Ms proves again she's Dynamite

Ms Dynamite with one of her three awards

The singer and rapper Ms Dynamite dominated the seventh Mobo Awards for black music last night, carrying off three prizes.

Ms Dynamite - stage name of 21-year-old Niomi Daley, from north London - who won the coveted Mercury Music Prize last month, was the star turn at the London Arena. She was nominated in six of the 14 Mobo categories, a feat matched only by Craig David in the 2000 awards.
Ms Dynamite matched the Southampton soul singer's haul, picking up best newcomer, best UK act, and best single for her blend of garage, rap and R'n'B.

David was one of a starry line-up of performers on the night that also featured Ms Dynamite singing a medley of songs from her Mercury winning album A Little Deeper.

There was no shortage of glamour from across the Atlantic. Having flown to London last week on Concorde, a 70-strong contingent from the red-hot New York label Murder Inc made their presence felt in true gangsta-rap style.

The label's multi-platinum rapper Ja Rule won best hip-hop act, while Ashanti Douglas, the fastest selling female artist in history, was voted best R'n'B act. Douglas and Rule performed their duet Always on Time.

For soul music's old guard, the finest sight of the night was the gigantic hair and matching thighs of Illinois belter Chaka Khan.

Now 49, the singer of classic Eighties hits such as Ain't Nobody, I'm Every Woman and I Feel For You, picked up a lifetime achievement award. Reggae's glory days were acknowledged by an award for Jimmy Cliff for his contribution to what is now termed "urban" music.

Notable by their absence from the podium were the bad boys of UK garage, So Solid Crew. Having dominated last year's event the ragamuffin army left empty-handed.

The Telegraph sponsored best garage act award went instead to chart-topping girl trio Mis-Teeq, whose MC Aleesha Dixon compered the ceremony with rap star turned actor LL Cool J.

Mobo is an acronym for "Music of Black Origin". The awards were set up in 1996 to celebrate a style of music long neglected by mainstream prizes such as the Mercury and the Brits.