The Association of Independent Music celebrated another triumphant year for independent music as it unveiled the winners at the third annual AIM Independent Music Awards.
With live performances from Franz Ferdinand and this year’s Outstanding Contribution To Music winner Billy Bragg, and hosted once again by renowned broadcasters and champions of new music Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens, the AIM Awards is now established as the premiere event in the independent sector’s diary.
Enter Shikari followed on from 2012’s Independent Album of the Year win, taking home the Best Live Act Award as voted for by visitors to the-fly.co.uk. The xx triumphed in the Best ‘Difficult’ Second Album category sponsored by XFM, winning ahead of stiff competition from the likes of John Grant and Villagers. Independent Breakthrough Of The Year winners Macklemore & Ryan Lewis also took the PPL Award For The Most Played New Independent Act – the only artists to collect two awards on the night. One of this year’s most acclaimed acts Daughter – signed to last year’s Independent Label Of The Year 4AD – won Independent Album Of The Year. New categories Independent Video of the Year and Independent Track of the Year went to Django Django’s ‘WOR’ and Vampire Weekend’s ‘Diane Young’ respectively.
There was a veritable Who’s Who of independent luminaries and labels battling it out for the remaining awards. Alcopop! Records took home the Best Small Label award, whilst the hotly contested Independent Label of the Year prize went to Warp, who have enjoyed a terrific year with releases from Flying Lotus, Grizzly Bear, TNGHT, Broadcast, Brian Eno and Jamie Lidell.
BBC 6music DJ Gilles Peterson picked up the Indie Champion prize, whilst host Steve Lamacq was honoured with a Special Recognition Award presented by Richard Hawley, marking 20-years broadcasting for the BBC and his unwavering support of independent artists.
The worthy recipient of this year’s Pioneer Award was Geoff Travis, founder of Rough Trade Records and the Rough Trade Record Shop, and with four decades of cutting edge signings to his credit.
As previously announced, Billy Bragg was a very popular choice as winner of the Outstanding Contribution To Music award, and celebrated his win with a set of classic tracks spanning his 30 year career. Given his regular appearances on the Glastonbury Festival bill it was fitting that Michael Eavis present his award.
In total 16 Awards were presented on the night voted for by a panel of judges from across the media and music industry, including representatives from; Radio 1 and 1Xtra, 6Music, NME, The Quietus, Rocksound, The Independent, Radio 2, Metro, Mixmag and Q magazine with one voted for by the readers of The Fly.
AIM INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS:
Best Live Act (voted for by visitors to the-fly.co.uk): Enter Shikari
Independent Breakthrough Of The Year (in association with 7digital): Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Hardest Working Band Or Artist: Frankie & The Heartstrings
Best ‘Difficult’ Second Album (in association with XFM): The xx – ‘Co-exist’
Independent Album Of The Year (in association with Record Store Day): Daughter – ‘If You Leave’
Best Small Label (in association with Disc Manufacturing Services): Alcopop! Records
PPL Award For Most Played New Independent Act: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Special Catalogue Release Of The Year (in association with Amazon): Various Artists – Scared To Get Happy : A Story of Indie Pop 1980 – 89
Independent Label Of The Year (in association with Coutts): Warp
Independent Track Of The Year (in association with Spotify) : Vampire Weekend – ‘Diane Young’
Independent Video Of The Year (in association with Vevo): Django Django – ‘WOR’
Indie Champion Award (in association with Consolidated Independent): Gilles Peterson – BBC 6music
Golden Welly Award (in association with UK Music, AIF + This Is Fake DIY): In The Woods
Special Recognition Award: Steve Lamacq – BBC 6music
Outstanding Contribution to Music (in association with eMusic): Billy Bragg
Pioneer Award (in association with Nokia Music): Geoff Travis, Rough Trade
Read more at Music-News.com
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