KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Culture, Gender Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange has congratulated Damian Marley for winning the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Award for Best Reggae Act.

Grange in a release today described Marley as an outstanding member of the talented Marley clan.

“[He] is on a roll, having just been nominated in the Best Reggae Album category of the Grammy Awards, and now winning the MOBO Award. It really feels special to say back-to-back congratulations to him,” said Grange.

The minister said she was also proud of Chronixx, Aidonia, Alkaline, and Popcaan who were other Jamaican artistes vying for the MOBO Award, adding that their credentials qualified all of them to enter but there could only be one winner.

The MOBO Awards, established in 1996, is held in the United Kingdom annually to recognise artistes of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music.

Since its inception, the MOBO Awards has become one of Europe’s biggest and most influential music award ceremonies, celebrating excellence in black music in the UK and internationally for more than 20 years in the musical forms of hip-hop, grime, RnB, soul, Reggae, jazz, gospel, and African music.

The MOBO Awards are seen as a UK equivalent to the BET Awards and Soul Train Awards in the United States.