MOBO Awards 2024 preview at the Winter Gardens in Sheffield.
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00:00 - Thank you very much, it's Alistair from Sheffield Star.
00:02 Would you mind giving me your full name please?
00:03 - It's Harris Lee.
00:04 - Lovely, you're down from Trax you say?
00:06 - Yeah, Trax.
00:07 - What is Trax?
00:08 - Trax is a charitable organisation
00:09 that helps young people get the platform
00:12 and the confidence and everything to do music.
00:16 It's a musical.
00:16 - Sheffield yourself or is it from downtown?
00:19 - Yeah, born and raised Sheffield.
00:21 - Cool, we've got the Nobel Awards for the first time
00:23 here in Sheffield today.
00:25 What kind of opportunity does that present?
00:26 How do you sort of see that as a chance
00:27 to sort of seize on it properly?
00:29 How do you feel today?
00:30 - We've been brewing, the Sheffield team's been brewing,
00:32 but with the MoBos now, it's really shone a spotlight on us.
00:37 So from now on I feel like people are gonna start growing.
00:41 More and more art is coming out of Sheffield.
00:43 - Do you know much about the MoBos before today?
00:45 - Yeah, it's a good part of my childhood.
00:47 I remember every year, family, we sit down,
00:50 watch the MoBos and it's like,
00:52 you go to school next day, like,
00:53 ah, he won, da, da, da, who won, who won,
00:55 stuff like that, so yeah.
00:56 - You were on stage today, you got to do a performance too.
00:59 Who do you want to be as performer?
01:00 What's your art really?
01:02 - It's like R&B and soul and neo-soul
01:05 and hip-hop type music, so I sing, I rap.
01:08 I'm still finding my sound really,
01:09 but that's kind of my area.
01:12 - No, no, no, you had a proper crowd today.
01:14 You had the children in front of you too
01:15 from primary schools too.
01:17 Unique crowd, how did it feel?
01:18 - Wow, the crowd was amazing.
01:20 I loved the choirs, the choirs were great.
01:23 Energy was amazing from everyone, all smiles.
01:26 It was just great to see everyone out in the city
01:28 just enjoying life.
01:30 - Cool, one last thing, if you want to say something
01:32 to the people from Trax, if you want to sort of like
01:34 give a bit of support or a shout out today,
01:36 what would you say?
01:36 - Yeah, Trax has been instrumental for me.
01:39 I started this last year, like, in the summertime,
01:44 and Trax just gave me that platform
01:47 and that guidance, support, help, and the management
01:50 of just, you know, so I can get on stage like this.
01:54 - Hello, Tom, it's Alistair from the Sheffield Star.
01:58 We're here outside of the Winter Garden
01:59 where there is a bit of a preview party
02:01 for the Mobile Awards coming up tonight.
02:03 How do you find the atmosphere here today?
02:05 - The atmosphere's electric.
02:06 You know, there's been so many people here.
02:08 We've got school children coming in
02:10 from right across the city, and the performances,
02:13 the storm disarmed by the way of race.
02:15 Oh my gosh, everyone needs to have their tissues with them
02:18 because this is a real celebration of music.
02:21 Everyone's getting involved, a celebration
02:23 of black music and culture, and you know,
02:25 this is Sheffield's, you know, really making sure
02:28 that we celebrate the Mobos and make sure
02:30 that they're a legacy.
02:32 - There are lots of, like, music schools
02:33 and sort of music groups here today,
02:34 especially from young people.
02:36 We've got opportunities like this.
02:38 How do you best sort of build on this going forward
02:40 or make it a proper fixture for the city?
02:43 - If we build on it, by doing what we've done this week,
02:45 which is about making space for up-and-coming talent
02:48 in this city to say, "This is your city,"
02:51 by putting people on the streets of East Haines
02:53 on Monday night, it's like, you know,
02:55 given performance slots here today,
02:58 given people the chance to do it here in Sheffield,
03:01 inspire the next generation so that if they're
03:04 in the Winter Gardens today, they're on the Mobo board,
03:07 nobody likes to do the future years.
03:09 - Cool.
03:10 What sort of party can we expect tonight, I suppose?
03:13 - I think a party like she hasn't seen before.
03:15 The red carpet is coming, the stars are gonna be here,
03:19 and I think it's gonna be a big party,
03:21 but it's really important for us as a city
03:24 that this is more than just the award show,
03:27 which is why we worked hard with a whole range of partners
03:30 to put on these fringe events to make sure
03:33 that we're bringing in the whole Sheffield community
03:36 to celebrate black music and culture,
03:39 and the Mobos have recognised this is not one,
03:42 this is two.
03:43 We've put on a show this week, and we're very much hoping
03:46 that this is the start of our relationship
03:48 with Black Lives Matter.
03:50 - Thanks very much, Alistair from the Sheffield Star,
03:52 here with Councillor Martin Wright outside
03:53 of the Winter Gardens for the Mobo Awards,
03:56 sort of a preview event we've got going on here today.
04:00 So tell me about the atmosphere inside there today,
04:01 how do you feel it?
04:02 - It's absolutely buzzing, it's fantastic.
04:06 We've put on a whole range of events in Sheffield.
04:09 Some of them in the Winter Gardens.
04:11 I've never seen so many people smiling, having a good time.
04:16 It's great.
04:19 - It's very artistic in there, I feel.
04:20 Like I've seen people sketching as they walk around,
04:22 people looking excellently dressed as well,
04:23 it's got a real cultural vibe to it.
04:25 - There's music, there's food, there's art,
04:28 there's culture, it's great.
04:30 - So building on that, why do you think Sheffield
04:32 was chosen for the Mobo Awards this year?
04:33 It's the first time it's come to the city.
04:35 - So I wasn't involved in the detailed discussions,
04:37 but I understand the Mobos approached Sheffield,
04:40 negotiations took place, and we were selected.
04:43 - Right, well, what's the best way we can sort of build
04:46 on this in the future?
04:47 Like is there a way to make this as a legacy,
04:48 or to sort of build on this as a stepping stone
04:51 for people in the city?
04:52 How can we make the most of it?
04:53 - Well, some of the legacy is on display
04:55 in the Winter Gardens today.
04:56 So there's been a whole range of programs
04:59 with local schools, fringe events have been
05:03 helping local artists, giving advice on how to pursue
05:10 a career in the music business,
05:12 and just generally promote Afro-Caribbean culture,
05:17 music, black origin in Sheffield.
05:20 - And what kind of welcome are we gonna give people tonight?
05:22 - A big one.
05:23 (laughing)
05:25 (upbeat music)
05:28 ♪ You never come again ♪
05:30 ♪ For you and me, life is not promising ♪