Page 65 - Powerlist 2020

Kanya King

Chief Executive and Founder, MOBO

Awards queen Kanya King is fast running out of space in Media, Publishing & Entertainment
her own trophy cabinet. In 2018 she was awarded a CBE in
the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. This is in addition to the
MBE she was given for services to music and culture in 1999.
Kanya is the woman behind the long-running music
awards show, the MOBOs, which she founded in 1996.
The opportunity arose when a broadcast slot with Carlton
Television came up, giving her just six weeks to organise
the whole event.
The MOBO Awards have played a crucial role in bringing
African and Caribbean sounds and culture to the British
mainstream.
As a platform for emerging artists, it has helped launch
and promote some of the biggest names in
the industry, including Rihanna and Tinie Tempah.
Kanya, who remortgaged her home to fund the TV
production, has steered the brand to much more than just an
awards show.
Today, the MOBOs encompass a live tour, TV channel and
website. The business also offers training and mentorship to NEW Lorna Clarke
aspiring young musicians. 2020 Head of Pop, BBC
Kanya is a consultant on government initiatives for
disadvantaged youth and a founder member of Net Women,
an influential body of high-profile women in the media. Lorna Clarke has been named the first ever BBC Controller
She has an honorary fellowship at Goldsmiths College and of Pop, giving her unrivalled control over all of the BBC’s
honorary business Doctorates from Leeds Metropolitan and contemporary music radio stations.
London Metropolitan Universities. She took up the role in September and will be in charge
She has been named as one of London’s Most Influential of strategic vision across BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 1Xtra,
People by the Evening Standard, one of Britain’s Most BBC Radio 2, BBC Asian Network and BBC Radio 6 Music,
Entrepreneurial Women by Real Business. as well as BBC Music and music television.
In 2018, Kanya announced that MOBO would not hold It is a formidable proposition, with Radio 1 alone boasting
an event while they work on revamping the show for around 10 million listeners each week.
November 2019 with plans to expand ‘beyond music into Lorna’s task is to improve the programming, provide
film and entrepreneurship.’ The organisation has also genuine leadership and work with the music industry to
started to branch into co-hosting other events. In 2018 foster new talent.
the MOBO’s charitable arm, MOBO Trust, teamed up with It marks a major shake-up of the way the corporation runs
Help Musicians UK to launch the Help Musicians Fund, its pop music strategy and is arguably the most sought-after
supporting emerging artists and producers. and high-profile job in British radio.
Lorna has a 36-year career in radio behind her, having
started out in 1983 in the newsrooms of BBC Cornwall, Radio
Viking, Metro Radio, BBC GLR and World Service News.
She joined the BBC in 1997, working on Radio 1 and
launching the Sara Cox breakfast show. Between 2005 and
2010, she was the director of Electric Proms, for which she
launched and curated performances on all the BBC’s pop
music stations as well as Radio 3, BBC One and BBC Two.
Prior to that she worked at Kiss 100 in London, rising
to the role of Programme Director. While there, she was
awarded Best Radio Programmer by the commercial
radio industry.
From 2017, Lorna was head of production for Radio 2 and
Radio 6 Music. Prior to that, she was network manager for
both stations and, from 2011, for Asian Network.
Lorna has also judged the Sony Radio Awards for 11 years
and The Mercury Music prize on four occasions. She says:
“My career has been defined by music, and as a music lover
I want the BBC to continue to bring the world of music even
closer to our listeners. These are exciting times for the BBC
and the music industry globally, where change is affecting
us all at a rapid pace.”

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