanna Know, Outkast’s Hey Ya! and Usher’s Yeah.
The awards, which first began in 1996, take place at the Royal Albert Hall on September 30 and will be hosted by N.E.R.D star Pharrell Williams.
Mobo organisers denied reports that the awards were boycotting acts with homophobic lyrics.
