Digga D and Moses Boyd Lead AIM Awards Nominations As Ceremony Goes Virtual For 2020

• Digga D and Moses Boyd top the bill with three nominations each
• Hania Rani, Greentea Peng, Floating Points and Flying Lotus follow with two apiece
• Tony Allen awarded Outstanding Contribution To Music posthumously, in running for Best Independent Track 
• 10th anniversary edition is UK’s first large-scale music awards to go digital
• Arlo Parks confirmed as live performer 

London, 17th June 2020: UK drill rapper Digga D and electronic-jazz drummer Moses Boyd are the most nominated artists for this year’s AIM Independent Music Awards, in a year which saw the greatest number of submissions in the event’s history. Both are in the running for three awards each, with Digga D lined up for the coveted Best Independent Track and Moses Boyd up for the prized Best Independent Album award.

The frontrunners are closely followed by Polish pianist Hania Rani, psychedelic R'n'B singer Greentea Peng and electronic music trailblazers Flying Lotus and Floating Points, all vying for two awards each. 

As the AIM Independent Music Awards enters its 10th year, the winners will be announced during a digital ceremony on the 12th August. Alongside the award-giving, 2020’s ceremony will feature a variety of live performances. South London’s hotly tipped newcomer Arlo Parks is the first to be confirmed. Nominated for the One To Watch Award, nineteen-year-old poet and singer Parks has garnered a fierce following for her self-professed ‘confessional bedroom pop’. Critically acclaimed as ‘the voice of her generation’, she has been hotly touted in BBC’s Music Sound Of 2020 poll, NME’s 100, DIY’s Class of 2020, Dazed 100 and Amazon Music’s Ones To Watch 2020.

In a further nod to the wealth of talent the independent electronic community has to offer, the first-ever nominations for the brand new ‘Best Remix’ category have been revealed, including Lafawndah’s “TOURIST X NÍDIA REWORK”, S.P.Y’s remix of King Of The Rollers’ “You Got Me”, Makaya McCraven’s reimagining of Gil Scott-Heron’s “We’re New Again”, Solomun’s remix of Apparat’s OUTLIER and Soulwax’s remix of Marie Davidson’s “Work It”.

Meanwhile, Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen has been announced as winner of the Outstanding Contribution To Music Award, and will receive the award posthumously following his passing in April. Allen is also in the running for Best Independent Track with “We’ve Landed”, a collaborative track with the late Hugh Masekela.

An impeccably deft percussionist with a transfixing mastery of rhythm, Allen put the beat in Afrobeat as drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti's band Africa '70. His rich career saw him work with some of the greatest musicians of our time such as Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Flea and Damon Albarn, as well as influencing the likes of Brian Eno and Talking Heads. 

AIM has also opened the public vote for its Best Live Act Award. This year’s shortlist includes 54 leading independent artists who have made their mark on the stage. Votes can be cast here and are set to close on 29th June. The winner will be announced at this year’s virtual ceremony.

Attendees of the event will be able to purchase an exclusive VIP hamper and AIM Awards “Pub in a Box” from the end of June via Signature Brew’s website. Sign up here to be notified when these are available.

This year’s charity partner will be the Roundhouse. Each year Roundhouse gives thousands of young people from diverse backgrounds the chance to develop their skills and confidence through creative programmes so that they can choose positive futures for themselves. To find out more and support visit #RoundYourHouse.

Discussing this year’s eclectic shortlist, after entries almost doubled, AIM CEO Paul Pacifico said: “As the ceremony evolves into a virtual event, it’s wonderful to see that this year’s list of nominees is also firmly on the cultural cutting edge. This is an eclectic and talented group of artists that truly represents the breadth, depth and diversity of independent music which these awards exist to celebrate. With our new virtual format opening the door to an exciting range of possibilities, we can’t wait to reveal what we have in store for August, and see where this year takes us.”

Judges:

Representing all corners of the music industry, 2020’s expert panel includes Kirsty Allison (Writer/Performer/Editor — Cold Lips, DJ Mag), Yemi Abiade (Journalist — Complex UK/Trench Mag), Marcus Barnes (Freelance Music Journalist & Copywriter), Kelly Betts (Production Manager — BBC Music Introducing), Tom Billington (Editor —BBC Music Introducing), Millie Carter (Production Coordinator — BBC Music Introducing), Daniel P Carter (Presenter — BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show), Tina Edwards (Broadcaster & DJ — Worldwide FM), Patrick Hinton (Digital Features Editor — Mixmag), Tara Joshi (Music Editor — gal-dem), Felicity Martin (Editor — Dummy Mag), Aine Cronin-McCartney (Freelance Radio Presenter/Music Journalist), Neev Spencer (Radio Broadcaster — Kiss FM), Emma Swann (Founding Editor — DIY) and Kalex Willzy (Presenter/Head of Social Media — SBTV).

2020 Nominees:

UK INDEPENDENT BREAKTHROUGH 

GEORGIA

DIGGA D

FONTAINES D.C.

KOKOROKO

MOSES BOYD

INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH

BICEP

FLOATING POINTS

HANIA RANI

IDLES

YAEJI

BEST INDEPENDENT TRACK IN ASSOCIATION WITH FACEBOOK

AJ TRACEY – DINNER GUEST (FT. MOSTACK)

DIGGA D – NO DIET

FLYING LOTUS – MORE (FT. ANDERSON .PAAK)

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 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

BEST [DIFFICULT] SECOND ALBUM

FLOATING POINTS – CRUSH

FKA TWIGS – MAGDALENE

JOE ARMON JONES – TURN TO CLEAR VIEW

LIFE – A PICTURE OF GOOD HEALTH

MOSES SUMNEY – GRÆ

BEST INDEPENDENT REMIX

LAFAWNDAH – TOURIST X NÍDIA REWORK

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

BLANCO WHITE

CAROLINE

GREENTEA PENG

LAVIDA LOCA

BEST CREATIVE PACKAGING IN ASSOCIATION WITH SIGNATURE BREW

DIGGA D – DOUBLE TAP DIARIES

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)

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

ZEBRA KATZ – MOOR

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC IN ASSOCIATION WITH MERLIN

TONY ALLEN (WINNER)