Stormzy triumphed at the AIM Awards in London tonight (September 5) with wins for the PPL award for most played new independent act and independent album of the year (Gang Signs & Prayer). It follows his AIM Innovator Award last year.
The grime star’s No.1 debut, released via his Merky label and ADA, has combined sales of 207,179 according to the Official Charts Company.
The awards ceremony for the independent sector, staged at The Brewery in East London, was hosted by MistaJam and Clara Amfo. Performers on the night included British rapper Dave and indie-electronic band Public Service Broadcasting.
Sampha won independent breakthrough of the year for his debut album, Process (Young Turks). The XL Recordings label also had a win with On Hold by The xx, which was named independent track of the year.
Because Music – home to Christine And The Queens, Major Lazer and a large chunk of the London Records catalogue – picked up independent label of the year. Electronic music label Planet Mu won best small label, while Katie Riding and Joe Daniel claimed the indie champion award for their Independent Label Market concept.
Following their sell-out takeover of The O2 over the August Bank Holiday, the Innovator Award went to grime collective Boy Better Know, made up of JME, Skepta, Wiley, Jammer, Frisco, Solo 45, Shorty and Maximum, plus agent Rebecca Prochnik and manager Sam Burton.
Jarvis Cocker presented Warp Records’ Steve Beckett with the Pioneer award, while The Dillinger Escape Plan were awarded the outstanding contribution to music gong by Rou from Enter Shikari and BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show host Dan P Carter.
Donations were collected at the ceremony for charity partner Youth Music.
The full list of award winners is below:
BEST SMALL LABEL: PLANET MU
BEST LIVE ACT: COUNTERFEIT
INDEPENDENT BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR: SAMPHA
HARDEST WORKING GROUP OR ARTIST: SHAODOW
SPECIAL CATALOGUE RELEASE OF THE YEAR: LOVELY CREATURES: THE BEST OF NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS (1984 – 2014)
BEST ‘DIFFICULT’ SECOND ALBUM: JLIN – BLACK ORIGAMI
GOLDEN WELLY AWARD FOR BEST INDEPENDENT FESTIVAL: LOST EVENINGS
INDIE CHAMPION AWARD: KATIE RIDING & JOE DANIEL – INDEPENDENT LABEL MARKET
INDEPENDENT TRACK OF THE YEAR: THE XX – ON HOLD
INDEPENDENT VIDEO OF THE YEAR: DJ SHADOW – NOBODY SPEAK (FT. RUN THE JEWELS)
PPL AWARD FOR MOST PLAYED NEW INDEPENDENT ACT: STORMZY
INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR: STORMZY – GANG SIGNS & PRAYER
INDEPENDENT LABEL OF THE YEAR: BECAUSE MUSIC
INNOVATOR AWARD: BOY BETTER KNOW
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC: THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN
PIONEER AWARD: STEVE BECKETT – WARP RECORDS
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