Industry news & advice blog

The Association of Independent Music (AIM) are pleased to announce the return of the AIM Independent Music Awards for 2013.  Held at The Brewery in Clerkenwell on September 3rd, tickets are on sale now from the link below. 

 

This year will see new awards for Independent Track and Independent Video Of The Year, plus the very first AIM Awards Warm Up shows curated by the great and good from the judging panel, taking place throughout the summer.  

 

With independent music at the forefront of a stellar year for the UK industry globally, AIM will once again be celebrating the array of talent in the independent sector.  In a year that saw the takeover of EMI by Universal, AIM’s members are now very much the UK record industry. 

 

Alison Wenham, Chairman of AIM commented "Anyone who attended last year’s event will know that there is no pretence around the AIM Awards – it’s simply a brilliant show spotlighting some of the most talented artists and businesses around. And there is nothing else like it in the industry, a fact of which we are very proud. We intend to take the AIM awards to a new level each year, meaning that fans, artists and indies will benefit from the exposure we can now deliver."

 

Last years winners included Adele, The Prodigy, Alt-J and Edwyn Collins in addition to such industry luminaries as Simon Raymonde of Bella Union, Daniel Miller of Mute and label of the year 4AD. Enter Shikari picked up the Independent Album of Year award “it was a real honour... No doubt there was some far more fashionable nominees in the frame, so it was a real surprise to find out we'd won. We worked really hard on the album, so it's also nice to see that hard work recognised, especially from a corner of the industry that knows more than its fair share about the concept of 'hard work'."

 

Those tireless champions of new music Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens will return to host the event in which 15 awards will be presented.  Now enjoying its third year, the AIM Awards goes from strength to strength, with media partners and leading sponsors coming together to deliver this year’s event including; XFM, Music Week, eMusic, The Orchard, PPL, 7Digital, UK Music and Coutts. 

 

All helping shine a spotlight on both the abundant success stories of 2013 and the oft-overlooked beating hearts of the business, those at the very coal face of the independent music industry. 

 

The awards are voted for by an expert panel of judges from across the media and music industry, including representatives from; Radio 1 and 1Xtra, 6Music, the NME, The Quietus, Rocksound, The Independent, Radio 2, Metro, Mixmag and Q magazine.  

 

The judging panel for the AIM Awards 2013 is: 

 

Sean Adams (DrownedInSound)

Tom Robinson (BBC 6music)

Ben Patashnik (Rock Sound)

Luke Turner (The Quietus)

Pete Paphides (Journalist)

Nick DeCosemo (Mixmag)

Laura Lukanz (BBC 1xtra)

Paul Stokes (Q Magazine)

Elisa Bray (The Independent)

John Kennedy (XFM)

Ras Kwame (DJ)

Tim Ingham (Music Week)

JJ Dunning (The Fly)

DJ Target (1Xtra)

Danielle Perry (Q Radio)

Eve Barlow (NME) 

Janice Long (BBC R2)

Huw Stephens (BBC R1)

Steve Lamacq (BBC 6Music)

Arwa Haider (Metro)

Mike Walsh (XFM)

Jen Walker (Kerrang!)

 

Categories for the 2013 Awards: 

 

Best Live Act

Independent Breakthrough of the Year (sponsored by 7Digital)

Hardest Working Band or Artist 

Best Small Label

Special Catalogue Release of the Year

Golden Welly Award for Best Independent Festival (sponsored by UK Music)

Independent Video of the Year

Indie Champion Award

Best 'Difficult' Second Album

Independent Track of the Year

PPL Award for Most Played New Artist

Independent Album of the Year

Independent Label of the Year (sponsored by Coutts)

Pioneer Award (sponsored by The Orchard)

Outstanding Contribution to Music (sponsored by eMusic)

 

 

AIM is a not-for-profit trade body established in 1999 to represent the UK independent music industry. Now in its 14th year, AIM acts for over 90% of the independent market, with over 800 members from small start-ups to the largest and most respected independents in the world.   AIM promotes this exciting and diverse sector globally, leveraging the sector’s power as a fourth major to enable its members to grow, grasp new opportunities and break into new markets. 

 

In addition to the crucial role AIM plays in advocacy and lobbying for the independent sector, AIM makes a daily difference to the businesses of members by providing advice, training and business support to ensure members have the knowledge, skills and contacts needed to succeed.

  

AIM oversees an independent sector whose artists have delivered seven Mercury Prize winners in the last 10 years, a figure which underlines once again the sector's continuing role and importance in launching Britain’s most ground-breaking artists.     

 

Artists signed to AIM member labels include: Adele, Alabama Shakes, Arctic Monkeys, Basement Jaxx, Beach House, Big Pink, Billy Bragg, Bjork, Bloc Party, Bon Iver, British Sea Power, Cancer Bats, Coldcut, The Cribs, Darwin Deez, David Lynch, First Aid Kit, Fleet Foxes, Frank Turner, Franz Ferdinand, Friendly Fires, The Futureheads, Grizzly Bear, Hot Chip, The Horrors, Jack White, James Vincent McMorrow, Jarvis Cocker, Jose Gonzalez, Justice, Katie Melua, M.I.A., Madness, Marilyn Manson, Maximo Park, Mr. Scruff, The National, Nitin Sawnhey, The Prodigy, Radiohead, Reverend And The Makers, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Roots Manuva, Royksopp, Seasick Steve, The Strokes, Sufjan Stevens, Underworld, Vampire Weekend, Villagers, Warpaint, The White Stripes, Wild Beasts, The XX, Young Guns and thousands of others.

 

With the recent acquisition of EMI by Universal, the UK’s independent sector is now the UK’s record industry. And it’s thriving.