The nominees for the 2024 AIM Awards have been announced, with Fontaines D.C., Kneecap and Kim Gordon leading the way.
Revealed today (August 13), the Independent Music Awards look to celebrate the achievements of the UK’s independent music community, and will be returning to London’s iconic Roundhouse on October 17.
Kim Gordon has been nominated for the ‘Best Independent Album’ award for her LP ‘The Collective’, as has Jorja Smith for ‘Falling Or Flying’ and Barry Can’t Swim for ‘When Will We Land?’. The list is rounded out by D-Block Europe, Mount Kimbie, Actress, ANOHNI and the Johnsons, Nabihah Iqbal, Nubiyan Twist and Skrapz.
Jorja Smith has also made her way onto the list of nominees for ‘Best Independent Track’ for her song ‘Little Things’. Others listed here include Fontaines D.C. for ‘Romance’ lead single ‘Starburster’, Kneecap with ‘Better Way To Live’ – which they created alongside Fontaines frontman Grian Chatten – Ezra Collective with ‘Ajala’ and many more.
CASISDEAD, Wunderhorse, Barry Can’t Swim, Saint Harison and Bar Italia are all up for the ‘UK Independent Breakthrough Award’, and Lynks, Antony Szmierek, Miso Extra, OneDa and Kitty Amor are all nominated in the ‘One To Watch’ category.
Jorja Smith performs on stage in 2024. CREDIT: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images
Other categories that have had nominees named include the ‘Best Independent EP/Mixtape’, ‘Best Independent Remix’, and ‘Best Independent Video’.
The award for ‘Best Live Performer’ will once again be decided by fans across the globe, with a public vote now open here, and nominations for the remaining categories, including ‘Best Boutique Label’ and ‘Independent Champion’, will be announced in the coming months.
“We hope you are as excited as we are by this first list of nominees for 2024’s Independent Music Awards,” said AIM interim CEO, Gee Davy. “Each year, our panel of tastemaker judges across favourite radio, press and online titles return a great list. This year spans the regions and nations, genres and communities of the UK’s independent music scene, recognising success, talent and artistry.”
AIM chair Ruth Barlow, added: “Congratulations to the first of this year’s AIM Award nominees, these lists provide a great glimpse into the length and breadth of the UK’s independent sector and highlight a handful of the innovators, culture makers and commercial successes AIM’s outstanding community has to offer.”
The nominations announced so far have shown that 2024 was a big year for Ninja Tune – with releases from Actress and Barry Can’t Swim to Nabihah Iqbal and George Riley all listed. The nominees also include three entries each for EGA Distro, XL Recordings and Heavenly Recordings.
Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap of Kneecap perform in 2024. CREDIT: Joseph Okpako/WireImage/Getty
More details about the live performances expected at the ceremony will be revealed at a later date, along with further details of the Awards’ partnership with the BBC. Find a full list of nominees below.
The AIM 2024 nominees so far are:
Best Independent Album (in association with Spotify)
Actress – ‘LXXXVII’I (Ninja Tune)
ANOHNI and the Johnsons – ‘My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross’ (Rough Trade Records)
Barry Can’t Swim – ‘When Will We Land?’ (Ninja Tune)
D-Block Europe – ‘Rolling Stone’ (EGA Distro)
Jorja Smith – ‘Falling or Flying’ (FAMM)
Kim Gordon – ‘The Collective’ (Matador Records)
Mount Kimbie – ‘The Sunset Violent’ (Warp Records)
Nabihah Iqbal – ‘Dreamer’ (Ninja Tune)
Nubiyan Twist – ‘Find Your Flame’ (Strut Records)
Skrapz – ‘Reflection’ (EGA Distro)
Best Independent Remix
P-rallel Remix – Aluna, Jayda G – ‘Mine O’ Mine’ (Mad Decent Under Exclusive Licence to Because Music)
‘Olof Dreijer Remix – Björk – ‘Oral (feat. Rosalia)’ (One Little Independent)
L BEATS Mashup – Jorja Smith -’ Little Things x Gypsy Woman’ (FAMM)
Egyptian Lover Remix – Sudan Archives – ‘Freakalizer’ (Stones Throw Records)
Ezra Collective, Sampa The Great – ‘JOY (Life Goes On)’ (Partisan Records)
One To Watch (in association with BBC Music Introducing)
Antony Szmierek (LAB Records)
Kitty Amor (Defected Records)
Lynks (Heavenly Recordings)
Miso Extra (Transgressive)
OneDa (Heavenly Recordings)
Best Independent Track (in association with Meta)
Amy Gadiaga – ‘All Black Everything’ (Jazz re:freshed)
CASISDEAD – ‘Venom’ (XL Recordings)
Sampha – ‘Spirit 2.0’ (Young)
Fontaines DC – ‘Starburster’ (XL Recordings)
Ezra Collective – ‘Ajala’ (Partisan Records)
Jorja Smith – ‘Little Things’ (FAMM)
KNEECAP, Grian Chatten – ‘Better Way To Live’ (Heavenly Recordings)
Matthew Halsall – ‘An Ever Changing View’ (Gondwana Records)
NikNak – ‘1200RPM’ (Accidental Records)
Hudson Mohawke & Nikki Nair – ‘Set The Roof’ (Warp Records)
Best Independent EP/Mixtape
George Riley – ‘Un/limited Love’ (Ninja Tune)
Headie One & K-Trap – ‘STRENGTH TO STRENGTH’ (One Records and Thousand8)
JGrrey – ‘If Not Now?’ (PACE, a subsidiary of Marathon Music Group)
Potter Payper – ‘Thanks For Hating’ (EGA Distro)
HONESTY – ‘BOX’ (Partisan Records)
UK Independent Breakthrough (in association with Amazon Music)
Bar Italia (Matador Records)
CASISDEAD (XL Recordings)
Wunderhorse (Communion Records)
Barry Can’t Swim (Ninja Tune)
Saint Harison (Platoon)
Best Independent Video (in association with Vevo)
Gia Ford – ‘Poolside’ (Chrysalis Records)
Khruangbin – ‘A Love International’ (Dead Oceans)
Master Peace – ‘I Might Be Fake feat. Georgia’ (PMR Records)
Mitski – ‘My Love Mine All Mine’ (Dead Oceans)
Sampha – ‘Only’ (Young)
Last year, Björk was named among the winners and took home the award for Best Live Performer for her ‘Cornucopia’ tour. She fought off close competition from Beabadoobee and MUNA, as well as Japanese kawaii-metal girl group BABYMETAL.
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