Emeli over the moon with Mobo hat-trick
Emeli Sande said she was “over the moon” after bagging a hat-trick of Mobo Awards.
The 25-year-old singer-songwriter won Best Female Act, Best Album for her number one-selling Our Version of Events and Best R&B/Soul Act at the event at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.
Clutching her three awards after last night’s show, Sande said: “I really didn’t expect to win three and getting the Album of the Year was a big thing for me, so I feel like all the hard work pays off when you get acknowledgement like that.”
The recently-married star said tying the knot had helped keep her feet on the ground.
“Being married is great,” she said. “When everything’s going crazy in my career, it’s nice to feel secure at home. I feel very grounded.”
Talking about her plans over the next few months, she said: “Coming up, the November tour starts, which is the biggest tour I’ve done in the UK so far and, after that, Christmas.
“I’ve been writing for a lot of people, so I’ll be starting to think about new material and things I want to write.”
Sande, who first featured at the Mobo Awards in 2010, got the night off to a spectacular start with a specially-crafted rendition of My Kind of Love.
Guest of honour Dionne Warwick was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award to celebrate half a century in the business.
“It means an awful lot to me,” she said. “It means I’m being thought of in a very, very special way and it’s always a pleasure to be thought of in that way.”
She said she was a big fan of Sande. “I really, really love her voice. She’s wonderful – she’s a star,” Warwick added.
London hip-hop artist Plan B snapped up Best Male Act and Best Hip Hop/Grime, which he collected from rising global star, Rita Ora.
TLC’s Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas collected this year’s Mobo Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Members of the Lisa ’Left Eye’ Lopes’s family jetted in especially to celebrate the honour on her behalf. The singer died in a car accident ten years ago.
Rita Ora jetted in especially from the US leg of her tour to pick up Best Newcomer in association with HTC.
Crowd-pleaser Labrinth, who was a major hit with fans lining the red carpet, was awarded Best Song in association with PRS for Music for Earthquake and treated the room to a mash up of his biggest hits.
Labrinth said said: “A couple of years ago I was just in my bedroom working on music and now some big artists want to work with me. It’s just been an amazing year.”
Chart toppers JLS arrived on a specially-chartered easyJet flight to collect the gong for Best Video for Do You Feel What I Feel and got the crowd on their feet with a performance of their newest single, Hottest Girl in the World.
Misha B presented Rachel Kerr with Best Gospel for her smooth, spell-binding vocals, and D’Banj was awarded Best African Act.
Best Jazz went to Zoe Rahman, who collected the accolade from Delilah and previous double Mobo Award winner, YolanDa Brown.
And after an outstanding year, Nicki Minaj beat off stiff competition for Best International Act. Sean Paul was awarded Best Reggae.
The event – now in its 17th year – was interspersed with a series of performances from special guests including rapper Wiley, who shared the stage with Skepta and Ms D to perform his new release Can You Hear Me and number one single, Heatwave.
Rising star Misha B treated crowds to a version of her debut single Home Run, and Angel wowed the crowd with a super smooth version of his single, Wonderful. Stooshe performed their cover of TLC’s Waterfalls on stage, as introduced by “T-Boz” and “Chilli”.
Mobo founder Kanya King MBE said this year’s event had been particularly special.
She said: “Each year we’re staggered by the calibre of the talent on display at the Mobo Awards.
“This year has been outstanding and we’re honoured to showcase the best of the best on the night.”
