Only a fifth of UK nominees are from outside of Londonpublished at 19:37 GMT
Naomi Clarke and Srosh Khan
BBC Newsbeat
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester played host to the Brits earlier this month, Skepta was presenting an award – he’s up for best male act at the Mobos tonight
It’s been a big few weeks for Manchester.
First the Brit Awards came to town, now the city is hosting the Mobos and, later this week, the 6 Music Festival.
For up-and-coming local artists like producer and songwriter July 7, it’s a sign that his city is “getting taken seriously” as a music hub.
“Manchester is known for how unique it is, how vibrant and multicultural it is as a city,” he tells BBC Newsbeat.
“So what’s better than having a spotlight shone on the artists for doing exactly that?”
However, the 28-year-old, who has written and produced for US artists like Travis Scott and Soulja Boy, says the music industry is still “very much London-based”.
That makes life more challenging for him due to the extra travel costs and planning required.
Out of the UK artists that are nominated at this year’s Mobos, about 20% are from outside of London, a slight increase on last year.
July 7 has been part of the Mobo Fringe this year – an event the awards put on in each host city – and says it’s been “incredible” to showcase his work and to meet others in the industry.
But he would like to see more music studios and major labels stationing themselves outside of London to improve the “visibility gap” of artists from across the UK.