It was the previously reported first ever INDY Awards in London on Tuesday night, with the likes of Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, BAFTA and Grammy Award winner Andy Matthews, The Specials' Neville Staple, Brit and Mercury Music Prize nominee Tom McRae, legendary rock producer Kevin Shirley, The Beat's Rankin Roger, BBC 1Xtra's Iyare and soul legend Omar all presenting gongs to the unsigned bands being commended on the night. Some of those unsigned bands performed at the awards, while guest star Marcella Detroit closed the main show with a rather impressive solo set.
As much previously reported, these were the unsigned band awards that took as their lead the opinions of independent gig and venue promoters from all over London, who each nominated the unsigned bands that had most impressed them in the last twelve months. The public than voted the long list of promoter nominated artists down to short lists for each genre category, from which a panel of industry types (including one CMU type, so a very competent, experienced and to-be-trusted panel, obviously) picked overall winners. And the winners they picked were as follows...
Best solo act: Joe Driscoll
Best Hip Hop Act: Supar Novar
Best New Wave / Progressive Act: Joana and the Wolf
Fan of the Year: Oli Bloxham - This Time Oblivion
Best Alternative Act: Suzerain
Best Soul/Funk Act: NuBrownSoul
Virgin Xtreme Best Indie Act: Marner Brown
Most Popular Venue: The Camden Underworld
Best Pop Rock Act: The Lightyears
Best Punk/Ska Act: Jag
Best Rock Act: Red Star Rebels
People's Choice: The Skallywags
Commenting on the inaugural awards, INDY Awards boss Jeremy Glover told CMU: "Tonight has been an incredible beginning for the INDY Music Awards. It's so exciting to be able to reward this phenomenal new talent and it's fantastic to see established artists like Marcella Detroit, Glen Matlock, Neville Staple, Chas Smash, Rankin Roger, Tom McRae, and Asian Dub Foundation showing their support. It's the independent venues, promoters and artists who keep the music industry alive and we can't wait to reward next years emerging talent!"