The Association of Independent Music revealed, last night at an exclusive launch at Red Bull Studios London, the nominees for the 4th annual AIM Independent Music Awards.

Nominees include FKA twigs, Arctic Monkeys, Bonobo, Twin Atlantic, Courtney Barnett, Gruff Rhys, Liars, East India Youth and Future Islands. London Grammar take the lead on this year’s awards with four nominations including 'Best Live Act' and 'Independent Breakthrough of The Year'.

 

Winners will be revealed at the ceremony hosted by XFM’s John Kennedy and Radio 1’s Alice Levine at London’s The Brewery, Clerkenwell on Tuesday September 2. 

The full list of nominees is:

BEST SMALL LABEL - Sponsored by Disc Manufacturing Services

Hyperdub

Kissability

Marshall Teller Records

National Anthem

Sonic Cathedral

 

BEST LIVE ACT - in association with Songkick

Bonobo 

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip

Five Finger Death Punch 

London Grammar

Sophie Ellis-Bextor

 

BEST ‘DIFFICULT’ SECOND ALBUM - in association with XFM

Anna Calvi – One Breath

Ben Watt – Hendra

Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe

The Pretty Reckless – Going to Hell

Withered Hand – New Gods

 

GOLDEN WELLY AWARD FOR BEST INDEPENDENT FESTIVAL 

- in association with AIF and DIY

ArcTanGent

Barn on the Farm

Greenbelt

In The Woods 

LeeFest

 

HARDEST WORKING BAND OR ARTIST - in association with Jack Daniel's

Bonobo

Femme

Gabby Young & Other Animals

Ghetts

PINS

 

INDEPENDENT BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR - sponsored by 7digital

Courtney Barnett 

Future Islands

London Grammar

Sohn

Young Fathers

 

INDEPENDENT TRACK OF THE YEAR - sponsored by Spotify

Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know? 

FKA Twigs – Water Me 

Future Islands – Seasons (Waiting On You)

London Grammar – Strong

Sampha – Too Much

Twin Atlantic – Heart and Soul

 

INDEPENDENT VIDEO OF THE YEAR - sponsored by Vevo 

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip – You Will See Me

FKA Twigs – Water Me

James – Moving On

Liars – Mess On A Mission

Royal Canoe – Birthday

 

INDIE CHAMPION AWARD - sponsored by CI

Alex Baker, Kerrang! Radio

Camilla Pia, BBC 6Music

Charles Caldas, Merlin

John Doran, The Quietus

Tim Palmer & Clemence Godard, Bird on the Wire

 

SPECIAL CATALOGUE RELEASE OF THE YEAR - in association with Amazon Music

Cabaret Voltaire – Collected Works 1983 – 1985

Nightmares on Wax - N.O.W.Is The Time

Small Faces – Here Comes The Nice – Immediate Years Box Set 1967 – 1969 

The Twilight Sad: Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (Expanded Edition)

Various – Purple Snow – Forecasting The Minneapolis Sound

 

INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR - sponsored by MixRadio 

Actress – Ghettoville

Arctic Monkeys – AM

East India Youth – Total Strife Forever

Fred V & Grafix – Recognise

Gruff Rhys – American Interior

Kate Tempest – Everybody Down

London Grammar – If You Wait

Mogwai – Rave Tapes

Tune-Yards – Nikki Nack

Within Temptation – Hydra

 

INDEPENDENT LABEL OF THE YEAR - sponsored by Believe Digital 

Because Music

Domino

Fearless Records

Hospital Records

Ninja Tune

Secretly Group

 

INNOVATOR AWARD – Steve Goodman, Hyperdub Records.

PIONEER AWARD - sponsored by The Orchard: Martin Mills, Beggars Group

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC - sponsored by eMusic: Recipient TBA soon.  

The PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Act will be revealed on the night.

 

 

With sore heads and soggy jeans we hoist our lanyards around our necks and trot out for more of The Great Escape. As we wander through the streets we come across obvious other Great Escapers. We overhear a conversation between two bearded muso types discussing what androgynies sound like and where can they hear some?

We decide to leave them to their beard stroking and we head to hear New Desert Blues and Jaws for some healthy indie rock to wake our ears up. After a quick bite to eat we continue to the wonderful sounds of Glass Owls followed by the soothing keyboards of Unknwn.

After the yesterday's disappointment of not getting into the odd venue or two, we devise a plan of attack. It's become apparent that in order to ensure you get in it's ideal to plump for the band that precedes your favoured artist.

With this in mind, we head for The Haunt. The idea being that with two acts we want to see, we may as well spend a large chunk of the evening in one place. We may also be surprised by the other acts. We spend many hours discussing the benefits of this, on one hand it prevents us running between venues, and our previous experience has told us that once you’re inside a venue, it's best to try and stay there. We are however, rewarded hugely by a great line up.

Hip Hop comes from the straight talking Hawk House with a wonderful flow of lyrics and beats. East India Youth then blows the whole crowd away with an amazing solo performance of sheer noise management. The ginger haired, pimpled youth creates such wonderfully musical landscapes as he moves from subtle keyboards, ending in full on techno. We think he has a magical future ahead of him and, in our opinion, comes out as the star of the festival.

We are then further entertained via stand up British rockers Telegram whose unapologetic rock and roll rounds off a wonderful array of talent through three different styles. Hungry for more we drop into Komedia to catch incredible Japanese DJ Tokimonsta before finishing the night with Ella Eyre whose soulful vocals soothe aching feet and heads before we're tugged home content and buzzing from  another wonderful day of music.