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Independent Music Awards Celebrate Their 15th Show - Big Wins For Fontaines D.C, Ezra Collective and More

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Tuesday, 23rd September 2025, celebrated the 15th annual AIM awards. Official and primary tastemakers for the UK independent scene, artists recognized at this event are cut from the best, going on to achieve decorated and wide mainstream success. Previous winners see a star list of names including RAYE, Little Simz, Cloe Soul, Wet Leg, Stormzy, AJ Tracy, Dave, Peggy Gou, Arlo Parks, and FKA Twigs, to name a few. Focusing on innovation, variation, and impact, artists and the independent support network of entrepreneurs, through to record labels, gathered at London’s fixture venue Roundhouse, for the night of celebrations and awards. 


XL Recordings were double winners for Irish post-punk heroes Fontaines D.C in the category for Best Independent Album for their Romance, with the label, XL Recordings also taking home the award for Best Independent Label. Jazz trailblazers Ezra Collective shine again, winning Best Independent Track for their single 'God Gave Me Feet For Dancing (ft. Yazmin Lacey)', and rising neo-soul star BINA. took on One To Watch. 


Along with awarding emerging talent, the awards aim to spotlight pivotal contributors to the industry, with last year seeing the ceremony’s addition of a category for best Record Store, taken this year by the cornerstone Wax & Beans (Bury). Broadcaster and DJ Gilles Peterson received the Outstanding Contribution to Music award, honouring him for over four decades of shaping global music culture, while spotlighting Karen Emanuel (Key Productions), who was named Music Entrepreneur of the Year. Other winners included corto.alto (UK Independent Breakthrough), Bricknasty (Best Independent Video), Boy Harsher (Best Remix), Bon Iver (Best Creative Campaign), and one of the evenings featured performing talents MRCY, winning Best EP/Mixtape. 


Crucially, the Independent Music Awards include public voting—fans can cast their vote to decide winners in key categories. (Yes, your voice counts.)

To find out more on the AIM and the voting process, visit the official AIM Awards voting page: https://www.aimawards.co.uk/


Full list of winners below:


Independent Music Awards 2025 winners and nominees:


Outstanding Contribution To Music (in association with Merlin)

Gilles Peterson WINNER


Innovator Award

Cosey Fanni Tutti WINNER


Best Independent Album (in association with Spotify)

Fontaines D.C. - Romance (XL Recordings) WINNER

Bon Iver - SABLE, FABLE (Jagjaguwar)

Ezra Collective - Dance, No One's Watching (Partisan Records)

Hope Tala - Hope Handwritten (Big Family Music)

John Glacier - Like A Ribbon (Young)

Maverick Sabre - Burn The Right Things Down (FAMM)

Moonchild Sanelly - Full Moon (Transgressive Records)

Nala Sinephro - Endlessness (Warp Records)

Oklou - Choke Enough (Because Music / True Panther Records)

TAAHLIAH - Gramarye (untitled (recs))


Best Independent Track (in association with Meta)

Ezra Collective - God Gave Me Feet For Dancing ft. Yazmin Lacey (Partisan Records) WINNER

anaiis, Grupo Cosmo - B.P.E (5dB Records)

JIALING - FREAKY HORNS (Clasico Records)

Jim Legxacy - father (XL Recordings)

Jorja Smith, Maverick Sabre - Loving You (FAMM)

Miso Extra, Metronomy - Good Kisses (Transgressive Records)

Orla Gartland - Mine (New Friends Music)

Wet Leg - Catch These Fists (Domino Recording Co.)

Wunderhorse - The Rope (Communion Records)

Yannis & The Yaw, Tony Allen - Rain Can't Reach Us (Transgressive Records)


UK Independent Breakthrough (in association with Amazon Music) 

corto.alto (Ninja Tune previously New Soil) WINNER

Fat Dog (Domino Recording Co.)

Glass Beams (Ninja Tune)

Hope Tala (Big Family Music)

Sara Landry (HEKATE Records)


Best Live Performer

Shed Seven (Cooking Vinyl) WINNER

Alison Moyet (Cooking Vinyl)

Elles Bailey (Cooking Vinyl)

Ayanna Witter-Johnson (Hill and Gully Records)

Wunderhorse (Communion Records) 


Best Independent Video (in association with VEVO) 

Bricknasty - Vinland (FAMM) WINNER

Black Honey - Psycho (Foxfive Records) 

Fontaines D.C. - In The Modern World (XL Recordings)

Ezra Collective - God Gave Me Feet For Dancing Ft. Yazmin Lacey (Partisan Records)

Wet Leg - Catch These Fists (Domino Recording Co.)


Best Independent EP/Mixtape (in association with Notion) 

MRCY - VOLUME 1 (Dead Oceans) WINNER

Fcukers - Baggy$$ (Technicolour) 

Nectar Woode - Head Above Water (Communion Records)

Shygirl - Club Shy Room 2 (Because Music)

Zino Vinci - The Late Bloomer (Believe UK)  


Best Independent Remix (in association with BBC Radio 1 Dance)

Boy Harsher Remix - Nilufer Yanya - ‘Just A Western’ (Ninja Tune) WINNER

D’Monk Remix - Rosie Lowe - ‘Gratitudes’ (Blue Flowers Music)

Jorg Kunning Bicton Barns Remix - Koreless - ‘Seven’ (Young)

Tatyana Remix - Home Counties - ‘Uptight’ (Submarine Cat Records) 

Tower Block 1 - Fat Dog - ‘Peace Song’ (Domino Recording Co.)


Best Creative Campaign

Aitch (NQ Records)

Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar) WINNER

Fontaines D.C. (XL Recordings) 

Snapped Ankles (The Leaf Label) 

SOPHIE (Transgressive)


One To Watch (in association with BBC Introducing)

BINA. (TLD Records) WINNER

anaiis (5dB Records)

Chloe Qisha (VLF Records /Are You Serious Records) 

Cristale (Believe)

Fcukers (Ninja Tune)


PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist

Popeth (Recordiau Cosh Records) WINNER

Fat Dog (Domino Recording Co.)

First Time Flyers (Lookout Mountain)

IN PARALLEL (Method 808)

NDOTZ (Chosen Flystr8)


Best Independent Label 

XL Recordings WINNER

Because Music

Communion Records

Modern Sky UK

Transgressive Records


Best Boutique Label (in association with Qobuz)

AD 93 WINNER

Clasico Records

Flystr8

Submarine Cat Records

Untitled (recs)


Best Independent Record Store 

Wax & Beans (Bury) WINNER

Art Beats (Saffron Walden)

A Slice of Vinyl (Gosport)

Raven Records (Camden, London)

Spinning Around Records (Wellington, Telford)


Music Entrepreneur of the Year

Karen Emanuel (Key Productions) WINNER


DEI Champion 

ESEA Music WINNER


Independent Music Champion (in association with PRS for Music)

Bandcamp WINNER


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