Pharrell Williams and Slick Rick to Receive Top Honors at MOBO's 30th Anniversary Celebration

The event will take place at Co-op Live in Manchester with hosts Eve and Eddie Kadi.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 6:20pm

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Pharrell Williams will receive the MOBO Global Songwriter Award, and Slick Rick will collect the MOBO Lifetime Achievement Award at the 30th anniversary ceremony of the MOBO Awards on March 26. The MOBO Awards celebrate Black music in Europe.

Why it matters

The MOBO Awards have long celebrated the richness of Black music and culture, and honoring influential artists like Pharrell Williams and Slick Rick highlights their significant contributions to the industry over the decades.

The details

Williams has won 14 GRAMMY Awards and has racked up 25 RIAA Platinum-certified singles as either a producer or artist, collaborating with numerous high-profile musicians. Slick Rick helped shape modern rap storytelling and holds the title of most sampled voice in hip-hop history, with four multi-platinum albums and more than three billion streams.

  • The 30th anniversary MOBO Awards ceremony will take place on March 26, 2026.
  • Officials announced the honors on March 11, 2026.

The players

Pharrell Williams

An acclaimed producer and songwriter who has won 14 GRAMMY Awards and earned an Academy Award nomination. He has collaborated with numerous high-profile artists and has 25 RIAA Platinum-certified singles.

Slick Rick

A South London-born artist who helped shape modern rap storytelling and holds the title of most sampled voice in hip-hop history, with four multi-platinum albums and more than three billion streams.

Kanya King CBE

The founder and CEO of the MOBO Group, which organizes the MOBO Awards.

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What’s next

The 30th anniversary MOBO Awards ceremony will take place on March 26, 2026 at Co-op Live in Manchester.

The takeaway

The MOBO Awards' decision to honor influential artists like Pharrell Williams and Slick Rick underscores the program's longstanding commitment to celebrating the richness and diversity of Black music and culture in Europe.