Image Courtesy of AIM©

Last Thursday saw the inaugural Association of Independent Music (AIM) Awards take place at the Floridita in London’s West End. Hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens and Radio 6Music’s Steve Lamaq, the evening saw the biggest and best people from the indie music scene being recognised for their work.

This year’s shinning star Adele won two awards; the amusingly named Best Difficult Second Album and The Most Played Independent Act, which judging from the critical and commercial juggernaut that is 21, is well deserved. Frank Turner took the double away as well, winning the Most Hard Working Band or Artist and Best Live Act awards, which is all the more respectable seeing as how he has played 152 shows already this year.

The ‘Golden Welly’ For Best Independent Music Festival went to the Bearded Theory Festival in Derbyshire, where in order to get into the spirit of things, festival-goers are encouraged to wear fake beards.

The Indie Champion award went to John Robb, the music journalist, founder of the music website Louder Than War, talking head and all round wise man, seeing of nominations from Tom Robinson of Radio 6Music. Also, Rob da Bank, the British DJ who founded Bestival and Camp Bestival, won the Independent Music Entrepreneur of the Year award.

The special awards of the evening were the AIM Pioneer and Outstanding Contribution to Music Awards. The Pioneer award went Domino Records and their founder Lawrence Bell, who have produced and released the work of such great independent music stalwarts as The Fall, Franz Ferdinand, Orange Juice and Robert Wyatt, to massive bands such as the Artic Monkeys. Meanwhile, the Outstanding Contribution to Music Awards went to Bjork, who is internationally respected as an artist who pushes the boundaries of popular music and is an inspiration to fans and artists everywhere.

Here is a full list of the award winners of the evening and some of their work:

Best Small Label: Stolen Recordings
Best ‘Difficult’ Second Album: Adele – 21
Hardest Working Band or Artist: Frank Turner
Catalogue Release of the Year: Matador at 21 – Various Artists (Matador)
Golden Welly Award for Best Independent Festival: Bearded Theory
Independent Breakthrough of the Year: SBTRKT
Innovative Marketing Campaign of the Year: Ninja Tune campaign for Ninja Tune XX
Indie Champion Award: John Robb, Louder Than War
Independent Entrepreneur of the Year: Rob da Bank (Sunday Best, AIF, Bestival, Camp Bestival, Radio 1)
Best Live Act: Frank Turner
PPL Award for Most Played Independent Act: Adele
Outstanding Contribution to Music: Bjork
Pioneer Award: Laurence Bell