AIM Independent Music Awards To Make Roundhouse Return on 26 September

• 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

28 June 2023, LONDON: The AIM Independent Music Awards, the flagship event from The Association of Independent Music (AIM), is set to return to London’s iconic Roundhouse on 26 September 2023. 

Now in its 13th year, the Awards recognise the achievements of independent artists, labels, entrepreneurs and other rightsholders that make up the UK’s diverse and thriving independent music sector. This now accounts for a third of the UK recorded music market.

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.

Last year saw the successful return of the Awards to the Roundhouse following the pandemic. Live performances 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. 2022 also saw Wet Leg (Domino Recording Company) take 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 with Best Independent EP/ Mixtape for ‘Angelica’, and Rina Sawayama, 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.

Early Bird tickets, held at last year’s prices, are available until 12th July for AIM Rightsholder, Distributor and Friend of AIM Members and can be purchased by emailing awards@aim.org.uk.

From 12th July, standard price tickets will go on general sale across the industry.

Silvia Montello, CEO at AIM, commented: “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.”

The AIM Independent Music Awards sits within AIM’s calendar of events, which includes its annual conferences AIM Connected, AIM Sync and Future Independents.

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

Email awards@aim.org.uk for more information on ticket prices.

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Full list of categories for 2023:

Best Independent Track in association with Meta

Best Independent Remix

Best Independent Video in association with VEVO

Best Independent Album

Best Independent EP/Mixtape

UK Independent Breakthrough

Best Creative Campaign

Best Live Performer (public live vote)

One To Watch in association with BBC Music Introducing

Best Boutique Label

Best Independent Label

Independent Champion

Diversity Champion

Music Entrepreneur of the Year

Innovator Award in association with Amazon Music

Outstanding Contribution To Music in association with Merlin

PPL Award For Most Played New Independent Artist

About AIM

AIM is the not-for-profit organisation representing and supporting the UK’s independent music community, which makes up over a quarter of the UK’s recorded music market. Now in its 23rd year, AIM’s members range from the largest, most respected record labels and associated music businesses in the world to DIY or self-releasing artists and the next generation of entrepreneurs in music - including 4AD, Black Acre, Beggars Group, CTRL Music, Dirty Hit, Domino Recording Co, Hospital Records, FAMM, Finesse Foreva, Ninja Tune, Numbers, Transgressive, Secretly Canadian, Supernature, Warp, and XL Recordings.

AIM exists to level the playing field for UK independent music businesses - the beating heart of music. No matter their genre, their background, how much money they have, how they identify or their age, AIM provides access to the knowledge and contacts creative entrepreneurs need to create, build and win. AIM supports its members, not only through the difficult times, but also on a day-to-day level with practical support that makes a real difference to their lives and work, helping them take their businesses to the next level.