Independent Music Awards Release First Nominees including Barry Can’t Swim, CASISDEAD, Ezra Collective, Fontaines D.C. and Jorja Smith

• Best Independent Album nominations span eclectic releases from Kim Gordon, D-Block Europe, Sampha and rising stars Nubiyan Twist

• Jorja Smith, Barry Can't Swim, CASISDEAD and Sampha lead with two nominations each

• Public voting for ‘Best Live Performer’ now open here

• Ceremony will take place on 17 October at London’s Roundhouse

• Assets here

AIM’s Independent Music Awards, which celebrate the achievements of the UK’s independent music community, has revealed its first nominees for 2024.

Returning to London’s iconic Roundhouse, these tastemaker awards see a broad list of nominees from various UK regions, nations, genres and music communities, showcasing the reach and success of independently-released music. From Glastonbury headliners Fontaines D.C. to pop/R&B singer-songwriter Jorja Smith, the innovative rap of enigmatic MC CASISDEAD, Scottish electronic artist Barry Can’t Swim and the inimitable voice of Sampha.

The ’Best Independent Album’ (in association with Spotify) Award category contenders include Jorja Smith’s ‘falling or flying’ (FAMM) and Barry Can’t Swim’s ‘When Will We Land?’ (Ninja Tune), alongside D-Block Europe’s ‘Rolling Stone’ (D-Block Europe/EGA Distro), Kim Gordon’s ‘The Collective’ (Matador), Actress’ acclaimed ‘LXXXVIII’ (Ninja Tune), and jazz nine-piece Nubiyan Twist’s ‘Find Your Flame’ (Strut Records / !K7 Music). Topping off the category’s formidable shortlist are electronic duo Mount Kimbie with ‘The Sunset Violent’ (Warp Records), the spellbinding ANOHNI and The Johnsons’ ‘My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross’ (Rough Trade Records) and rapper Skrapz’s ‘Reflection’ (EGA Distro).

CASISDEAD’s ‘Venom’ is in the running for ‘Best Independent Track’ (in association with Meta), along with Fontaines D.C.’s ‘Starburster’ and winners of the 2023 Mercury Prize Ezra Collective with ‘Ajala’. Also up for this category are KNEECAP’s ‘Better Way To Live’ feat. Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten, Hudson Mohawke & Nikki Nair’s old-guard-new-star collaboration ‘Set The Roof’, and Sampha’s euphoric single ‘Spirit 2.0’, while Jorja Smith sweeps across another category with club hit ‘Little Things’. Experimental turntablist and producer NikNak’s ‘1200RPM’, Mancunian spiritual jazz artist Matthew Halsall’s ‘An Ever Changing View’, and singer/composer Amy Gadiaga’s ‘All Black Everything’ complete the shortlist.

2024’s ‘UK Independent Breakthrough’ shortlist (in association with Amazon Music) includes recognition of BRITs winner CASISDEAD, a long-awaited spotlight moment for Barry Can’t Swim, the groundswell around Bar Italia and Saint Harison, and the sudden rise of Cornwall’s Wunderhorse. All five nominees will also receive complimentary access to studio time at The Breakthrough Lab, the Amazon Music songwriting and production suite at London’s Metropolis Studios, courtesy of the streaming service.

BBC Music Introducing continues its collaboration with AIM on the ‘One To Watch’ category.  This year’s nominees see two Manchester artists in the running, spoken word artist Antony Szmierek and drum & bass MC OneDa. Also nominated are DJ Kitty Amor, masked electro-punk producer Lynks and vocalist/producer Miso Extra. Previous winners include this year’s Mercury nominee Nia Archives, and Arlo Parks, who has since scooped trophies at the BRITs and Mercurys, showing the Independent Music Awards’ consistent early recognition of future stars.

‘Best Independent EP/Mixtape’ sees nominations for South London singer JGrrey’s ‘If Not Now?’ (PACE / Marathon Music Group) and K-Trap and Headie One’s collaborative project ‘‘STRENGTH TO STRENGTH’ (One Records and Thousand8)’, soul artist George Riley’s ‘Un/limited Love’ (Ninja Tune), Leeds-based collective HONESTY’s ‘BOX’ (Partisan Records), and candid lyricist and rapper Potter Payper’s ‘Thanks For Hating’ (EGA Distro). 

