Jessie J and Tulisa set for Mobos battle

By ALBERTINA LLOYD
Published on 18/09/2012 00:00

Talent show judges Jessie J and Tulisa Contostavlos will battle it out for best female at the Mobo Awards, it was announced last night.

The Voice coach and The X Factor judge will go head to head to be crowned queen of the music awards at a ceremony in Liverpool’s Echo Arena on
3 November.

Jessie J swept the board at last year’s Mobos, picking up four out of the five gongs for which she was nominated – best UK act, best newcomer, best song for Do It Like A Dude and best album for Who You Are.

But she could lose her crown to rival Tulisa.

Also in the running for the best female title are Emeli Sandé, along with Jay-Z’s protégée Rita Ora, former X Factor contestant Rebecca Ferguson and Running singer Jessie Ware

Plan B and Emeli Sandé – the Scots singer riding high on the success of her performances at the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies – lead the nominations with five nods each.

Rapper, actor and director Plan B – real name Ben Drew – is up for best male, best hip-hop/grime act, best video, best song and best album for Ill Manors; the soundtrack to his directorial debut, a gritty crime drama, which he also wrote.

As well as best female, Sandé is nominated for best R&B/soul act, best video for My Kind Of Love, best song for Next To Me and best album for Our Version of Events.

Hot Right Now singer Rita Ora and artist and producer Labrinth follow with four nominations each. Ora has been nominated for best female, best video for RIP featuring Tinie Tempah, best album for Ora and best newcomer. Tempah also features on Labrinth’s Earthquake, which is up for best song.

• See the full list of MOBO nominations here