The AIM Independent Music awards has announced another batch of shortlists for this year’s ceremony.
This year sees the introduction of brand new category Music Entrepreneur of the Year, which celebrates pioneering figures in the music industry. The shortlist includes Defenders Ent. CEO and community activist Corey Johnson, who founded The Digital Holdings studio to create a safe space in the UK Rap scene; Dirty Hit founder Jamie Oborne who spearheads the label while managing the rocketing career of The 1975; and Key Production’s Karen Emanuel, who founded Moving the Needle to support women in the UK music business. Also joining the list are Founder & CEO of Saffron Music Laura Lewis-Paul, who looks to address the gender imbalance in the music tech sector, and BBE Music Label Owner Peter Adarkwah, who has supported some of the biggest DJs and producers in the world.
Formerly Best Small Label, the newly renamed Best Boutique Label category recognises genre specialists, with Chess Club, Edition Records, Finesse Foreva, Local Action and Rough Bones all making the shortlist. Meanwhile Domino Recording Company, Ninja Tune, Rough Trade, Partisan and Soundway Records are nominated for Best Independent Label.
PPL support the Most Played New Independent Artist category, with Arlo Parks, D.O.D, KC Lights, Rathbone Place and Wet Leg forming this year’s list. Elsewhere, the Best Creative Campaign Award puts the spotlight on the staff behind the scenes with campaigns for Fontaines D.C.’s Skinty Fia, Maylee Todd’s Maloo, Mitski’s Laurel Hell, Obongjayar’s Some Nights I Dream of Doors and Radiohead’s KID A MNESIA in the running for the award.
AIM CEO Paul Pacifico says, ‘The AIM Independent Music Awards continues to innovate. This year, we are excited to have new categories in Entrepreneur of the Year and Best Creative Campaign that really showcase the dynamism in the community and the continued successes of creative business building in the independent music sector. We look forward to celebrating with everyone at the Roundhouse in-person on the 28th September!’
The newly announced AIM Awards nominees are:
Music Entrepreneur Of The Year
Corey Johnson (CEO & Founder of Defenders Ent.)
Jamie Oborne (Founder of Dirty Hit/All On Red Management)
Karen Emanuel (CEO of Key Production)
Laura Lewis-Paul (Founder & CEO of Saffron Music)
Peter Adarkwah (Label Owner of BBE Music)
Best Independent Label
Domino Recording Company
Ninja Tune
Partisan Records
Rough Trade
Soundway Records
Best Boutique Label
Chess Club
Edition Records
Finesse Foreva
Local Action
Rough Bones
PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist
Arlo Parks (Transgressive Records)
D.O.D (Axtone Records)
KC Lights (Toolroom Productions)
Rathbone Place (Good Company Records)
Wet Leg (Domino Recording Company)
Best Creative Campaign
Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia (Partisan Records)
Maylee Todd - Maloo (Stones Throw Records)
Mitski - Laurel Hell (Dead Oceans)
Obongjayar - Some Nights I Dream of Doors (September Recordings)
Radiohead - KID A MNESIA (XL Recordings)
