It was a good (virtual) night at the AIM Awards for winners including AJ Tracey, Sarathy Korwar, Flying Lotus, FKA Twigs and Music Week cover stars Moses Boyd and Arlo Parks.
Little Simz and AJ Tracey gave live performances in a state-of-the-art extended reality studio after picking up the Pioneer Award and Innovator Award, respectively. The ceremony was hosted by BBC Radio 1/1Xtra DJ Tiffany Calver.
For AIM CEO Paul Pacifico, it was also an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of indies during a pandemic. Following his interview in the latest indie takeover edition of Music Week, Pacifico used his awards speech – delivered remotely – to praise the members.
“The independent community has risen to the challenge of Covid, and the sense of collaboration and mutual support that has helped us in these difficult times is a real reminder of the importance of the human connections within our businesses as well as our personal lives,” said Pacifico.
“That sense of humanity is crucial in this moment of disruption and challenge to our health, our political systems and our values as a society. The AIM community stands firmly on the side of social justice and we are working to be a positive force in helping to break down the barriers that prevent anyone from maximising their potential because of their race, their religion, their gender, background or identity.”
He added: “AIM as an organisation needs to be truly reflective of the community we serve and the society we operate within. That community is growing in numbers and in diversity each year and AIM is committed to ensuring that we are a positive platform for everyone in the independent music community and that all those voices are heard.”
Subscribers can read our exclusive interview here.
The edited AIM Awards speech by Pacifico is below.
“There are so many people in independent music who do incredible work and only a few awards to give out so the app this year gives us a fantastic opportunity to give some special mentions for example to Jon Tolley from Banquet Records and Rupert Morrison from Drift – two linchpins of independent music stores, which have done so much to reinforce the connection between artists and fans. The importance of independent record stores has been especially felt this year with so many pivoting to online orders, making releases possible for independent labels and artists despite the world around us being locked down.
“It has without doubt been an incredibly challenging year for everyone and at this year at AIM’s Independent Music Awards, we get the chance to really celebrate the community’s resilience, creativity and innovation that saw independent music continue to break boundaries and push the envelope in spite of all the restrictions around us.
“The Independent Community has risen to the challenge of Covid and the sense of collaboration and mutual support that has helped us in these difficult times is a real reminder of the importance of the human connections within our businesses as well as our personal lives.
“That sense of humanity is crucial in this moment of disruption and challenge to our health, our political systems and our values as a society. The AIM community stands firmly on the side of social justice and we are working to be a positive force in helping to break down the barriers that prevent anyone from maximising their potential because of their race, their religion, their gender, background or identity.
“AIM as an organisation needs to be truly reflective of the community we serve and the society we operate within. That community is growing in numbers and in diversity each year and AIM is committed to ensuring that we are a positive platform for everyone in the independent music community and that all those voices are heard.
“These Awards are an opportunity to recognise some of the best and most innovative artists and businesses from across our community, and also to bring us together as a community to celebrate all of our successes. This event reminds us that as individuals or small businesses, we are not just out there on our own trying to figure out how to make it work. Through AIM we are strong together, aligned in our mission to succeed and we are powerful when we speak with one voice.
“For my part, I am incredibly thankful to be in this role and to have the opportunity to work to make a difference for our community, and I am thankful to our members, our board and my team for their support.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our partners that have made this event possible – our annual platinum partners PPL and Merlin whose year-round support enables so much of what we do – our media partners SBTV, BBC Music and Music Week, our category sponsors who have made this whole event possible, and of course our charity partner The Roundhouse – normally we would have been at their amazing London venue in person, but this year the live side of our industry has almost completely shut down and it’s even more important to recognise and support the incredible work they do, to support young people in the community and provide pathways into work in all areas of music and the performing arts. For me, the Roundhouse is a shining example of how venues can be deep connectors in communities and drivers of opportunities beyond the fantastic shows they put on. We’ve got to continue to lobby hard to protect these important cultural assets and the people that power them.
“I would like to give a special shout out to the AIM team who have worked tirelessly through lockdown to support the independent community, from funding, advice and business support, to webinars, virtual conferences and networking, and, of course, in pivoting our Awards to this virtual format and making tonight possible.”
FOLLOW 
