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AIM Awards presented

By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 26 August 2021

Arlo Parks and Enny were the double winners at the Independent Music Awards from the Association Of Independent Music last night. Parks took the prizes for UK Independent Breakthrough Artist and Best Independent Album, while Enny got the Best Independent Track award and was declared the One To Watch.

Commenting on this year’s awards bash, AIM boss Paul Pacifico said: “Having been through one of the toughest times in music history, this year’s awards celebrate the humanity at the heart of the independent music community”

And that means, he added, “the relationships between people, whether artists and their teams, independent distributors, and the platforms and independent record stores out there surviving and thriving in spite of challenges of the day. And of course, the fans, the people that make all of this possible. We’re a mutually reinforcing community that stands and succeeds together. Congratulations to all of our winners!”

And, in case you wondered, these are all the winners…

UK Independent Breakthrough: Arlo Parks (Transgressive Records)
International Breakthrough: Jayda G (Ninja Tune)
One To Watch: Enny (FAMM)
PPL Award For Most Played New Independent Artist: Lauv
Best Live [Streamed] Act: Ben Böhmer

Best Independent Track: Enny – Peng Black Girls ft. Amia Brave (FAMM)
Best Independent Album: Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams (Transgressive Records)
Best [Difficult] Second Album: Fontaines DC – A Hero’s Death (Partisan Records)
Best Independent Remix: Megapunk – Ela Minus (Elkka Remix) (Domino)
Best Creative Packaging: Working Men’s Club – Working Men’s Club (RAW Edition) (Heavenly Recordings)
Best Independent Video: Wesley Joseph – Thrilla (EEVILTWINN)

Best Independent Label: Forever Living Originals
Best Small Label: Strut Records

Pioneer Award: Tricky
Innovator Award: Adrian Sherwood
Outstanding Contribution To Music: Joan Armatrading
Diversity Champion: Paulette Long
Indie Champions: Love Record Stores and Bandcamp

This year’s AIM awards also celebrated a load of regional music champions around the UK, with the hosts of each local version of the BBC Introducing programme asked to pick a person or organisation that plays a particularly important role in supporting the music community in their area. And here is the full list of winners for the Local Heroes Awards.

Sammy Clarke (Kent)
Billy Lockett (Northampton)
David Plumtree & his Cafe Indie Team (Humberside)
Bryony Williams (West Midlands)
Bridgitte Tetteh (Berkshire)
Chloe Mogg & Amy Crouch – 7 Arts Still Exist (Hereford & Worcester)
Georgie Keen (Suffolk)
Ladies Of Rage (Wales)
Ace Ambrose (Coventry & Warwickshire)
Tramlines Festival (Sheffield)
Lavz (Beds, Herts & Bucks)
Zahra Tehrani (Oxford)
Jennifer John (Merseyside)
Yasin El Ashrafi (East Midlands)
Xidus Pain (Cambridgeshire)
Come Play With Me (West Yorkshire)
Joe Townsley – Noise Academy (Lincolnshire)
Hot Box Live Events (Essex)
Guy Britton (The West)
Harkirit Boparai & Joe Coates (York)
George Fleming – Save Our Scene (London)
Wendy House (Norfolk)
Ensemble (Scotland)
Nelson Navarro (The South)
Trademark Blud (Shropshire)
Laura Brewis – Young Musicians Project (The North East)
Sarah Wilson (Tees)
Danni Brownsill (Stoke)
Nikki MacRae (Northern Ireland)
Emma Twamley (South West)
The Lottery Winners (Lancashire)
Rivca Burns – SFTOC, MIF Festival (Manchester)
Tyrone Gordon (Solent)
Kiya Ashton (Channel Islands)
Josh Duncan & Josh Spedding – Swerve (Cumbria)