Central Cee, Darkoo and Bashy are among the big winners at this year’s MOBO Awards.

The ceremony took place in Newcastle this evening, with Krept & Konan, Bashy, Spice, and Nova Twins among the performers.

Central Cee was named best male act, while Darkoo was named best female and picked up the MOBOs‘ song of the year award for Favourite Girl, featuring Dess Dior.

Central Cee – who wasn’t at the ceremony to accept his accolade – is now the joint most-decorated rapper in MOBOs history, tied with Stormzy on seven awards.

Bashy’s Being Poor Is Expensive was crowned the best album winner, and the actor and rapper was also named best hip-hop act.

A special gong was handed out to athlete Denise Lewis, who took home the “paving the way” prize, recognising trailblazers across different industries including sports, media and entertainment, as well as music.

She follows previous winners such as Idris Elba, Sir Lenny Henry, Nicola Adams, and the late Jamal Edwards.

“King of dancehall” Vybz Kartel was also honoured with the MOBOs impact award.

“The MOBO Awards have always been about recognising and celebrating cultural pioneers who have reshaped the landscape of music and beyond,” said MOBOs founder Kanya King ahead of the ceremony.

“Denise Lewis is a true inspiration and it’s an absolute pleasure to honour such a legendary figure. Few people have contributed more to their field in this country.”

She went on to say that Vybz Kartel’s impact on music was “immeasurable”, with an influence extending “beyond the world of dancehall, in which he is a musical giant”.

Odeal was named best newcomer and also took the best R&B/soul act prize, while Ayra Starr made history with her two gongs. The Nigerian singer became the first African woman to win best international act and the first female winner of best African music act in 16 years.

Other genre category awards included best jazz act for 2023 Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective, best grime act for Scorcher, best drill act for Pozer, best electronic/dance act for TSHA, best gospel for Annatoria, best Caribbean music act for Shenseea, and best alternative music act for ALT BLK ERA.

Elsewhere, Juls was named best producer, 90s Baby Show won the media personality prize, video of the year went to Mnelia’s My Man, and actor and musician Jacob Anderson was recognised in the best TV/film performance category, for his role in the series Interview With The Vampire.

Central Cee, Raye, and Dave were among the big winners last year, with Soul II Soul, Sugababes and Ghetts receiving special achievement prizes.

The MOBOs celebrate black music in the UK and internationally and will mark their 30th anniversary in 2026.

In December, King revealed she had been diagnosed with stage four cancer but said she would continue to lead the organisation.

The Jam drummer Rick Buckler has died aged 69, his former bandmate Paul Weller has confirmed.

Buckler played for the band from its formation in the early 1970s until they broke up in 1982, alongside bass player Bruce Foxton and lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Weller.

The Jam released six studio albums and Buckler played on them all, including the critically-acclaimed All Mod Cons (1978) and Sound Affects (1980).

They enjoyed four UK number one singles and one UK number one album, and are best remembered for tracks such as Town Called Malice, Going Underground, and Down In The Tube Station At Midnight.

The band split in 1982 and never fully reunited, but Foxton and Buckler subsequently played together on a number of occasions as From The Jam.

In a Facebook and Instagram post, Weller said: “I’m shocked and saddened by Rick’s passing. I’m thinking back to us all rehearsing in my bedroom in Stanley Road, Woking. To all the pubs and clubs we played at as kids, to eventually making a record. What a journey!

“We went far beyond our dreams and what we made stands the test of time.

“My deepest sympathy to all family and friends – P.W x”

Bassist Bruce Foxton said on the same posts he “was shocked and devastated to hear the sad news”.

He said Buckler was “a good guy and a great drummer whose innovative drum patterns helped shape our songs.

“I’m glad we had the chance to work together as much as we did. My thoughts are with Leslie and his family at this very difficult time.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Blink-182 star Mark Hoppus is set to auction a rare Banksy painting that is estimated to be worth up to £5m.

The 52-year-old musician, singer and bassist in the punk-rock trio acquired the work with his wife Skye Everly in 2011.

Crude Oil (Vettriano) was first exhibited by Banksy in 2005 and is the anonymous artist’s reimagining of Jack Vettriano’s career-defining The Singing Butler from 1992, which itself was auctioned by Sotheby’s for £744,800 in 2004.

Now, the hand-painted Banksy will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in London, with some of the proceeds to be donated to causes including the California Fire Foundation, which helps people impacted by the LA wildfires, a children’s hospital, and a cancer research centre.

“We loved this painting since the moment we saw it,” Hoppus said. “It’s borne witness to our family over these past dozen years. It hung over the table in London where we ate breakfast and our son did his homework. It hung in our living room in Los Angeles…

“This painting has meant so much to us and been such an amazing part of our lives, and now I’m excited for it to be out there in the world, seen by as many as possible.”

The Blink-182 star said he would also use the proceeds to buy works by up-and-coming artists.

The singer added: “Coming back to punk rock, one aspect of the community I always hold dear is, if you get lucky enough to gain success, you bring your friends with you.

“Larger bands bring smaller bands on tour. We support one another from within. I want to take some of the money from the sale of this painting and use it to buy works from younger, upcoming artists.”

Read more:
Tom DeLonge interview on UFO research
Does Banksy’s fame eclipse political value?

Hoppus revealed he had been diagnosed with stage four diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in June 2021, but after chemotherapy he announced he was free from cancer just a few months later.

He rose to fame after forming Blink-182 alongside guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker in 1992, and the trio went on to define the pop-punk genre with hits such as The Rock Show, All The Small Things, What’s My Age Again?, and I Miss You.

DeLonge left the group at the beginning of 2015, but returned in 2022 following his bandmate’s diagnosis.

Hoppus’s memoir, Fahrenheit-182, is due to be released in April.

Crude Oil (Vettriano) will be on display at Sotheby’s in New York this week before being brought to the UK for a preview exhibition starting on 26 February. It will then headline Sotheby’s Modern And Contemporary Evening Auction in London on 4 March.

“Street art and punk rock share the same vocabulary – they speak to the outsider, the rebel and the overlooked,” said Oliver Barker, Sotheby’s Europe chairman.

“Both movements were born from the margins. They challenge authority and re-write the rules, a fundamental trait shared by Mark and Banksy.”

Last year, Banksy made headlines by painting a series of animal works across London, one a day for nine days, including a rhino which appeared to be mounting a parked car, and a gorilla lifting a shutter at London Zoo.

In February, London Museum announced it had acquired one of the works – piranhas painted on a police sentry box, resembling a fish tank.