Mobo Awards give prize to the wrong artist

The Mobo award were hit by an embarrassing glitch after the best song award was wrongly handed to the wrong band.

London trio Wstrn were invited onto the stage to collect the gong and paid tribute to the "crazy" career highlight before it emerged they had not actually won.

Host Rickie Haywood-Williams was forced to admit the mistake and ask the band to hand back their award to the rightful winner MC Abra Cadabra.

“OK, so ladies and gentleman, we’re extremely sorry but somebody picked up the wrong envelope for best song earlier on," he told the audience.

"The wrong winners were announced. So… we need to correct that."

Some viewers spotted that the speakers seemed to be playing the wrong song after the award was originally called, playing Abra Cadabra's Robbery instead of Wstrn's In2.

A spokesman for the Mobo awards expressed "deep regret" for the error, which they said was down to "human error".

“In over 20 years of live tv we’ve never made a mistake like this,” said the awards producers Done&Dusted in a statement shared on Twitter.

The gaffe was witnessed by a host of music stars at the awards including Professor Green, Clean Bandit, Laura Mvula, Craig David, and Chase & Status.

Luckily there was some comfort for Wstrn in the form of an award for best newcomers.

The night's top winners included rapper Kano, who saw off competition from Skepta to win best album for Made In the Manor.

Craig David celebrated a return to music with best male artist. Credit: PA

Garage star Craig David - who clinched best newcomer at the Mobos in 2000 - rounded off his return to the scene by winning best male act.

Lady Leshurr said she was "ecstatic" after winning best female act.

"It has been a long time coming. I've been doing this for over a decade and been trying different things," she said.

Lady Leshurr with her best female act award at the MOBO awards. Credit: PA

This year's Paving The Way award, which celebrates individuals in any field "punching above their weight" and creating a path for others to follow, was given to Olympic Champion boxer Nicola Adams.

"Tell me I can't - and that's why I will", she said in a rousing victory speech.

Adams the award "means absolutely everything to me".

"It's nice to know that people appreciate the hard work I put into the sport and the effort to create a path so that girls behind me don't have to struggle."

Olympic champion Nicola Adams with her Paving The Way award. Credit: PA

The full list of winners from the awards:

  • Best Male Act - Craig David

  • Best Female Act - Lady Leshurr

  • Best Newcomer - WSTRN

  • Best Album - Kano: Made In The Manor

  • Best Hip Hop Act - Section Boyz

  • Best Song - Abra Cadabra ft Krept & Konan: Robbery (remix)

  • Best Video - Nadia Rose SKWOD (Directed by Reece Proctol)

  • Best R&B/Soul - Shakka

  • Best Grime Act (In Association with BBC Radio 1Xtra) - Chip

  • Best International Act - Drake

  • Best Jazz Act - Esperanza Spalding

  • Best Gospel Act - Guvna B

  • Best Reggae Act - Popcaan

  • Best African Act - Wiz Kid

  • Paving The Way - Nicola Adams MBE and Ms Dynamite