# AIM Independent Music Awards

The AIM Independent Music Awards, hosted by the Association of Independent Music (commonly abbreviated to AIM), began in 2011. It is established through a collection of independent record labels and providing service and support to independent and smaller artists and record labels globally, achieving recognition for their efforts and works. The AIM Independent Music Awards are also providing recipients with greater opportunities to further expand their careers and name in the music industry.

## About
### The Association of Independent Music

The Association of Independent Music is a non-profit organization initiated in March 1999 and the current AIM's CEO is Paul Pacifico which previously held titles as CEO of the Featured Artists' Coalition (commonly abbreviated to FAC) and President of the International Artists Organisation (commonly abbreviated to IAO), a professor at the Berklee College of Music (the overseas campus in Valencia, Spain) and also owns his own Independent music company. The trade body was initiated in order to represent smaller indie artists, bands and labels. The organization provides support, education, publicity and assistance to their members through music awards and festivals. The Association of Independent Music advocate"providing a collective voice for UK's independent music industry" and "supporting UK's independent music." The organisation has expanded and representing approximately eight hundred varying record labels, artists and companies of diverse sorts within the music industry. The organisation are also branching into other trade bodies, such as the Association of Independent Festivals.

### The Association of Independent Festivals

The Association of Independent Festivals (commonly abbreviated to AIF) are being a division of the AIM which are works with the direct aim of aiding independent festivals and labels. The aims of the Association of Independent Festivals is "represent, empower and provide a vital support network to independent festivals organizers." The trade body was initially founded in 2008 by DJ Robert John Gorham, more commonly known as Rob da Bank (who is also founder of the annual Bestival music festival), and Bestival director Ben Turner. The body currently represents approximately fifty member events.
* The Association of Independent Festivals member events
* A Boundless Summer - Borde Hill Garden
* Adobe in the Park
* ArcTanGent Festival
* Barn On The Farm Festival
* Belladrum Festival
* Bestival
* Blissfields Festival
* Brecon Jazz Festival
* Brownstock Music Festival
* Camp Bestival
* Common People
* Eden Sessions
* End of The Road
* Fire in the Mountain
* Isle of Wight Festival
* Secret Garden Party
* Tramlines Festival
* 2000trees
* Y Not Festival

## 2015 Awards winners

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2015 |
| 2015 | Erased Tapes Records | Best Small Label | Won |
| 2015 | Young Fathers - White Men Are Black Men Too | Best Difficult Second Album | Won |
| 2015 | Cities of Darkscorch Boardgame | Special Catalogue Release of the Year | Won |
| 2015 | Swans | Hardest Working Band of Artist | Won |
| 2015 | Brainchild Festival | Golden Welly Award for Best Independent Festival | Won |
| 2015 | Wolf Alice | Independent Breakthrough of the Year | Won |
| 2015 | Marc Riley, BBC 6 Music | Indie Champion | Won |
| 2015 | Flying Lotus- 'Never Catch Me' | Independent Video of the Year | Won |
| 2015 | All Time Low | 'Best Live Act | Won |
| 2015 | FKA twigs - 'Two Weeks' | Independent Track of the Year | Won |
| 2015 | Jungle | PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Act | Won |
| 2015 | Enter Shikari - The Mindsweep | Independent Album of the Year | Won |
| 2015 | Transgressive Records | Independent Label of the Year | Won |
| 2015 | Digby Pearson | Pioneer Award | Won |
| 2015 | Peter Quicke, Matt Black and Jonathan More of Ninja Tune | Innovator Award | Won |
| 2015 | Skepta | Outstanding Contribution to Music | Won |

