AIM Awards announce 2023 nominees list, including RAYE, Little Simz and Ezra Collective

The AIM Independent Music Awards - a celebration of the UK’s independent music community - are back with another bumper shortlist of nominees. RAYE and Shygirl are out in front with three nominations, while Ezra Collective, Kelela, Obongjayar, and Jessica Winter have each received two.

The return of the anticipated ‘Best Independent Album’ category brings a nod for Mercury Prize-winning Little Simz (‘NO THANK YOU’), alongside Nova Twins (‘Supernova’), Rina Sawayama (‘Hold The Girl’), Kelela (‘Raven’), Oliver Sim (‘Hideous Bastard’), Wu-Lu (‘LOGGERHEAD’), Avelino (‘God Save The Streets’), RAYE (‘My 21st Century Blues’), Shygirl (‘Nymph’), and Obongjayar (‘Some Nights I Dream of Doors’).

AIM have built a reputation for highlighting some of the country’s most promising artists, and this year’s awards are set to be no different: Jessica Winter, Juice Menace, flowerovlove, Laughta, and Master Peace are all tipped as potential winners of 2023’s ‘One To Watch’ category (in association with BBC Music Introducing). The ‘UK Independent Breakthrough’ prize, meanwhile, sees cross-genre recognition for the likes of electronic duo Overmono, rapper Shygirl, indie-pop performer Suki Waterhouse, producer I.Jordan, and jazz outfit Ezra Collective.

Other categories include ‘Best Independent Track’, ‘Best Independent EP / Mixtape’, ‘Best Independent Remix’, ‘Best Independent Video’. The winner of the ‘Best Live Performer’ category will be decided by public vote, which is now open here (voting closes at 2:00pm on Wednesday 9th August).

Commenting on this year’s nominees, AIM’s CEO Silvia Montello says: “This year’s AIM Independent Music Award nominees represent our diverse, dynamic and inclusive community, truly showcasing the incredible range of talent across all genres of the UK music scene. As the indie sector continues to grow, we look forward to celebrating the dedication of labels, artists, and their teams on 26th September.”

Find out the full list of categories and nominees here.