LAMAMIMET

Kanya King was born on 12 February 1969 in Kilburn, London, to an Irish mother and a Ghanaian father, the youngest of nine children. She became a mother at 16, left school, and later earned a BA from Goldsmiths' College.

In 1996 she launched the MOBO Awards to celebrate music of Black origin, growing the ceremony into a major annual event that highlighted diverse talent. King received an MBE in 1999, a CBE in 2018, and numerous honorary doctorates, and she was repeatedly listed among Britain’s most influential Black people and powerful women.

Diagnosed with stage‑four bowel (colon) cancer in December 2024, King continued to promote the awards and marked the MOBO's 30th anniversary in March 2026. She died peacefully on 5 June 2026, surrounded by family and friends.