In recognition of his contributions to the music industry, dancehall artiste Valiant was presented with a Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Award in the ‘Best Caribbean Music Act’ category at the 26th staging of the event.

The MOBO Awards are an annual British music recognition ceremony that highlights the achievements of black artistes within the music industry, ranging from the genres of hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and African music.

In a post on social media on Wednesday afternoon, the organisation announced the news ahead of the ceremony slated for later in the day. The winners for other categories, such as ‘Best Media Personality’, ‘Best African Music Act’, and more were also announced.

“Big up the whole a di diplomats who support di ting. Big up Jamaica. Big up God. Yuh know the style already. Nuff new music a fawud out. More work. Big up di whole a di new generation dem. Big up di longevity artiste dem weh deh inna the ting. Nuff love,” Valiant said in a video on his social media following the announcement.

The Mad Out artiste emerged victorious over fellow Jamaican artiste Shenseea, Popcaan, Byron Messia, Kabaka Pyramid, and Trinidadian Destra Garcia.

Founded in 1996 by Kanya King, the MOBO Awards is a platform dedicated to celebrating the remarkable talents of Black origin creating music in the United Kingdom. The awards honour both the artistic and technical achievements of exceptional British artiste and international talents.

Skillibeng was awarded the ‘Best Caribbean Music Act’ award in 2022 after the category replaced the award for ‘Best Reggae Act.’