News

• Live performances set to take place throughout ceremony

• Early bird tickets now on sale for Rightsholder, Distributor and Friend of AIM members 

• Continued growth of independent sector fuels record number of submissions

The AIM Independent Music Awards, our flagship event which recognises the achievements of independent artists, labels, entrepreneurs and other rightsholders that make up the UK’s diverse and thriving independent music sector, is set to return to London’s iconic Roundhouse on 26 September 2023.

Early Bird tickets are available until midnight on Wednesday 19th July for AIM Rightsholder, Distributor and Friend of AIM Members by emailing awards@aim.org.uk for more info. From 19th July, standard price tickets will go on general sale across the industry.

What’s new for the 2023 Awards?

This year’s Awards will focus on celebrating the independent music community, incorporating more exclusive and intimate live performances set to take place throughout the ceremony.

Further to this, the 2023 Awards also boast a newly streamlined list of categories. Returning categories include the Diversity Champion award, which was won last year by British multi-platinum artist Stormzy. 2022’s newly-established awards for Music Entrepreneur Of The Year and Best Independent EP / Mixtape also return for this year’s event. Submissions have now closed.

Watch the 2022 highlights here…

Live performances at the 2022 AIM Awards included winners of the Special Recognition Award, The Libertines. Outstanding Contribution winner Lethal Bizzle also performed a set that featured iconic surprise guest appearances from both Giggs and JME. Meanwhile Wet Leg (Domino Recording Company) took home the award for UK Independent Breakthrough (in association with YouTube Music), with Cleo Sol (Forever Living Originals) leaving with the award for Best Independent Album (in association with Spotify).

Other 2022 winners included Scotland’s TAAHLIAH (Untitled(recs)) with Best Independent EP/ Mixtape for ‘Angelica’, and Rina Sawayama (Dirty Hit), who walked away with the Innovator Award (in association with Amazon Music) and was one of Elton John’s surprise guests at his headline Glastonbury performance. London’s Rough Trade Recordings took home the award for Best Independent Label, having released music from the likes of Jockstrap, Black Midi and Dean Blunt.

The AIM Independent Music Awards has continuously proven itself as the tastemaker Awards show, giving nods to a multitude of stars well before their mainstream success. Honourees from previous years including the likes of Adele, Fontaines D.C., Little Simz, Dave, Arlo Parks, AJ Tracey, IDLES, Christine and The Queens, and Jorja Smith among countless others, who have later gone on to receive international acclaim as well as nominations and wins at the BRIT Awards, Grammys, and more.

“This year’s Awards will be a celebration of the UK’s independent music community, and a recognition of the hard work and creativity we’ve seen over the past year from independent artists and the teams behind them. Today’s creators have more opportunities to have their music heard and find new audiences than ever before, and we are proud to see diversity and innovation thriving in UK music as a result, across independent label rosters, self-releasing artists and the rapidly growing DIY artist sector.”

Silvia Montello, CEO – Association of Independent Music

AIM would like to thank its Annual Platinum Partners, Amazon Music, Merlin, Meta, Spotify, VEVO and YouTube Music.