Vybz Kartel Wins First MOBO Award For Best Caribbean Music Act

Manchester, UK — March 26, 2026

Dancehall legend Vybz Kartel wins Best Caribbean Music Act at the 2026 staging of the MOBO Awards. 

The award was announced on Amazon Prime during its landmark 30th anniversary celebration at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester on Thursday.

The victory crowns a generational run for Vybz Kartel who was named World Music Views’ 2025 Artist of the Year after delivering one of the most dominant runs in dancehall history.

His year began with a powerful comeback concert in Kingston that reignited global attention on the genre following his 2024 release, quickly followed by a strategic expansion into the U.S. where he secured a visa, relocated to Florida, and launched his own label, Adijaheim Records.

Kartel then led a groundbreaking world tour, headlining sold-out arena shows including record-breaking performances at Barclays Center, major festival appearances like Wireless in London, and stops across North America, Europe, and the Caribbean—proving dancehall could consistently fill global arenas. On the charts, he stood alone as one of two dancehall artists to land a 2025 project on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, while also crossing into mainstream collaborations with DJ Khaled and Travis Scott.

The other nominees in the category for Best Caribbean Music Act this year were

Yung Bredda, from Trinidad along with Jamaican acts Shenseea, Ayetian, Masicka and Lila Iké.

Having previously been nominated multiple times for Best Reggae Act in the 2000s and honored with the MOBO Impact Award in 2025, this is Kartel’s first time winning a trophy for Best Caribbean Music Act.

Kartel was also nominated for Best International Act but that award went to Ayra Starr. The 2026 MOBO Awards, co-founded by Kanya King and Andy Ruffell, celebrated three decades of championing Black music and culture.

Olivia Dean won Best Female act and performed her hit A Couple Minutes. Shenseea also gave a performance.