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AIM announces 2019 Independent Music Awards nominees

By | Published on Wednesday 24 July 2019

AIM

The nominations for this year’s Independent Music Awards from the Association Of Independent Music are out. They just could not be suppressed anymore. How many of them are out? All of them! They all got out. Now we’re overrun with nominations.

Scoring the most noms overall are Idles, who are up for four awards, including UK Independent Breakthrough and International Breakthrough. They’ve just been breaking out everywhere. So has Jade Bird, who is the next most nom-ed, appearing in both of those categories, plus Best Independent Album. Idles didn’t make it into that category, but do appear in the Best [Difficult] Second Album shortlist.

The announcement also reveals the winner of this year’s Outstanding Contribution To Music Award. Who’s that? It’s Debbie Harry off of Blondie.

“Blondie emerged from a scene that was truly independent and we have never lost that ethos”, says Harry. “We always fought for the freedom to create what we wanted, without interference. It is an honour to receive this award from a community that helps make that happen every day for artists”.

AIM CEO Paul Pacifico adds: “It’s great to see the diversity among this year’s nominees, which is a testament to the huge range of quality independent music being produced in 2019. We’re looking forward to honouring established artists like Debbie Harry, and relishing exciting upcoming performers like Georgia”.

Georgia? Oh yeah, she’s been added to the line-up of the live show attached to the ceremony, which is to be headlined by Johnny Marr. She’s also up for two awards in the Best Independent Track and One To Watch categories.

Do you want to get in on all this? Well, voting is now open for the Best Live Act category, which for some reason is left to the public to decide. You have to choose from a longlist of 51 acts though. Remember, it is immoral to vote unless you have seen each act on that list play live at least twice. For those of you that have, you can vote here.

Now, I suppose you want to see all these nominations in full. Sure you do. Here they are:

UK Independent Breakthrough: Black Midi, Ezra Collective, Gerry Cinnamon, Idles, Jade Bird

International Breakthrough: Afro B, Jade Bird, Maribou State, Nilüfer Yanya, Idles

Best Independent Track: Dave – Funky Friday (feat Fredo), FKA Twigs – Cellophane, Fontaines DC – Boys In The Better Land, Georgia – About Work The Dancefloor, Jarv Is – Must I Evolve, Jai Paul – Do You Love Her Now, Holly Herndon – Eternal, Little Simz – Selfish (feat Celo Sol), Sharon Van Etten – Seventeen, Four Tet – Teenage Birdsong

Best Independent Album: Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center, Christine And The Queens – Chris, Dave – Psychodrama, Fontaines DC – Dogrel, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – End Of Suffering, Jade Bird – Jade Bird, Jordan Rakei – Origin, Little Simz – Grey Area, Snapped Ankles – Stunning Luxury, Swindle – No More Normal

Best [Difficult] Second Album: Erland Cooper – Sule Skerry, Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance, Julia Jacklin – Crushing, Maribou State – Kingdoms In Colour, Soak – Grim Town

One To Watch: Arlo Parks, Barney Artist, Georgia, Kokoroko, Larkins

Best Small Label: Fuzz Club Records, Killing Moon, Local Action, Scruff Of The Neck, Speedy Wunderground

Best Creative Packaging: Various Artists – Confessin The Blues, Murlo – Dolos, Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance, Various Artists – Sick Music 2019, Keith Richards – Talk Is Cheap

Best Independent Video: Christine And The Queens – Five Dollars, Hot Chip – Hungry Child, John Grant – He’s Got His Mother’s Hips, Caleb Steph – Black Boy, FKA Twigs – Cellophane

Best Independent Label: Brownswood Recordings, Domino, Nuclear Blast, Partisan Records, Rough Trade

Most Played New Independent Artist: AJ Tracey, Cosmo Sheldrake, Freya Ridings, Guru Randhawa, Jorja Smith

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