## 2016 Awards winners

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2016 |
| 2016 | Numbers | Best Small Label | Won |
| 2016 | Daughter, Not to Disappear | Best Difficult Second Album | Won |
| 2016 | Slade, When Slade Rocked the World | Special Catalogue Release of the Year | Won |
| 2016 | Darren Hayman | Hardest Working Band/Artist | Won |
| 2016 | Brainchild Festival | Golden Welly Award for Best Independent Festival | Won |
| 2016 | Christine and the Queens | Independent Breakthrough of the Year | Won |
| 2016 | Jon Tolley | Indie Champion Award | Won |
| 2016 | Oscar - 'Sometimes' | Independent Video of the Year | Won |
| 2016 | Babymetal | Best Live Act | Won |
| 2016 | Adele - 'Hello' | Independent Track of the Year | Won |
| 2016 | Sigala | PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Act | Won |
| 2016 | Scott Gorham | Riff Lord Award | Won |
| 2016 | Stormzy | Innovator Award | Won |
| 2016 | Little Simz - A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons | Independent Album of the Year | Won |
| 2016 | Epitaph/ANTI | Independent Label of the Year | Won |
| 2016 | Róisín Murphy | Outstanding Contribution to Music | Won |
| 2016 | Richard Russell, XL Recordings | Pioneer Award | Won |

## 2022

| UK Independent Breakthrough | International Breakthrough |
| Wet Leg Children of Zeus Knucks Nova Twins Warmduscher | Blxst Amyl and the Sniffers KOKOROKO Mdou Moctar Mitski |
| Best Independent Track | Best Independent EP/Mixtape |
| "Antagonist" – Nova Twins "Broken Homes" – Wu-Lu "Chaise Longue" – Wet Leg "Jackie" – Yves Tumor "Protein" – Jeshi featuring Obongjayar "So U Kno" – Overmono "Starlight" – Dave "Tears in the Club" – FKA Twigs featuring The Weeknd "You Could Be" – ANZ featuring George Riley | Angelica – Taahliah At What Cost? – Surya Sen Caprisongs – FKA Twigs Still Slipping Vol. 1 – Joy Orbison Ultramarine – Wesley Joseph |
| Best Independent Album | Best [Difficult] Second Album |
| Mother – Cleo Sol Balance – Children of Zeus Gbagada Express – BOJ Knopperz – Dave Okumu Nine – Sault Painless – Nilüfer Yanya Unlearning – Walt Disco We're All Alone in This Together – Dave When Smoke Rises – Mustafa Yellow – Emma-Jean Thackray | Painless – Nilüfer Yanya Ants from Up There – Black Country, New Road Colourgrade – Tirzah Painful Enlightenment – Jana Rush Tread – Ross from Friends |
| One to Watch | Best Independent Remix |
| Nia Archives Barry Can't Swim Jeshi Léa Sen Taahliah | "Lavender & Red Roses (Champion Remix)" – Ibeyi featuring Jorja Smith "BDE (Florentino Remix)" – Shygirl featuring Kaydy Cain "Gazzillion Ear (Thom Yorke Man on Fire Remix)" – MF Doom "No Caroline Remix" – ATO; Remixed by Flohio "Polite (Mura Masa Remix)" – Erika de Casier |
| Best Creative Campaign | Best Independent Video |
| Maylee Todd – Maloo Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia Mitski – Laurel Hell Obongjayar – Some Nights I Dream of Doors Radiohead – Kid A Mnesia | "3210" – Jeshi "Cold Summer" – Wesley Joseph "Made of Gold" – Ibeyi featuring Pa Salieu "Softly" – Arlo Parks "Tears in the Club" – FKA Twigs featuring The Weeknd |
| Music Entrepreneur of the Year | Most Played New Independent Artist |
| Corey Johnson (Defenders Ent) Peter Adarkwah (Barely Breaking Even) Karen Emmanuel (Key Production) Laura Lewis-Paul (Saffron Music) Jamie Oborne (Dirty Hit/All on Red Management) | D.O.D Arlo Parks KC Lights Rathbone Place Wet Leg |
| Best Independent Label | Best Boutique Label |
| Rough Trade Records Domino Recording Company Ninja Tune Partisan Records Soundway Records | Local Action Chess Club Edition Records Finesse Foreva Rough Bones |
| Best Live Performer ||
| Mitski Ben Böhmer The Hu Idles Shao Dow ||
| Outstanding Contribution to Music | Independent Champion |
| Lethal Bizzle | Kenny Gates and Michel Lambot |
| Diversity Champion | Innovator |
| Stormzy | Rina Sawayama |

