Bristol punk rock five-piece Idles are the top of the bill with four nominations at this year’s Association of Independent Music (AIM) awards, it has been revealed.

Rising country star Jade Bird follows just behind with three nominations.

Both acts are nominated in the UK Independent Breakthrough and International Breakthrough category, with Idles also shortlisted for Best (Difficult) Second Album and Best Creative Packaging for last year’s Joy As An Act Of Resistance. 

Bird picks up her third nomination in the Best Independent Album category for her self-titled debut, which was released in April this year.

Other nominees for that award include Christine And The Queens, Fontaines DC, Dave, and Better Oblivion Community Center.

The AIM awards seek to honour independent artists, labels and industry figures. Previous winners include The Prodigy, Adele, Wolf Alice, Stormzy and Björk.

This year’s ceremony marks the twentieth anniversary of AIM, and takes place on September 3rd at the Roundhouse in London. The judging panel is made up of DJ Mag editor Carl Loben, Beats One’s Julie Adenuga and BBC 1Xtra DJ Jamz Supernova.

BBC’s involvement in the awards also extends to a new One To Watch category, run by AIM and BBC Introducing. The shortlisted acts are Larkins, Kokoroko, Barney Artist, Arlo Parks and Georgia. 

Elsewhere, Blondie’s Debbie Harry will accept an award for outstanding contribution to music at the event.

The full list of nominees are:

UK Independent Breakthrough

• Black Midi
• Ezra Collective
• Gerry Cinnamon
• Idles
• Jade Bird

International Breakthrough

• Afro B
• Jade Bird
• Maribou State
• Nilüfer Yanya
• Idles

Best Independent Track

• Dave – Funky Friday (featuring Fredo)
• FKA Twigs – Cellophane
• Fontaines DC – Boys In The Better Land
• Georgia – About Work The Dancefloor
• Jarv Is – Must I Evolve
• Jai Paul – Do You Love Her Now
• Holly Herndon – Eternal
• Little Simz – Selfish (featuring Celo Sol)
• Sharon Van Etten – Seventeen
• Four Tet – Teenage Birdsong

Best Independent Album

• Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center
• Christine And The Queens – Chris
• Dave – Psycodrama
• Fontaines DC – Dogrel
• Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes – End Of Suffering
• Jade Bird – Jade Bird
• Jordan Rakel – Origin
• Little Simz – Grey Area
• Snapped Ankles – Stunning Luxury
• Swindle – No More Normal

Best (Difficult) Second Album

• Erland Cooper – Sule Skerry
• Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance
• Julia Jacklin – Crushing
• Maribou State – Kingdoms In Colour
• Soak – Grim Town

One To Watch

• Arlo Parks
• Barney Artist
• Georgia
• Kokoroko
• Larkins

Best Small Label

• Fuzz Club Records
• Killing Moon
• Local Action
• Scruff Of The Neck
• Speedy Wunderground

Best Creative Packaging

• Various Artists – Confessin’ The Blues compilation
• Murlo – Dolos
• Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance
• Various Artists – Sick Music 2019 compilation
• Keith Richards – Talk Is Cheap

Best Independent Video

• Christine And The Queens – 5 Dollars
• Hot Chip – Hungry Child
• John Grant – He’s Got His Mother’s Hips
• Caleb Steph – Black Boy
• FKA Twigs – Cellophane

Best Independent Label

• Brownswood Recordings
• Domino
• Nuclear Blast
• Partisan Records
• Rough Trade

Most Played New Independent Artist

• AJ Tracey
• Cosmo Sheldrake
• Freya Ridings
• Guru Randhawa
• Jorja Smith

Find out more about the AIM awards

Check out Jade Bird on her website.

Listen to Idles.