Jazz Intimidated, Bullied And Ignored?

One reason the jazz category might have been dumped from this year’s MOBO Awards is because the genre is “easily intimidated, bullied or just ignored.”

“If I ran a right-on company with a sponsorship budget, I’d sooner be associated with jazz than categories so boring that the winners can’t be bothered to turn up,” wrote John L. Walters in The Guardian, adding his name to the long list of those who’ve protested the Music of Black Origin’s decision to cut a few categories so the awards show would fit TV schedules.

Three weeks after the event, and while purists are still searching for the root of this roots music problem, awards organiser Kanya King – who is said to be behind the decision to turn off the jazz – remained unrepentant.

“Due to the wide range of musical categories that are encompassed by the term ‘music of black origin’ and the time constraints of a televised awards show, it is not always possible for The MOBO Awards to carry all the categories that we would wish to,” she told Pollstar. “Categories are constantly under review and, as such, categories are sometimes rested for them to return in future years – this is very normal for any awards show. This was the case, for example, with best gospel act, which did not feature last year but has returned to this year’s show,” she added.

– John Gammon