UK drill rapper Digga D and electronic-jazz drummer Moses Boyd are the most nominated artists for this year’s AIM Independent Music Awards, in a year which saw the greatest number of submissions in the event’s history. Both are in the running for three awards each, with Digga D lined up for the coveted Best Independent Track and Moses Boyd up for the prized Best Independent Album award.
The frontrunners are closely followed by Polish pianist Hania Rani, psychedelic R’n’B singer Greentea Peng and electronic music trailblazers Flying Lotus and Floating Points, all vying for two awards each.
As the AIM Independent Music Awards enters its 10th year, the winners will be announced during a digital ceremony on the 12th August. Alongside the award-giving, 2020’s ceremony will feature a variety of live performances. South London’s hotly tipped newcomer Arlo Parks is the first to be confirmed. Nominated for the One To Watch Award, nineteen-year-old poet and singer Parks has garnered a fierce following for her self-professed ‘confessional bedroom pop’. Critically acclaimed as ‘the voice of her generation’, she has been hotly touted in BBC’s Music Sound Of 2020 poll, NME’s 100, DIY’s Class of 2020, Dazed 100 and Amazon Music’s Ones To Watch 2020.
In a further nod to the wealth of talent the independent electronic community has to offer, the first-ever nominations for the brand new ‘Best Remix’ category have been revealed, including Lafawndah’s “TOURIST X NÍDIA REWORK”, S.P.Y’s remix of King Of The Rollers’ “You Got Me”, Makaya McCraven’s reimagining of Gil Scott-Heron’s “We’re New Again”, Solomun’s remix of Apparat’s OUTLIER and Soulwax’s remix of Marie Davidson’s “Work It”.
Meanwhile, Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen has been announced as winner of the Outstanding Contribution To Music Award, and will receive the award posthumously following his passing in April. Allen is also in the running for Best Independent Track with “We’ve Landed”, a collaborative track with the late Hugh Masekela.
An impeccably deft percussionist with a transfixing mastery of rhythm, Allen put the beat in Afrobeat as drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti’s band Africa ’70. His rich career saw him work with some of the greatest musicians of our time such as Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Flea and Damon Albarn, as well as influencing the likes of Brian Eno and Talking Heads.
AIM has also opened the public vote for its Best Live Act Award. This year’s shortlist includes 54 leading independent artists who have made their mark on the www. Votes can be cast here and are set to close on 29th June. The winner will be announced at this year’s virtual ceremony.
Attendees of the event will be able to purchase an exclusive VIP hamper and AIM Awards “Pub in a Box” from the end of June via Signature Brew’s website. Sign up here to be notified when these are available.
This year’s charity partner will be the Roundhouse. Each year Roundhouse gives thousands of young people from diverse backgrounds the chance to develop their skills and confidence through creative programmes so that they can choose positive futures for themselves. To find out more and support visit #RoundYourHouse.
Discussing this year’s eclectic shortlist, after entries almost doubled, AIM CEO Paul Pacifico said: “As the ceremony evolves into a virtual event, it’s wonderful to see that this year’s list of nominees is also firmly on the cultural cutting edge. This is an eclectic and talented group of artists that truly represents the breadth, depth and diversity of independent music which these awards exist to celebrate. With our new virtual format opening the door to an exciting range of possibilities, we can’t wait to reveal what we have in store for August, and see where this year takes us.”
2020 Nominees:
UK INDEPENDENT BREAKTHROUGH
GEORGIA
DIGGA D
FONTAINES D.C.
KOKOROKO
MOSES BOYD
INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH
BICEP
FLOATING POINTS
HANIA RANI
IDLES
YAEJI
BEST INDEPENDENT TRACK IN ASSOCIATION WITH FACEBOOK
AJ TRACEY – DINNER GUEST (FT. MOSTACK)
DIGGA D – NO DIET
FLYING LOTUS – MORE (FT. ANDERSON .PAAK)
KING KRULE – ALONE, OMEN 3
LAUV – MODERN LONELINESS
SORRY – RIGHT ROUND THE CLOCK
SQUID – SLUDGE
SUDAN ARCHIVES – CONFESSIONS
TONY ALLEN & HUGH MASEKELA – WE’VE LANDED
YVES TUMOR – GOSPEL FOR A NEW CENTURY
BEST INDEPENDENT ALBUM IN ASSOCIATION WITH SPOTIFY
BROOKE BENTHAM – EVERYDAY NOTHING
EVERYTHING IS RECORDED – FRIDAY FOREVER
KIDJO OJUA – THE MIXTAPE
KIM GORDON – NO HOME RECORD
LAURA MARLING – SONG FOR OUR DAUGHTER
MOSES BOYD – DARK MATTER
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS – GHOSTEEN
THE NINTH WAVE – INFANCY
PHOENIX DA ICEFIRE & HUSKY BROWN – PANACEA
SARATHY KORWAR – MORE ARRIVING
BEST [DIFFICULT] SECOND ALBUM
FLOATING POINTS – CRUSH
FKA TWIGS – MAGDALENE
JOE ARMON JONES – TURN TO CLEAR VIEW
LIFE – A PICTURE OF GOOD HEALTH
MOSES SUMNEY – GRÆ
BEST INDEPENDENT REMIX
LAFAWNDAH – TOURIST X NÍDIA REWORK
KING OF THE ROLLERS – YOU GOT ME (S.P.Y. REMIX)
MAKAYA MCCRAVEN – GIL SCOTT-HERON – WE’RE NEW AGAIN
APPARAT – OUTLIER (SOLOMUN REMIX) MARIE DAVIDSON – WORK IT(SOULWAX REMIX)
ONE TO WATCH IN ASSOCIATION WITH BBC MUSIC INTRODUCING
ARLO PARKS
BLANCO WHITE
CAROLINE
GREENTEA PENG
LAVIDA LOCA
BEST CREATIVE PACKAGING IN ASSOCIATION WITH SIGNATURE BREW
DIGGA D – DOUBLE TAP DIARIES
HANIA RANI – ‘ESJA’ SHEET MUSIC BOOK
MOTÖRHEAD – 1979
SOPHIE – OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES NON-STOP REMIX ALBUM
MOSES BOYD – DARK MATTER LP (DINKED EDITION)
BEST INDEPENDENT VIDEO IN ASSOCIATION WITH VEVO
BLACK PUMAS – COLORS
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB – EAT, SLEEP, WAKE (NOTHING BUT YOU)
FLYING LOTUS – BLACK BALLOONS REPRISE (FT. DENZEL CURRY)
GREENTEA PENG – MR. SUN (MISS DA SUN)
THE HOWL & THE HUM – THE ONLY BOY RACER LEFT ON THE ISLAND
ZEBRA KATZ – MOOR
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC IN ASSOCIATION WITH MERLIN
TONY ALLEN (WINNER)
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