Inspirational businesswoman, Kanya King is one of the leading figures of creating a diverse and inclusive world. As the mastermind behind the famous MOBO Awards, Kanya is on a mission to see that the achievements of artists from genres of Jazz, Gospel, Hip Hop, RnB and African are acknowledged. Her commitments to the music industry have seen Kanya claim countless awards and become a popular choice as a speaker for public and corporate events. As a speaker, Kanya is sought to detail her journey to success with the MOBO Awards and how she built her enterprise from scratch.
With an incredible vision to provide a better and more diverse foundation for talent to grow, Kanya developed and founded the MOBO Awards. Kanya's incredible vision has since flourished into a highly successful event which has featured in over 200 countries. Her determination to create a platform that encourages inclusion and diversity, as well as recognition for BME talent within music, arts, media, fashion and culture, has been applauded by many and has helped to bring awareness to different cultures and ideas in mainstream media. Outside of the MOBO Awards, Kanya is also an avid charity supporter of organisations such as The African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, Warchild, The Loomba Foundation, From Boyhood to Manhood and Action Medical Research and has co-founded DanceStar and The World Dance Music Awards.
In the early days of her career, Kanya worked as a TV researcher, a time during which she came to the realisation of the gap in the market for the appreciation of mainstream music influenced by black music. She soon cultivated the concept of the MOBO Awards, but unfortunately could not find financial backing to make her dreams become a reality. Kanya eventually made the decision to remortgage her house, ultimately persuading Carlton TV to air the first MOBO Awards in 1996. Since the first aired MOBO Awards, the platform has acknowledged many superstars including the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Craig David and Stormzy.
In reward of her commitments to diversity and inclusion in mainstream media, Kanya has been the recipient of countless awards. She has been recognised with the Ambassador Award at the NatWest Everywoman Awards, and awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, from the Institute of Enterprise. She has also claimed the Contribution to Music Award from Ghana Black Star Network and recognised as the Media Pioneer at Music Week's Women in Music Awards. Kanya has also been named in several lists of top publications, including the likes of Britain's Most Influential Black People Powerlist, the Guardian's Top 30 Ethnic Minorities in Media list and one of London's Most Influential People, by the London Evening Standard.
A hugely popular and in-demand figure for media appearances and public speaking, Kanya inspires audiences with her journey to success with the MOBO Awards. To accompany the MOBO Awards, Kanya has established the MOBOvation Talks, a segmentation of the MOBO brand that is aimed at motivating and elevating individuals to achieve more. A truly inspirational role model in the mission for a diverse and inclusive world, Kanya King is the perfect choice as a speaker for a range of events.