## 2023

The 2023 AIM Independent Music Awards were presented on 26 September 2023 at the Roundhouse in London. The first set of nominees were announced on 19 July 2023. The rest of the nominees as well as the Best Live Performance and Diversity Champion recipients were announced on 23 August 2023.
| UK Independent Breakthrough | One to Watch |
| Shygirl (Because Music) Ezra Collective (Partisan Records) I. Jordan (Ninja Tune) Overmono (XL Recordings) Suki Waterhouse (Sub Pop) | Laughta (MDLBEAST Records) Jessica Winter (Lucky Number) Juice Menace (Supernature) Flowerovlove (FAE GRP) Master Peace (PMR) |
| PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist | Music Entrepreneur of the Year |
| Wet Leg (Domino Records) AntsLive (Payday Records, Trademark Records) John Summit (Off the Grid Records) Surya Sen (Skint Records) Vibe Chemistry (DnB Allstars Records) | Caius Pawson (Young / Young Space) fAlex Brees (Un:hurd) Jess Kangalee (Good Energy PR) Keturah Cummings (Forward Slash) Yasin El Ashrafi (HQ Familia) |
| Best Boutique Label | Best Independent Label |
| Rough Bones Chess Club Glasgow Underground Houndstooth So Young Records | Hospital Records Defected Records Forever Living Originals One Little Independent Transgressive |
| Best Independent Track | Best Independent Album |
| "Escapism" – Raye featuring 070 Shake (Human Re Sources) "Hurt You" – Connie Constance (Play It Again Sam) "Charge It" – ENNY (FAMM) "Three Drums" – Four Tet (Text Records) "Dream Another" – Makaya McCraven (XL Recordings) "Good Lies" – Overmono (XL Recordings) "Shlut" – Shygirl (Because Music) "Selfish Soul" – Sudan Archives (Stones Throw Records) "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" – Yeah Yeah Yeahs featuring Perfume Genius (Secretly Canadian) "Echolalia" – Yves Tumor (Warp Records) | God Save the Streets – Avelino (More Music Records / OddChild Music) Raven – Kelela (Warp Records) No Thank You – Little Simz (Forever Living Originals) Supernova – Nova Twins (Marshall Records) Some Nights I Dream of Doors – Obongjayar (September Recordings) Hideous Bastard – Oliver Sim (Young) My 21st Century Blues – Raye featuring 070 Shake (Human Re Sources) Hold the Girl – Rina Sawayama (Dirty Hit) Nymph – Shygirl (Because Music) Loggerhead – Wu-Lu (Warp Records) |
| Best Independent EP/Mixtape | Best Independent Video |
| We Go Again – ENNY (FAMM) Adultsville – Bellah (Base 'N' Rebulz X Marathon Music Group) Limerance – Jessica Winter (Lucky Number) EP2 – Saint Joshua (Ditto Music) BABYLON IX – Yunè Pinku (PLATOON) | "MONSOON" – Wesley Joseph (EEVILTWINN) "No Confusion" – Ezra Collective featuring Kojey Radical (Partisan Records) "Enough for Love" – Kelela (Warp Records) "I Wish It Was Me (Live)" – Obongjayar (September Recordings) "Escapism" – Raye featuring 070 Shake (Human Re Sources) |
| Best Independent Remix | Best Creative Campaign |
| "Butterfly Effect" (Nu:Tone remix) – GLXY featuring Hugh Hardie & Visionobi (Hospital Records) "Ovule" (Sega Bodega remix) – Björk featuring Shygirl (One Little Independent) "Cliche" (Soulwax remix) – Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul (Deewee / Because Music) "GMT" (Jamie xx remix) – Oliver Sim (Young) "Wolf" (Boys Noize remix) – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Secretly Canadian) | Partisan Records (Where I'm Meant to Be – Ezra Collective) Because Music (Nymph – Shygirl) Dirty Hit (Hold the Girl – Rina Sawayama) Human Re Sources (My 21st Century Blues – Raye) Ninja Tune (Heavy Heavy – Young Fathers) XL Recordings (With a Hammer – Yaeji) |
| Best Live Performance | Diversity Champion |
| Björk | Dr. Charisse Beaumont |
| Independent Champion | Innovator Award |
| Resident Music Jaguar Bingham Cafe Oto | Dan Carey |
| Outstanding Contribution to Music ||
| Stephen & David Dewaele - Soulwax / 2manydjs (Because Music / [PIAS) ||