Glasgow announced as host of MOBO Awards 2009
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MOBO, LEMAR AND JLS UNVEIL NEW HOST CITY FOR MOBO AWARDS 2009
SCOTLAND WELCOMES THE WORLD’S GREATEST ARTISTS
TO GLASGOW’S SECC
One of the world’s most prestigious music ceremonies, the MOBO Awards, will be held outside of London for the first time this year and will be staged at Glasgow’s Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre (SECC) on September 30th 2009. The announcement was made today (April 17th) by Kanya King MBE, R&B superstar Lemar and X Factor finalists, JLS.
Hosting the iconic awards will see Scotland welcome an entourage of A-List musicians and celebrities as well as thousands of music fans and will reinforce Glasgow’s reputation as a world class destination for hosting music events and emphasise its status as an UNESCO City of Music.
Kanya King MBE, CEO and founder of the MOBO Awards, expressed her enthusiasm for bringing the celebrated music event to Scotland: “We are delighted to be able to announce that the MOBO music awards show for 2009 will take place in Glasgow. Throughout MOBO’s history we have prided ourselves on finding innovative ways to bring MOBO music and stellar artist performances to our audience and this year we are making another unprecedented move by bringing the awards to Scotland.”
Lemar, who is currently touring the UK and performed last night at the SECC, believes Scotland’s music scene is one of the most exciting in the world and that Glasgow will make an outstanding host for the MOBO Awards: “Bringing the MOBO awards here to Glasgow, a city with such a strong and vibrant music scene, is the perfect fit. I love touring in the UK and the welcome I receive when I come to Scotland is incredible. I have been privileged enough to have performed twice at previous MOBO Awards, both occasions have been highlights in my career. Undoubtedly this year’s MOBO Awards will be an outstanding event.”
Supporting Lemar on his UK tour are X Factor finalists and vocal harmony group, JLS. Marvin said: “Supporting urban music talent is vital to the industry and the MOBO Awards does an outstanding job of nurturing new talent and recognising the icons of music which inspire artists today.”
Oritse agreed: “There are very few platforms for new talent; we got our chance through the X Factor. The MOBO Awards continues to pave the way for new acts that struggle to gain the recognition they deserve.”
JB confirmed: “Glasgow will make an exciting backdrop for this year’s MOBOs and Scotland is an amazing destination to perform. We’re looking forward to spending more time here on tour.”
Aston then added: "Glaswegian audiences are incredible. On our last visit to the city, I couldn't walk down the high street for all the girls chasing me and screaming!"
Kanya King confirmed: “Across each and every corner of the country there are extraordinary performers who are working on new music and we are continually impressed by their incredible wealth of talent. Taste-making is an important part of what we do and we are committed to identifying and promoting these new artists. There is a huge burgeoning urban music scene in Scotland and MOBO is committed to providing a platform for fans nationwide”.
She added “We have listened to our fans and this is our first step to ensuring that MOBO is a truly universal experience for the whole of the UK. Whilst the show may be making a move from London for the first time, our organisation remains in the capital and we are scheduling additional MOBO events that will take place in London and across other major cities. We are pleased to announce a new collaboration with the PRS Foundation for New Music and Urban development which will enable us to present regional showcases of emerging British talent in partnership with local promoters; the details will be released later in the year and we are all very excited about this new project”.
The MOBO Awards, launched in 1996 have taken place in London for the past thirteen years and have acknowledged and celebrated icons of the global music industry such as Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Tina Turner, Dizzee Rascal, Jay- Z, LL Cool J, Amy Winehouse, Rihanna and Usher to name but a few.
The MOBO Awards have been secured for Glasgow and Scotland through a partnership of EventScotland, the national events agency, and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB) and also have the support of Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government.
Michael Russell, Scottish Government Minister for Culture, said: "This prestigious awards ceremony will attract urban music fans from across the globe, providing a significant boost to the economy, both locally in Glasgow and across Scotland.
"Bringing together musicians from the American, European and African industries will be a magnificent opportunity to put our diverse and unique national culture onto the world stage and to consolidate our international reputation for hospitality.
"The MOBOs event will also support and enhance Scotland's creative industries, a key sector that already supports 60,000 jobs and contributes over £5 billion in turnover to our economy."
Also speaking at today’s launch, Councillor Steven Purcell, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, added: “We are delighted to be hosting the MOBO Awards in Glasgow this year. This is an event on a global scale and will be a marvellous opportunity to showcase our city and the modern face of Scotland.
"The MOBOs will attract some of the world's most famous music industry stars to Glasgow, and no doubt result in a night the whole city can enjoy and remember. We will be working closely with MOBO and EventScotland to show the world that our city truly is Scotland with Style."
Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, said at the launch today: “We have worked closely with Glasgow City Marketing Bureau to secure one of the biggest and most iconic music events for the nation and it is incredibly exciting that the MOBO Awards have chosen Glasgow as the first destination outside of London to host the event.
“The benefits for Scotland’s events industry, for Scotland’s music industry, for Scottish tourism and for Scots with aspirations in and a passion for music are massive and the months leading up to the awards in September will be a busy time for everyone. Scotland has an unrivalled reputation in hosting major world class events and Glasgow is known globally as a city of great style and great music. These elements combined will ensure the MOBO Music Awards 2009 is an unforgettable event.”
Scott Taylor, Chief Executive, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “We are delighted to have played our part in bringing the MOBOs to the city in September.
“We relish the opportunity to demonstrate just why Glasgow has been chosen as the host city for these prestigious awards, which will undoubtedly reinforce our style credentials even further.”
The event will be held at Glasgow’s SECC and will be watched by a capacity audience on the night in addition to being broadcast live nationally.
It is estimated that the MOBOs have an annual global audience reach of 250 million across 60 countries.
Tickets will go on sale for the 2009 MOBO Awards in the coming months.
For further information on the event please visit:
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ENDS
For further information or to request interviews please contact:
Moira Dyer, Senior Manager – Public Relations
Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
Tel: 0141 566 0831
Mobile: 07960 895 173
Email: moira.dyer@seeglasgow.com
(or)
Sharon McKinley, PR and Media Relations Manager at EventScotland:
Tel: 0131 472 2286
Mobile: 07795 541 608
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