AIM Announces Winners for 16th Independent Music Awards 2026

The Association for Independent Music (AIM) has unveiled the winners of the 2026 Independent Music Awards, with Pauline Black, Fabio & Grooverider, Jorja Smith, Robyn, Jalen Ngonda, Jim Legxacy, and Fcukers among those honored at the 16th edition of the awards at London’s Roundhouse, Sept. 22.

Pauline Black, pioneering frontwoman of The Selecter and one of the defining voices of the 2 Tone movement, received the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Music Award, recognizing a career spanning more than four decades. Black marked the honor by taking to the Roundhouse stage with The Selecter for an incredible live performance during the ceremony.

Pauline Black said, “I started my career on an independent label, Two Tone, because it fitted who I was perfectly. It brought together the best of black music, with the best of white music in 1979.vAnd it mixed it up to make something new, and that was a hybrid, just like me. 47 years later, I’m still making music, with independent labels, and, most of all, people I trust. Still mixing it up, and still spreading the same anti racist, anti-sexist message, because believe me, as one of the previous recipients, said, We are better together than divided.”

Legendary DJ duo Fabio & Grooverider received the Innovator Award, recognizing their pioneering contribution to UK music and dance culture, in particular their pivotal place in Jungle and Drum’n’Bass and their continuing work with young people. They said “We appreciate the love that we get and the support that we’ve constantly got for the last 30 plus years. I can’t believe we’re still doing this, but it’s the independence that keep us going. So please keep it up.”

Among the night’s other biggest artist awards, Jorja Smith won Best Independent Track for “The Way I Love You,” released on FAMM. This is a second Independent Music Award for Smith, who was named UK Independent Breakthrough in 2018 and has since gone on to arena tour success, all from within the independent sector.

Jorja Smith commented, “Everyone should be so proud of being an independent artist…doing everything independently, you should all be so proud of yourselves! Thank you, AIM and thank you fans, I’m just very grateful and I can’t believe I’ve been able to have this space to create the same way I’ve done since I was 11.”

Robyn took home Best Independent Album for Sexistential , released on Young. Jalen Ngonda was named Independent Breakthrough, capping an exceptional rise for the Daptone Records soul artist. Ngonda also gave a standout performance on the night of “Hannah, What’s The Matter” and “If You Don’t Want My Love.”

Elsewhere, former member of Goat Girl, Naima Bock, who was nominated in the Best Independent Mixtape / EP category, gave attendees a mesmerizing rendition of “Gentle” and brand new song “Showers”.

Jim Legxacy saw one of his three nominations convert into a win, receiving Best Independent Mixtape/EP for the widely-acclaimed black british music (2025) (XL Recordings).

The PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist went to bees & honey, while rising rap-rocker Native James (SharpTone Records / Saviour Music) was named One to Watch.

Billy Lockett (Lockett Records) won the publicly voted Best Live Performer award, made possible by his dedicated grassroots following and groundbreaking producer SHERELLE won Best Independent Remix for her Intelligent Dyke Music Remix” of “Love Who You Love” by Romy (Young).

Full winner’s list below:

AIM’s theme of the year for the Independent Music Awards 2026 was Collective Strength. The theme was evident at many points throughout the night, from the communal dining introduced by AIM’s outgoing Chair, Ruth Barlow, which incorporated sharing plates, to celebrations of collaboration across the award categories such as Best Release Campaign and Best Independent Video, both of which highlighted the collaborative work done by close teams of artists, labels, directors and more.

Gee Davy, CEO of AIM, commented, “Tonight’s winners demonstrate everything that makes the independent music community special. We’ve celebrated artists, labels, entrepreneurs, record stores and organizations achieving extraordinary success, building opportunities, and improving the world around them – not by standing alone, but through collective strength. That spirit of collaboration is a unique characteristic of the independent community and a key reason why our members continue to create cultural and commercial value far beyond their scale.

