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

Pharrell Williams will receive the MOBO Global Songwriter Award, and Slick Rick will collect the MOBO Lifetime Achievement Award at the 30th anniversary ceremony on March 26. The event will take place at Co-op Live in Manchester with hosts Eve and Eddie Kadi.

Officials announced the honors on March 11. The ceremony will mark three decades of the awards program, which celebrates Black music in Europe.

Williams has won 14 GRAMMY Awards. He's earned an Academy Award nomination, too. The producer and songwriter has racked up 25 RIAA Platinum-certified singles as either a producer or artist. His collaborators include JAY Z, Snoop Dogg, Daft Punk, Mariah Carey, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, and Clipse.

Slick Rick helped shape modern rap storytelling and holds the title of most sampled voice in hip-hop history. The South London-born artist has four multi-platinum albums and more than three billion streams. His tracks "La Di Da Di" and "The Show" have been sampled or interpolated over 1,000 times by artists including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, J. Cole, Mariah Carey, The Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, and Miley Cyrus.

"It's a real honour to be recognised by the MOBO Awards, which have long celebrated the richness of Black music and culture," said Ricky Walters, per The Voice. "From Mitcham, south London, to New York and beyond, my journey in hip-hop has always been about storytelling, imagination, and staying true to the culture, so this moment right here feels special and warm."

The rapper will perform alongside Estelle in a unique collaborative set, according to officials. Jamaican star Shenseea will also perform, marking her first appearance in the U.K. since her 2024 headline tour.

Other performers include Olivia Dean, FLO, Tiwa Savage, Aitch, and Myles Smith. DJ Target will put together a grime medley featuring Wiley, Chip, Nolay, Scorcher, and D Double E.

"MOBO has always been about recognising the cultural architects as well as the rising stars shaping the future," said Kanya King CBE, founder and CEO of the MOBO Group. "Pharrell Williams' songwriting genius has influenced the sound of global music for decades, while Slick Rick's storytelling laid the foundations for generations of hip hop artists."