AIM have announced the winners of this year’s Independent Awards, following an evening ceremony featuring live performances from Laughta, P Money & Whiney and Cassia.
Avelino was honoured with Best Independent Album In Association With Spotify for his British rap debut album God Save The Streets, whilst Raye and 070 Shake won Best Independent Track for their No.1 hit Escapism. Shygirl took home the award for UK independent Breakthrough following her widely praised debut Nymph and a stream of sold-out shows.
In her first personal appearance at an awards show since the 2012 Webbys, Björk collected AIM’s publicly-voted award for Best Live Performer.
Best Creative Campaign, in association with Able, was won by Partisan Records for Ezra Collective's much-acclaimed Where I'm Meant to Be campaign, with the newly-crowned Mercury Prize-winners collecting the trophy in person.
Laughta, following her performance, won One To Watch In Association With BBC Music Introducing, the PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist was awarded to Domino Records’ stars Wet Leg, and rapper and songwriter Enny won Best Independent EP/Mixtape supported by BBC 1Xtra for We Go Again (FAMM).
Nu:Tone’s remix of Glaxy’s Butterfly Effect (Ft Hugh Hardie & Visionobi) (Hospital Records) won Best Independent Remix, whilst Wesley Joseph received Best Independent Video In Association With Vevo.
Hospital Records took home this year’s Best Independent Label, Speedy Wunderground’s Dan Carey won Innovator Award in association with Amazon Music and Rough Bones won Best Boutique Label.
Music Entrepreneur of the Year was awarded to Caius Pawson, founder of Young, Brighton-based record store Resident Music collected the prize for Independent Champion In Association With Downtown, and Erol Alkan won Outstanding Contribution to Music In Association With Merlin on behalf of Soulwax.
“The Aim Awards are always about more than celebrating the nominees, winners and attendees in the room,” said AIM CEO Silvia Montello. “They celebrate everyone across our varied and diverse rights-holder community throughout the regions and nations. From the founders and long-established labels who’ve defined our sector right through to those forming the future independents. From the entrepreneurs driving new creative businesses to the artists carving out their independent journey. AIM celebrates the legends, visionaries, innovators and all the creative talent who continue to keep our UK's vibrant independent music community the envy of the world.”
Here is a list of the AIM Awards nominees and winners in full:
Best Independent Album in association with Spotify
Avelino - God Save The Streets (More Music Records/ OddChild Music) – Winner
Kelela - Raven (Warp Records)
Little Simz - No Thank You (Forever Living Originals)
Nova Twins - Supernova (Marshall Records)
Obongjayar - Some Nights I Dream of Doors (September Recordings)
Oliver Sim - Hideous Bastard (Young)
Raye - My 21st Century Blues (Human Re Sources)
Rina Sawayama - Hold The Girl (Dirty Hit)
Shygirl - Nymph (Because Music)
Wu-Lu - Loggerhead (Warp Records)
Best Independent Track in association with Meta
Connie Constance - Hurt You (Play It Again Sam)
Enny - Charge It (FAMM)
Four Tet - Three Drums (Text Records)
Makaya McCraven - ‘Dream Another’ (XL Recordings)
Overmono - Good Lies (XL Recordings)
Raye, 070 Shake - Escapism (Human Re Sources) – Winner
Shygirl - Shlut (Because Music)
Sudan Archives - Selfish Soul (Stones Throw Records)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Spitting Off The Edge of The World Ft Perfume Genius (Secretly Canadian)
Yves Tumor - Echolalia (Warp Records)
UK Independent Breakthrough
Ezra Collective (Partisan Records)
I.Jordan (Ninja Tune)
Overmono (XL Recordings)
Shygirl (Because Music) - Winner
Suki Waterhouse (Sub Pop)
Best Live Performer
Björk: (One Little Independent) – Winner
PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist
AntsLive (Payday Records, Trademark Records)
John Summit (Off The Grid Records)
Surya Sen (Skint Records)
Vibe Chemistry (DnB Allstars Records)
Wet Leg (Domino Records) – Winner
Best Independent EP/ Mixtape in association with BBC 1Xtra
Bellah - Adultsville (Base ‘N’ Rebulz X Marathon Music Group)
Enny - We Go Again (FAMM) – Winner
Jessica Winter - Limerance (Lucky Number)
Saint Joshua - EP2 (Ditto Music)
Yunè Pinku - Babylon IX (PLATOON)
One To Watch In Association With BBC Music Introducing
Jessica Winter (Lucky Number)
Juice Menace (Supernature)
Flowerovlove (Fae Grp)
Laughta (MdlBeast) – Winner
Master Peace (PMR)
Best Creative Campaign In Association With Able
Because Music (Shygirl - Nymph)
Dirty Hit (Rina Sawayama - Hold The Girl)
Human Re Sources (Raye - My 21st Century Blues)
Ninja Tune (Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy)
Partisan Records (Ezra Collective - Where I’m Meant To Be) – Winner
XL Recordings (Yaeji - With A Hammer)
Best Independent Remix
Sega Bodega Remix (One Little Independent) - Björk - Ovuke (feat. Shygirl)
Soulwax Remix (Deewee / Because Music) - Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul - Cliche
Nu:Tone Remix (Hospital Records) - GLXY - Butterfly Effect (feat. Hugh Hardie & Visionobi) – Winner
Jamie XX Remix (Young) - Oliver Sim - GMT
Boys Noize (Secretly Canadian) - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Wolf
Best Independent Video In Association With Vevo
Ezra Collective - No Confusion Ft Kojey Radical (Partisan Records)
Kelela - Enough For Love (Warp Records)
Obongjayar - I Wish It Was Me (Live) (September Recordings)
Raye, 070 Shake - Escapism (Human Re Sources)
Wesley Joseph - Monsoon (EevilTwinn) – Winner
Outstanding Contribution to Music In Association With Merlin
Stephen & David Dewaele - Soulwax / 2manydjs (Because Music / [PIAS]) – Winner
Best Independent Label
Defected Records
Forever Living Originals
Hospital Records – Winner
One Little Independent
Transgressive
Best Boutique Label
Chess Club
Glasgow Underground
Houndstooth
Rough Bones –Winner
So Young Records
Music Entrepreneur of the Year
Alex Brees - Un:hurd
Caius Pawson - Young / Space – Winner
Jess Kangalee - Good Energy PR
Keturah Cummings - Forward Slash
Yasin El Ashrafi - HQ Familia
Independent Champion In Association With Downtown
Jaguar Bingham
Resident Music – Winner
Cafe OTO
Innovator Award In Association With Amazon Music
Dan Carey – Winner
Diversity Champion
Charisse Beaumont - Black Lives in Music – Winner
