Dancehall entertainers Sean Paul, Spice, PopCaan, Shenseea, Skillibeng, and Reggae singer Lila Ike are vying for the coveted MOBO Award for Best Reggae act.

The announcement of the nominees has rehashed a longstanding debate of whether it is fair to pool dancehall and reggae acts in the same category. Some argue that the art forms are different and should have their own category.

Among the list of nominees, Sean Paul would be considered a front-runner having four MOBO awards under his belt with wins in 2004, 2005, 2012, and 2013. Meanwhile, PopCaan copped back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016. 

This is the second nomination for both Spice and Lila Ike. The two were first nominated in 2016 and 2020, respectively.

Meanwhile, it’s the first MOBO nomination for Skillibeng, and Shenseea.

The MOBO awards, first established in 1996, has been recognized as the equivalent of the Grammy’s in the United States.

The British-based awards, which seek to honour people of colour in the entertainment industry, will take place on Sunday, December 5.