The AIM Awards has revealed the final nominees for its ceremony, which will take place on September 26 at London’s Roundhouse.
Björk is set to be presented with the Best Live Performer honour, with an official press release stating that the Icelandic star “fought off fierce competition from Beabadoobee and Muna, surpassing Japan’s kawaii-metal girl band Babymetal at the eleventh hour to clinch the publicly-voted award.”
Elsewhere, Dr Charisse Beaumont – CEO of Black Lives In Music – has been named Diversity Champion in recognition of her “groundbreaking work at the forefront of creating an inclusive music industry, such as the rollout of BLIM’s voluntary Music Industry Anti-Racism Code.”
Beaumont – who was inducted in the Music Week Women In Music Awards Roll Of Honour in 2022 – was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by the University Of West London (alongside BLiM co-founder Roger Wilson), for her continued efforts to achieve equality for Black musicians and professionals.
The 2023 AIM awards will also see the return of the PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist, with a shortlist featuring AntsLive, John Summit, Surya Sen, Vibe Chemistry and Wet Leg.
In the Best Independent Label category, nods were given to Defected Records, Forever Living Originals, Hospital Records, One Little Independent and Transgressive.
‘Best Boutique Label’ nominees are Chess Club Records, Glasgow Underground, Houndstooth, Rough Bones, and So Young Records.
Speaking about this year’s shortlist, Silvia Montello, CEO at AIM said: “The AIM Independent Music Awards are a night to celebrate the best of the UK’s independent music community, and to showcase its triumphs and innovations. We are proud to be able to honour the diversity and talent across the UK ‘s independent labels, artists, entrepreneurs and champions and it’s fantastic to see continued public recognition of Björk’s trailblazing live shows!”
As previously revealed, Raye and Shygirl lead the pack with three nods each, while further multiple nominees include British jazz quintet Ezra Collective, London-based Nigerian songwriter Obongjayar, genre-defying artist Kelela and experimental newcomer Jessica Winter, who each land two nominations.
You can read the full newly announced winners and nominees below
Diversity Champion
Charisse Beaumont - Black Lives in Music
Best Live Performance
Björk (One Little Independent)
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)
Music Entrepreneur of the Year
Alex Brees - Un:hurd
Caius Pawson - Young / Space
Jess Kangalee - Good Energy PR
Keturah Cummings - Forward Slash
Yasin El Ashrafi - HQ Familia
Best Boutique Label
Chess Club
Glasgow Underground
Houndstooth
Rough Bones
So Young Records
Best Independent Label
Defected Records
Forever Living Originals
Hospital Records
One Little Independent
Transgressive
Best Creative Campaign
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’)
XL Recordings (Yaeji - ‘With A Hammer’)
The previously announced nominees are as follows:
UK Independent Breakthrough
Ezra Collective (Partisan Records)
I.Jordan (Ninja Tune)
Overmono (XL Recordings)
Shygirl (Because Music)
Suki Waterhouse (Sub Pop)
Best Independent Track (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)
Shygirl - ‘Shlut’ (Because Music)
Sudan Archives - ‘Selfish Soul’ (Stones Throw Records)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - ‘Spitting Off The Edge of The World’ feat. Perfume Genius (Secretly Canadian)
Yves Tumor - ‘Echolalia’ (Warp Records)
Best Independent EP/ Mixtape
Bellah - ‘Adultsville’ (Base ‘N’ Rebulz X Marathon Music Group)
ENNY - ‘We Go Again’ (FAMM)
Jessica Winter - ‘Limerance’ (Lucky Number)
Saint Joshua - ‘EP2’(Ditto Music)
yunè pinku - ‘Babylon IX’ (Platoon)
Best Independent Album
Avelino - God Save The Streets (More Music Records/ OddChild Music)
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 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)’
Jamie XX remix (Young) - Oliver Sim - ‘GMT’
Boys Noize (Secretly Canadian) - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - ‘Wolf’
One To Watch (BBC Music Introducing)
Jessica Winter (Lucky Number)
Juice Menace (Supernature)
Flowerovlove (FAE GRP)
Laughta (MDLBEAST)
Master Peace (PMR)
Best Independent Video (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)
