Kanya King: Inspiring Diversity
Kanya King is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and founder of the MOBO Awards who champions diversity, inclusion, and cultural recognition in the global music industry.
Quick Facts:
- Founder and CEO of the MOBO Awards
- Champion of diversity and inclusion in music, media, and culture
- Recognized on the Powerlist of Britain’s Most Influential Black People
- Named among the UK’s Most Powerful Women and Most Influential People in London
- Formats:
Keynote Speaker and Cultural Entrepreneur
- Audiences:
Corporate leaders, diversity and inclusion initiatives, media organizations, cultural institutions, universities, and conferences focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, and representation.
- Outcomes:
- Insights into building inclusive platforms that elevate underrepresented voices
- Lessons on entrepreneurship, perseverance, and cultural leadership
- Inspiration to foster diversity and equality across industries
- Travels from: London, UK
- **Fee range: On Request
Keynote Topics
Inspiring
Founder of the international Mobo Awards, the largest urban music awards in Europe
Kanya King MBE is living proof of the old adage that a genuine leader molds rather than seeks consensus. An internationally renowned entrepreneur through her role as CEO, founder, and visionary, of the MOBO Awards,
Kanya has displayed the rare drive and ambition needed to help take black music from the margins of British popular culture, made by disenfranchised artists, to the heart of the mainstream culture in the UK and around the world.
Talent Short Bio
Kanya King is an influential entrepreneur, cultural leader, and keynote speaker best known as the founder and CEO of the MOBO Awards, a groundbreaking awards ceremony created to recognize and celebrate music of Black origin. Through her leadership, the MOBO Awards have become one of the most important platforms for honoring artists across genres including reggae, hip hop, grime, rap, jazz, and R&B.
Since launching the awards in 1996, King has helped bring global recognition to numerous artists and cultural innovators. Performers and honorees have included internationally acclaimed artists such as Usher, Leona Lewis, and Goldie. The ceremony has been broadcast worldwide and viewed by audiences in more than 200 countries, helping amplify diverse voices across the music and entertainment industries.
Beyond the MOBO Awards, King has expanded her impact through initiatives such as DanceStar and World Dance Music Awards. She also supports numerous charitable organizations, including African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, War Child, Action Medical Research, and The Loomba Foundation.
Read Full Bio
Kanya King is the founder and CEO of the MOBO Awards, an awards ceremony established to appreciate music from black backgrounds.
Passionate to create a more diverse and inclusive world, Kanya has increased representation of the genres of reggae, jazz, hip hop, grime and rap and recognised people from black backgrounds across music, arts, media, culture and fashion- bringing increased awareness to diverse cultures worldwide.
Since the first MOBO Awards, stars such as Goldie, Usher, Leona Lewis, Young T & Bugsy and more have been recognised. Kanya has fronted the awards for many years, watched by thousands in over 200 different countries. Outside of her work with the MOBO Awards, Kanya is also the co-founder of DanceStar and The World Dance Music Awards along with supporting charities such as The African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, Warchild, Action Medical Research and The Loomba Foundation.
Kanya King has also been ranked on the 100 Most Powerful Women in the UK list, the London’s Most Influential People list, the Top 30 Ethnic Minorities in the Media list and named as one of Britain’s Most Entrepreneurial Women. She has also claimed the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship and the Ambassador Award at the NatWest Everywoman Awards.
Appointed both MBE and CBE, Kanya is a role model of diversity and inclusion and has revolutionised the music industry with her inclusive awards. Having represented those forgotten by traditional awards, Kanya has set the standards for equality and is a fantastic female motivational speaker to encourage inclusion across society as a whole.
Kanya is a very experienced and accomplished Public Speaker. She has had the pleasure of speaking at varied events and a diverse group of clients have enjoyed her inspirational life story and benefited from tips for budding and established entrepreneurs alike. Kanya King been hosted at community, charity, student and corporate functions including The House of Commons, Universities and Banks and at numerous business events and conferences.
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