The ‘Best Independent Remix’ category returns, with nominations going to Egyptian Lover’s remix of Sudan Archives’ ‘Freakalizer’, Joy Anonymous’ remix of Ezra Collective track ‘JOY (Life Goes On)’ feat. Sampa The Great, L BEATS mashup of Jorja Smith’s ‘Little Things’ and Crystal Waters’ club classic ‘Gypsy Woman’. P-rallel’s remix of Aluna and Jayda G’s ‘Mine O’ Mine’ is also in the running, as well as Olof Dreijer’s take on Björk and Rosalía track ‘Oral’.

This year’s ‘Best Independent Video’ category (in association with Vevo) sees Sampha receive another nomination for his single ‘Only’ feat. Georgia, alongside last year’s ‘One To Watch’ nominee Master Peace with ‘I Might Be Fake’. These are joined by Mitski for ‘My Love Mine All Mine’, Gia Ford’s ‘Poolside’ and Khruangbin’s ‘A Love International’. 

The 2024 nominee list also sees a big year for Ninja Tune, with four releases included, from Actress and Barry Can’t Swim to Nabihah Iqbal and George Riley. The nominations also include three entries each for artist services business EGA Distro, and labels XL Recordings and Heavenly Recordings. 

AIM interim CEO, Gee Davy, said: “We hope you are as excited as we are by this first list of nominees for 2024’s Independent Music Awards. 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. We are delighted that the BBC, Amazon, Meta, Vevo and Spotify, alongside our other sponsors and partners continue to support and champion the Awards, which enables us to continue to shine a light on the ever-growing independent music sector.”

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 award for ‘Best Live Performer’ will once again be decided by music fans worldwide, with a public vote now open here. 

Nominations for the remaining categories, including ‘Best Boutique Label’ and ‘Independent Champion’, will be announced in the coming months. 

Details of live performances set to take place throughout the ceremony will also soon be revealed, along with further details of the Awards’ partnership with the BBC.

See below for the AIM Independent Music Awards current 2024 nominees:

Best Independent Album (in association with Spotify)  

Actress - LXXXVIII (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) 

About AIM

AIM is the not-for-profit organisation representing and supporting the UK’s independent music sector and community, which makes up more than a third of the UK’s recorded music market alone. Now in its 26th year, AIM’s 1000+ members range from the largest, most respected independent record labels and associated music businesses in the world to self-releasing artists and the next generation of entrepreneurs in music. These include 4AD, Black Acre, Because Music, Beggars Group, Chrysalis / Blue Raincoat, CTRL Music, Domino Recording Co, Finesse Foreva, Hospital Records, HQ Familia, The Leaf Label, London Recordings, Ninja Tune,  Numbers, Partisan, Transgressive, Scruff of the Neck, Secretly Canadian, Stones Throw, Supernature, Warp, and XL Recordings.

AIM’s regular ‘Ahead of the Curve’ sessions were the first of their kind in the sector, bringing together music and technology professionals, businesses and projects for meaningful engagement.  AIM provides continuing professional development and insight sessions on a range of subjects throughout the year through the AIM Academy brand - with webinars, in-person training and networking - and through AIM’s conference programme: AIM Connected, AIM Sync and AIM’s Future Independents.  AIM supports the wider music community through its new AI-driven platform, the Knowledge Space, currently in rollout across the industry.

AIM champions the talent and innovation in the independent music community at its annual Independent Music Awards, which will be back at the Roundhouse in London for 2024 on October 17th, recognising global success and the best emerging talent in the industry, with the help of key media partners including the BBC.

AIM exists to level the playing field for the UK’s independent music businesses and entrepreneurs - the beating heart of music. No matter their genre, their background, how much money they have, how they identify or their location, AIM provides access to the knowledge and contacts creative entrepreneurs need to create, build and win. AIM supports its members, not only through the difficult times, but also on a day-to-day level with practical support that makes a real difference to their lives and work, helping them take their business to the next level.