Jäger cocktails packed with ice gave little relief from the sweltering heat, but to hear the diverse, exciting list of nominees for this years AIM Awards made the muggy slog to the House of Vans worth it.
Press and labels gathered on Tuesday night to hear this year’s nominees for the AIM Independent Music Awards, which will take place on 4 September at The Brewery in Clerkenwell, when we will discover just how many awards IDLES manage to clean up on.
The compassionate punks were nominated for four awards, including Best Live Act, which could also be won by 90s pop chart botherers Steps, we kid you not. Jorja Smith received three nominations, as did Let’s Eat Grandma and Phoebe Bridgers.
Awards will also be given for Independent Label of the Year and Best Small Label.
The Indie Champion Award will be presented to Femi Adeyemi, who founded the trailblazing NTS Radio back in 2011.
See all of the nominees below and let us know who you think should win over on our Twitter.
Independent Album of the Year - in association with Ingrooves
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest (Because Music)
Jorja Smith - Lost & Found (FAMM)
Kamaal Williams - The Return (Warp Records)
Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth (XL Recordings)
Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears (Transgressive)
Nadine Shah - Holiday Destination (1965 Records/[PIAS])
Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger In The Alps (Dead Oceans)
Shame - Songs Of Praise (Dead Oceans)
SOPHIE - OIL OF EVERY PEARL's UN-INSIDES (Transgressive)
Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar (Ninja Tune)
Independent Track of the Year - in association with Spotify
Bicep - Glue (Ninja Tune)
Christine and the Queens - Girlfriend (Because Music)
Dave - Question Time (Dave)
Peggy Gou - It Makes You Forget (Itgehane) (Ninja Tune)
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Deadly Valentine (Because Music)
Ghostpoet - Immigrant Boogie (Play It Again Sam)
Let's Eat Grandma - Falling Into Me (Transgressive)
Phoebe Bridgers - Motion Sickness (Dead Oceans)
Shame - One Rizla (Dead Oceans)
Wolf Alice - Don't Delete The Kisses (Dirty Hit)
Best Sophomore Release - in association with Radio X
Fever Ray - Plunge (Rabid Records)
Gwenno - Le Kov (Heavenly Recordings)
King Krule - The OOZ (XL Recordings)
Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears (Transgressive)
Nines - Crop Circle (XL Recordings)
UK Breakthrough of the Year - in association with YouTube
AJ Tracey (self-released)
Goat Girl (Rough Trade Records)
IDLES (Partisan Records)
Jorja Smith (FAMM)
SOPHIE (Transgressive)
International Breakthrough of the Year - in association with Deezer
Cigarettes After Sex (Partisan Records)
Confidence Man (Heavenly Recordings)
Moses Sumney (Jagjaguar)
Phoebe Bridgers (Dead Oceans)
Zeal & Ardor MVKA)
Best Live Act - in association with Songkick
Cassia (Distiller Records)
DMA’s (Infectious Music)
Erasure (Mute Records)
IDLES (Partisan Records)
Steps (Absolute Label Services)
Hardest Working Group or Artist
DAWN (Dawn Richard) (Our Dawn Entertainment)
IDLES (Partisan Records)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (Heavenly Recordings)
Mogwai (Rock Action Records)
Tom Misch (Beyond The Groove)
Best Creative Packaging - in association with MCPS
Black Sabbath - The Ten Year War (BMG)
Fela Kuti - Box Set #4 Curated By Erykah Badu (Partisan Records)
Hüskur Dü - Savage Young Dü (Numero Group)
Oneohtrix Point Never - Age Of (Warp Records)
Wishbone Ash - The Vintage Years 1970-1991 (Snapper Music)
Independent Label of the Year - in association with Believe
Brownswood Recordings
Ninja Tune
Transgressive
Dirty Hit
Deads Oceans
Best Small Label - in association with Awesome Merchandise
Black Acre Records
Rocket Recordings
Rock Action Records
On the Corner Records
Houndstooth
Indie Champion Award - in association with [PIAS]
Femi Adeyemi - Founder of NTS Radio
PPL Award For Most Played New Independent Act
Camelphat & Elderbook (Defected)
Dave (Dave)
Hardy Caprio (A2!)
Jorja Smith (FAMM)
Yxng Bane (Disturbing London)
Independent Video of the Year - in association with Vevo
IDLES - Colossus (Partisan Records) / Directed by Will Hooper
Leon Vynehall - Movements (Chapter III) (Ninja Tune) / Directed by Young Replicant
Moses Sumney - Doomed (Jagjaguar) / Directed by Allie Avital
Novo Amor - Birthplace (AllPoints) / Directed by Sil van der Woerd & Jorik Dozy
Superorganism - Everybody Want to Be Famous (Domino Records) / Directed by Robert Strangers
