Kanya King, founder of the Mobo Awards, has died aged 57 after battling colon cancer.
The 57-year-old late icon’s family said she died on Wednesday, surrounded by close family and friends.
The Mobo organization also confirmed the news and shared that she faced her illness with courage and face up.
Kanya created the Mobo Awards in 1996 to celebrate black music and artists. However, the show became one of the biggest platforms for music in the UK and helped many new artists gain recognition.
The awards recently marked 30 years in Manchester.
She once shared that she paid for the first event herself, even though people said she shouldn’t, but she believed in her idea.
Growing up in London, Kanya faced many struggles in her life as she dropped out of school as a teenager after becoming a mother and was very often told that she would not succeed in life.
Moreover, it pushed her to work even harder and achieve what she had in her life.
Kanya King later studied in college and worked in the media before starting Mobos, with the aim of giving more space to music that used to be ignored.
