Mobo organisers hope for no more hitches

The Mobo Awards take place in Britain tonight as organisers hope nothing else goes wrong after the ceremony was plunged into crisis when host, NERD star Pharrell Williams, pulled out with only days to go.

The Mobo Awards are taking place in Britain tonight and the organisers are keeping their fingers crossed that nothing else goes wrong after a series of hitches.

The ceremony was plunged into crisis when its host, NERD star Pharrell Williams, pulled out with only days to go.

Big name stars such as Beyonce, Usher and Outkast all passed up the chance to appear at the London event.

And the awards have been marred by gay rights groups who demanded certain artists be dropped from the nominations list because of their homophobic lyrics.

Organisers kicked out Jamaican stars Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel, both nominees for best reggae act, when they refused to apologise for songs which incite the killing of homosexuals.

US star Mos Def has been drafted in as a last-minute replacement for Williams and will host the show from the Royal Albert Hall. Williams’ no-show has been blamed on “scheduling problems”.

Janet Jackson is the star guest – she has been flown in to present a lifetime achievement award to Anita Baker.

Jay Sean, Marion Winans, Brandy and Jamelia are among the performers.

Jamelia has three nominations. She has been nominated for UK Act of the Year, Best Single for Thank You and Best Video for See It In A Boy’s Eyes.

And 17-year-old sensation Joss Stone is up for two prizes – UK Act of the Year and Best Album for Soul Sessions.

American hip-hop star Kanye West has secured a record seven nominations – Best Hip Hop, Best Video, Best Producer, Best Single, Best Album and two nominations in the Best Collaboration category.

Nominees for the UK Act of the Year are jazz singer Amy Winehouse, Dizzee Rascal, Jamelia, former Fame Academy student Lemar, Joss Stone and The Streets.

Stone’s Soul Sessions is the only British nomination in the Best Album category, which features Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Kanye West, OutKast and Usher.

Only one of the names nominated for Best R&B Act, Fame Academy student Lemar, is British. The others, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Brandy and Usher, are all from across the US.

All the names on the Best Hip Hop category – G-Unit, Beyonce’s boyfriend Jay-Z, Kanye West, OutKast, and Chicago rapper Twista, are American.

Nominations:

Best R&B Act

:: Alicia Keys

:: Beyonce

:: Brandy

:: Lemar

:: Usher

Best Hip Hop Act

:: G-Unit

:: Jay-Z

:: Kanye West

:: Outkast

:: Twista

Best Video

:: Jamelia – See It In A Boy’s Eyes

:: Jay-Z – 99 Problems

:: Kanye West – All Falls Down

:: Kelis – Milkshake

:: Ludacris – Stand Up

:: Usher – Yeah

Best Jazz Act

:: Amy Winehouse

:: Denys Baptiste

:: Jamie Cullum

:: KebMo

:: Norah Jones

Best Reggae Single

:: Sean Paul – Like Glue

:: Toots and The Maytals – True Love

Best Producer

:: Kanye West

:: R Kelly

:: Timbaland

:: The Neptunes

:: Wiley

Best World Music Act

:: Angelique Kidjo

:: Bebel Gilberto

:: Cesaria Evora

:: Youssou N’Dour

:: Daara J

Best Collaboration

:: 2Play ft. Raghav and Jucxi – So Confused

:: Brandy and Kanye West – Talk About Our Love

:: Marques Houston and Joe Budden – Clubbin’

:: Twista and Kanye West – Slow Jamz

:: Usher and Ludacris – Yeah

Best Single

:: Jamelia – Thank You

:: Kanye West – All Falls Down

:: Mario Winans – I Don’t Wanna Know

:: Outkast – Hey Ya!

:: Usher – Burn

Best Album

:: Alicia Keys – The Diary Of Alicia Keys

:: Jay-Z – Black Album

:: Joss Stone – Soul Sessions

:: Kanye West – College Dropout

:: Outkast -Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

:: Usher – Confessions

Best UK Radio DJ

:: Ace and Invisible – 1Xtra

:: Gilles Peterson – Radio One

:: Jigs – Choice FM

:: Semtex – 1Xtra

:: Shortee Blitz and Big Ted – Kiss 100

:: Spoony – Radio One

:: Steve Sutherland – Galaxy

:: Tim Westwood – Radio One

:: Trevor Nelson – Radio One

:: Zane Lowe – Radio One

Best UK Club DJ

:: Manny Norte

:: Matt White

:: Panjabi Hit Squad

:: Shortee Blitz

:: Steve Sutherland

:: Rampage

:: Westwood

UK Act of the Year

:: Amy Winehouse

:: Dizzee Rascal

:: Jamelia

:: Lemar

:: Joss Stone

:: The Streets

Best UK Newcomer

:: Estelle

:: Gemma Fox

:: Shystie

:: Taz

:: Wiley

Best Ringtone

:: Black Eyed Peas – Where Is The Love?

:: Eamon – F*** You

:: Mario Winans – I Don’t Wanna Know

:: Outkast – Hey Ya!

:: Usher – Yeah

Best Gospel Act

:: Fred Hammond

:: Michelle Williams

:: Siani

:: Raymond & Co