Flying Lotus, FKA Twigs & Moses Boyd Win Big At The 2020 AIM Awards 2

Flying Lotus, FKA Twigs & Moses Boyd Win Big At The 2020 AIM Awards

In its first-ever virtual ceremony, the tenth AIM Independent Music Awards demonstrated that independent music is as vibrant and resilient as ever. Featuring performances from some of the scene’s leading talents, the show was a testament to the rich diversity and creativity that saw the sector shine in 2020.

Grammy-nominated producer Flying Lotus won Best Independent Track in association with Facebook for his dream-like collaboration with Anderson PaakMore’ from the epic 27-track album Flamagra.

Best Independent Album in association with Spotify went to jazz and Indo jazz drummer and composer Sarathy Korwar for his groundbreaking second studio album, More Arriving, exploring the reality of being Indian in a divided Britain. Meanwhile, FKA twigs was awarded Best [Difficult] Second Album in association with Proper Music, for her ambitious, panoramic second full-length LP MAGDALENE, which was met with widespread critical acclaim and featured in 2019 best album lists by The Guardian, The Independent, Billboard, NME, Pitchfork and more.

Upon winning the award FKA twigs said “MAGDALENE’s so precious to me, so it really means the world. Being an independent artist means every vision is my own and I get to express that, and my label releases without question or judgement. So thank you Young Turks, and thank you again this means everything”.

Jazz prodigy and Mercury Prize nominee Moses Boyd took home UK Independent Breakthrough in association with YouTube Music, in recognition of his status as a breakout star of the London jazz scene, while Korean-American electronic artist Yaeji, who blends sounds from house and hip hop, received International Breakthrough in association with Deezer. Having dominated the airwaves, Freya Ridings bagged the PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist.

Alongside a surprise performance and the world-first live performance of their new track ‘Nerves of Steel’, Erasure’s Vince Clarke was named as the first recipient of the Special Recognition Award for his work as part of Erasure, Depeche Mode and Yazoo and pioneering role in the field of synth-pop, having worked closely with the famed label Mute for over 40 years.

Koleoso curated a special medley as a further tribute, featuring UK jazz scene’s leading lights Nubya Garcia, Mutale Chashi, Tobi Adenaike, Elias Atkinson, Richie Seivwright, Deschanel Gordon, Junior Alli, alongside Koleoso. Allen’s brother Ignatius Allen picked up the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award in association with Merlin on behalf of Allen who received the award posthumously.

Little Simz and AJ Tracey gave compelling live performances, after picking up the Pioneer Award in association with Evoke Studios and Innovator Award in association with Amazon Music, respectively. Leading the way for virtual awards, these performances took place in a state-of-the-art extended reality studio, immersing performers in a unique, interactive environment brought to life by the addition of 3D graphics.

Little Simz said “I remember winning Best Independent Album in the year 2016 with A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons. To now be here, 2020, picking up the Pioneer Award is insane. My journey has definitely been the stairs and not the escalators but it’s been so worth it […] The hardest thing you’ll ever do as an independent artist is to remain independent but the rewards are so great and yeah I think the best thing to do is to stay on it, surround yourself with people that believe in you and believe in your journey, and you’ll get there”.

AIM Independent Music Awards Winners & Nominees:

In order of presentation:

UK INDEPENDENT BREAKTHROUGH IN ASSOCIATION WITH YOUTUBE MUSIC:

GEORGIA

DIGGA D

FONTAINES D.C.

KOKOROKO

MOSES BOYD (WINNER)

BEST CREATIVE PACKAGING IN ASSOCIATION WITH SIGNATURE BREW:

DIGGA D – DOUBLE TAP DIARIES (WINNER)

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)

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD IN ASSOCIATION WITH FUGA:

VINCE CLARKE (WINNER)

INDIE CHAMPION IN ASSOCIATION WITH MCPS:

HELEN SMITH (WINNER)

BEST SMALL LABEL IN ASSOCIATION WITH KEY PRODUCTION:

BEDROOM INDIE

EDITION RECORDS

FEMME CULTURE

HOUNDSTOOTH

SPEEDY WUNDERGROUND (WINNER)

BEST INDEPENDENT REMIX IN ASSOCIATION WITH DESIGNSCENE:

LAFAWNDAH – TOURIST X NÍDIA REWORK (WINNER)

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 (WINNER)

BLANCO WHITE

CAROLINE

GREENTEA PENG

LAVIDA LOCA

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 (WINNER)

ZEBRA KATZ – MOOR

INNOVATOR AWARD IN ASSOCIATION WITH AMAZON MUSIC:

AJ TRACEY (WINNER)

BEST [DIFFICULT] SECOND ALBUM IN ASSOCIATION WITH PROPER MUSIC:

FLOATING POINTS – CRUSH

FKA TWIGS – MAGDALENE (WINNER)

JOE ARMON JONES – TURN TO CLEAR VIEW

LIFE – A PICTURE OF GOOD HEALTH

MOSES SUMNEY – GRÆ

INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH IN ASSOCIATION WITH DEEZER:

BICEP

FLOATING POINTS

HANIA RANI

IDLES

YAEJI (WINNER)

PIONEER AWARD IN ASSOCIATION WITH EVOKE STUDIOS:

LITTLE SIMZ (WINNER)

PPL AWARD FOR MOST PLAYED NEW INDEPENDENT ARTIST:

FREYA RIDINGS (WINNER)

FONTAINES D.C.

JAYKAE

JADE BIRD

NSG

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 (WINNER)

BEST LIVE ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY:

AYANNA WITTER-JOHNSON

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH (WINNER)

RED RUM CLUB

THE REYTONS

THE DARKNESS

BEST INDEPENDENT TRACK IN ASSOCIATION WITH FACEBOOK:

AJ TRACEY – DINNER GUEST (FT. MOSTACK)

DIGGA D – NO DIET

FLYING LOTUS – MORE (FT. ANDERSON .PAAK) (WINNER)

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 LABEL IN ASSOCIATION WITH [PIAS]:

BROWNSWOOD RECORDINGS

GOOD SOLDIER

JAZZ RE:REFRESHED (WINNER)

STONES THROW

YOUNG TURKS

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC IN ASSOCIATION WITH MERLIN:

TONY ALLEN (WINNER)

God is in the TV is an online music and culture fanzine founded in Cardiff by the editor Bill Cummings in 2003. GIITTV Bill has developed the site with the aid of a team of sub-editors and writers from across Britain, covering a wide range of music from unsigned and independent artists to major releases.