Independent Music Awards reveals final 2026 nominees

The Association for Independent Music (AIM) has announced the final wave of nominees for the 2026 Independent Music Awards, alongside news that pioneering DJ duo Fabio & Grooverider will receive this year’s Innovator Award.

Taking place at The Roundhouse in London on 22 September 2026, the Independent Music Awards will bring together artists, labels and businesses from across the independent community, celebrating creative and commercial achievements spanning recorded music, live performance, campaigns and the wider independent sector.

Leading the announcement are Fabio & Grooverider, who will be honoured with the Innovator Award in recognition of their pioneering contribution to UK music and dance culture.

Across careers spanning more than three decades, the duo have played an integral role in the evolution of drum & bass and jungle, helping take the sounds from underground club culture to audiences around the world. As DJs and champions of new music, their influence has extended across generations of artists and listeners, making them enduring figures within the UK’s independent music community.

Responding to news of their award, Fabio & Grooverider said: “We’re incredibly proud to be receiving the Innovator Award. We’ve spent our lives pushing this music forward, breaking boundaries and staying true to what we believe in, so to be recognised for that journey means a lot to us!”

Among the latest names nominated for 2026 are: Mitski, Thundercat, Jim Legxacy, and Clementine Douglas, alongside independent labels including Ninja Tune, Dead Oceans, Because Music, FAMM, Black Acre, Tru Thoughts and Big Scary Monsters.

The latest nominees also include five artists competing for the PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist, with bees & honey, Beyond Chicago, Clementine Douglas, Jim Legxacy and Poppy Baskcomb making up the 2026 shortlist.

Jim Legxacy’s nomination brings his total to three, placing him as the joint-most nominated artist of 2026 alongside Fcukers, who are shortlisted for Best Independent Track, Best Independent Album and Independent Breakthrough.

The Best Independent Video shortlist brings visual storytelling to the music, with an eclectic mix characteristic of the independent music sector. The directors nominated are Léa Esmaili for Thundercat’s “She Knows Too Much feat. Mac Miller (Brainfeeder)”, acclaimed Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos for Jerskin Fendrix‘s “Beth’s Farm” (untitled (recs)), OCURENS for Tinie Tempah, Skepsis and Carla Monroe‘s “Eat It Up” (Imhotep Records), Noel Paul for Mitski’s “Where’s My Phone” (Dead Oceans), and Zak Watson for Antony Szmierek‘s “The Heron” (Mushroom Music).

The final wave of nominations puts independent labels and their teams firmly in the spotlight. Because Music, Dead Oceans, FAMM, Ninja Tune and Tru Thoughts are nominated for the coveted Best Independent Label gong (in association with IDOL), while Big Scary Monsters, Black Acre, TLD Records,Sweardown and untitled (recs) make up the Best Boutique Label (in association with Qobuz) shortlist.

The work behind the music is also recognised in Best Release Campaign (in association with Hey! What?), with Partisan Records shortlisted for Geese’s “Getting Killed”, Ourness for Genesis Owusu’s “REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE”, Steel City Dance Disks for Kettama’s “Archangel Album Release”, Dead Oceans for Mitski’s “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me”, and Domino Recording Co for Wet Leg’s “moisturizer”.

Meanwhile, Best Catalogue Release recognises the labels who created imaginative campaigns around impressive bodies of work. Cooking Vinyl is nominated for its sold out deluxe edition of The Alan Parsons Project’s “I Robot”, Stones Throw Records for Haruomi Hosono’s “Tropical Dandy”, 4AD for Lush‘s “Gala (2025 Remaster)”, London Records for Orbital’s “The Brown Album”, and Cherry Red Records for Chameleon’s “The Very Best of Toyah”.

Best Live Performer celebrates artists who have made their mark on stage this year, with Amelia Coburn (Quiet Crown), Billy Lockett (Lockett Records), High Fade (RPN RECORDS), Katherine Priddy (Cooking Vinyl) and The Molotovs (Marshall Records) competing for the award.

