Industry member Urban Development have teamed up with MOBO and the PRS for Music Foundation to launch the MOBO Tour 2012, much of which will take place in Skills Academy Member venues, including the Sage Gateshead and mac Birmingham.

The first names to be announced are Lady Leshurr and Clement Marfo & The Frontline, with more names to come.

The Industry Takeover will provide free workshops and seminars across the UK, with the MOBO Unsung competition dedicated to unearthing regional talent.

This free tour is set to travel to eight cities across the UK, offering audiences the opportunity to see some of 2012’s freshest, new, emerging talent on stage and attend industry workshops and seminars (via Industry Takeover @ MOBO Academy). It’s also a chance for undiscovered talent right across the country to get involved in the MOBO Unsung competition.

Thanks to funding from Arts Council England and PRS for Music Foundation all of this will be provided for FREE.

Kicking off on February 22 in Birmingham, the tour will travel across the country and bring together the best of the UK’s new Urban talent. The first names to be announced are breakthrough MC Lady Leshurr (tipped to do big things in 2012 by RWD Magazine and Itunes) and MTV Brand New pick for 2012, seven piece hip-hop-rock collective Clement Marfo & The Frontline. A further five names will be confirmed in the New Year.

In addition to bringing the pick of 2012’s most hotly tipped talent to a city near you, The MOBO Tour is also creating the opportunity for brand new, undiscovered talent to win the chance to perform on stage through MOBO Unsung.

Entries will be hosted on www.mobo.com for the public to view and a judging panel of industry experts will then select a winner from each UK region, who will take the stage as part of the tour in their local area.

A team of radio DJs will select the MOBO Unsung winner from the 8 regional finalists. This winner will then join an on-line ‘Battle Of The Bands’ competition where they will compete against other newcomers put forward by established artists (but more on this to follow!) with a public vote to select the ultimate ‘battle’ winner.

To further support talent in all areas of the music industry, The MOBO Tour 2012 (with thanks to Urban Development’s ‘Industry Takeover’) will provide workshops and seminars in cities on the day of the show. Industry experts from well respected organisations including SB.TV, RWD Magazine, PRS for Music Foundation, SJM Concerts, artists on the MOBO Tour and more will all be sharing their insider industry knowledge, answering questions and offering advice to audiences across the country.

The MOBO Tour, seminars, workshops and Unsung competition highlights all partners’ efforts to support, guide and nurture new and developing talent across the UK (a true reflection of their involvement with the skills work they are part of through partnership with the Skills Academy!).

Feb 22   Library HMV Institute  MAC / Birmingham
Feb 23  Manchester Academy 3 N/A / Manchester
Feb 24  Academy 2   Venue TBC / Liverpool
Feb 25  The Garage   The Mitchell Library / Glasgow
Feb 27  Academy 2   The Sage / Newcastle
Feb 28  Academy 2   Watershed / Bristol
Feb 29  Academy    Red Bull Studios / London
March 1 Waterfront   N/A / Norwich