In every corner of the UK, independent music businesses and entrepreneurs form a vital but largely unseen ‘cultural high street’ – local independent labels, distributors, studios, and more – that creates jobs, exports, investment and opportunity in communities everywhere. If we want to see more world-class artists emerge from the UK in the years ahead, we need to support and develop that cultural high street and back the independent businesses that use their expertise to take risks on new music and new talent. The success we celebrated tonight didn’t happen by accident, and neither will tomorrow’s.”

Independent Music Awards 2026: Nominees and winners

Outstanding Contribution to Music – in association with Merlin Pauline Black

Innovator Award Fabio & Grooverider

Best Independent Track – in association with Meta DEBBY FRIDAY – “Bet On Me” (Sub Pop Records) Fcukers – “L.U.C.K.Y” (Ninja Tune) Genesis Owusu – “Stampede” (Ourness) Jalen Ngonda – “Doctrine of Love” (Daptone Records) Jim Legxacy – “3x” (XL Recordings) Jorja Smith – “The Way I Love You” (FAMM) Nova Twins – “Piranha” (Marshall Records) Robyn – “Dopamine” (Young / Konichiwa) Romy – “Love Who You Love” (Young) Tiana Major9 – “Desire” (+1 Records)

Best Independent Album – in association with Spotify BICEP – TAKKUUK (Original Soundtrack) (Ninja Tune, EarthSonic) Blawan – SickElixir (XL Recordings) Fcukers – Ö (Ninja Tune) Geese – Getting Killed (Partisan Records) Mitski – Nothing’s About to Happen to Me (Dead Oceans) Nova Twins – Parasites & Butterflies (Marshall Records) Prostitute – Attempted Martyr (Mute) Robyn – Sexistential (Young / Konichiwa) SCALER – Endlessly (Black Acre) Thundercat – Distracted (Brainfeeder/ Ninja Tune)

Independent Breakthrough – in association with Amazon Music Fat Dog (Domino Recording Co.) Fcukers (Ninja Tune) Jalen Ngonda (Daptone Records) Tiana Major9 (+1 Records) Ego Ella May (Believe UK)

Best Independent Mixtape/EP – in association with NOTION Bricknasty – Blacks Law (FAMM) Jim Legxacy – black british music (2025) (XL Recordings) Naima Bock – Live in Toulon (Sub Pop Records) Strandz – Diaspora Dance Music (Strandz Music) TTSSFU – Blown (Partisan Records)

Best Independent Remix If We Ever (High Contrast Remix) – Overmono (XL Recordings) Love Who You Love (SHERELLE’s Intelligent Dyke Music Remix) – SHERELLE, Romy (Young) Sexistential (Arca’s Take) – Robyn (Young / Konichiwa) The Way I Love You (TS7 Remix) – Jorja Smith, TS7 (FAMM) You (Donae’O Remix) – House Gospel Choir and Donae’O (Swear Down Music)

One To Watch – in association with BBC Music Introducing Ashaine White (Marshall Records) Alewya (LDN Records) Lauren Auder (untitled (recs)) Mandy, Indiana (Sacred Bones Records) Native James (Sharptone Records/ Saviour Music)

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/ Ninja Tune) 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 / Labelcamp Because Music Dead Oceans FAMM Ninja Tune Tru Thoughts

Best Boutique Label – in association with Qobuz Big Scary Monsters Black Acre TLD Records Sweardown untitled (recs)

Independent Music Champion – in association with PRS for Music Qobuz

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

Best Release Campaign – in association with Hey! What? Dead Oceans + Mitski – ‘Nothing’s About to Happen to Me’ Domino Recording Co + Wet Leg – ‘moisturizer’ Ninja Tune + Fcukers – Ö Ourness/Believe + Genesis Owusu – ‘REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE’ Partisan Records/PIAS + Geese – ‘Getting Killed’ Steel City Dance Discs + Kettama – ‘Archangel’

Music Entrepreneur of the Year Mark Lippmann (Scruff Of The Neck)

Best Independent Record Store Jacaranda Records (Liverpool) Applestump Records (Nantwich, Cheshire) Just Dropped In (Coventry) Ignite Record Store (Birmingham) Slow Century Records (Solihull)

DEI Champion Cre8ing Vision

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_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/09/23/uk-independent-music-awards-2026-winners/)._