Meanwhile, independent record shops across the country are represented in Best Independent Record Store. Nantwich’s Applestump Records, Jacaranda Records in Liverpool, Just Dropped In Records in Coventry, Ignite Record Store in Birmingham and Slow Century Records in Solihull make up this year’s shortlist, recognising the vital role independent stores continue to play in local music communities.

The newly revealed names join previously announced nominees including Robyn (Young / Konichiwa), Mitski (Dead Oceans), BICEP (Ninja Tune, EarthSonic), Nova Twins (Marshall Records), Jorja Smith (FAMM), Romy (Young) and Thundercat (Brainfeeder), completing the field of nominees announced ahead of the ceremony.

Gee Davy, CEO of AIM, said: “AIM is delighted to recognise Fabio and Grooverider’s pioneering music and careers, and their impact on generations of fans. At the same time, recognising the importance of club culture to so many in the UK. The Independent Music Awards exists to spotlight many of those who contribute so much to UK’s rich musical landscape and would otherwise go unnoticed – from independently owned record stores around the UK to the ‘hidden high street businesses’ that are local record labels, from the artistry of video directors to live performances and special catalogue releases. Though each category can only have one winner, we salute all of the nominees and the long list of submissions, all of them contributing to the collective strength of this exciting community. We thank our members, Friends, sponsors and partners for the support of the UK’s independent music community and have made these unique awards possible”

The Independent Music Awards returns to The Roundhouse on 22 September 2026, bringing together the independent music community for a celebration of the artists, entrepreneurs, labels and teams shaping the sector today.

The newly announced nominees are listed in full below.

Best Independent Video 

• Zak Watson (director) for Antony Szmierek – The Heron (Mushroom Music)
• Yorgos Lanthimos (director) for Jerskin Fendrix – Beth’s Farm – (untitled (recs))
• Noel Paul (director) for Mitski – Where’s My Phone – (Dead Oceans)
• Léa Esmaili (director) for Thundercat – She Knows Too Much feat. Mac Miller (Brainfeeder)
• OCURENS (director) for Tinie Tempah, Skepsis, Carla Monroe – Eat It Up – (Imhotep Records)

PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist – in association with PPL

• bees & honey
• Beyond Chicago
• Clementine Douglas
• Jim Legxacy
• Poppy Baskcomb

Best Live Performer

• Amelia Coburn (Quiet Crown)
• Billy Lockett (Lockett Records)
• High Fade (RPN RECORDS)
• Katherine Priddy (Cooking Vinyl)
• The Molotovs (Marshall Records)

Best Independent Label – in association with IDOL

• Because Music
• Dead Oceans
• FAMM
• Ninja Tune
• Tru Thoughts

Best Boutique Label – in association with Quboz

• Big Scary Monsters
• Black Acre
• TLD Records
• Sweardown
• untitled (recs)

Best Catalogue Release

• The Alan Parsons Project – ‘I Robot’ (Cooking Vinyl)
• Haruomi Hosono – ‘Tropical Dandy’ (Stones Throw)
• Lush – ‘Gala (2025 Remaster)’ (4AD)
• Orbital – ‘The Brown Album’ (London Records)
• Chameleon – The Very Best of Toyah (Cherry Red Records)

Best Release Campaign

• Geese – ‘Getting Killed’ (Partisan Records)
• Genesis Owusu – ‘REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE’ (Ourness/Believe)
• Kettama – ‘Archangel’ (Steel City Dance Disks)
• Mitski – ‘Nothing’s About to Happen to Me’ (Dead Oceans)
• Wet Leg – ‘moisturizer’ (Domino Recording Co)

Best Independent Record Store

• Applestump Records
• Jacaranda Records
• Just Dropped In
• Ignite Record Store
• Slow Century Records

Innovator Award Winner

• Fabio & Grooverider

The full nominee list, including previously-announced categories, can be found here.