Agit-post-punk duo Sleaford Mods and grime artist JME have been nominated for the IMPALA Independent Album of the Year Award.
Balthazar, Nils Frahm and Ólafur Arnalds also join the 19-strong pan-European shortlist.
To mark IMPALA’s 15 year anniversary, the indie label consortium said it has only picked records released by European labels under 15 years old for its nominations line-up.
A jury of IMPALA board members are yet to vote to decide who will succeed last year’s winner, Our Love by Caribou. The winner will be announced at the end of February.
Nominated albums were required to have been released between January and December 2015 on a European independent label created within the past 15 years. Previous winners of the accolade include Efterklang, Adele, The xx and Guadalupe Plata.
Helen Smith, IMPALA executive chair, said: ‘The special edition of the award features an exciting set of releases by forward-thinking and innovative young labels, who have made an impressive artistic contribution in just a few years of existence. The jury will now decide which release they believe is the most exceptional.’
The shortlist in full:
And So I Watch You From Afar – Heirs (Smalltown America)
Armin van Buuren – Embrace (Armada Music)
Balthazar – Thin Walls (Play It Again Sam)
Bror Forsgren – Narcissus (Jansen Plateproduksjon)
Christine and the Queens – Chaleur Humaine (Edition Collector) (Because Music)
Cummi Flu – Z (Albumlabel)
Electric Nana – To Life! (Sin Anestesia)
JME – Integrity> (Boy Better Know)
José González – Vestiges & Claws (Imperial Recordings)
Kállay Saunders Band – Delivery Boy (Egység Média)
Lovely Quinces – Meet Me in Moscow (Part One) (LAA)
Nils Frahm – Solo (Erased Tapes Records)
Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm – Collaborative Works (Erased Tapes Records)
Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L - Sanguis Meus, Mama! (GAEA Records)
Primitive Reason – Walk Inside: The Singles Collection (Kaminari Records)
Puts Marie – Masoch I-II (Two Gentlemen)
Rangleklods – Straitjacket (Tambourhinoceros)
Sleaford Mods – Key Markets (Harbinger Sound)
Trixie Whitley – Porta Bohemica (Unday Records)
Balthazar, Nils Frahm and Ólafur Arnalds also join the 19-strong pan-European shortlist.
To mark IMPALA’s 15 year anniversary, the indie label consortium said it has only picked records released by European labels under 15 years old for its nominations line-up.
A jury of IMPALA board members are yet to vote to decide who will succeed last year’s winner, Our Love by Caribou. The winner will be announced at the end of February.
Nominated albums were required to have been released between January and December 2015 on a European independent label created within the past 15 years. Previous winners of the accolade include Efterklang, Adele, The xx and Guadalupe Plata.
Helen Smith, IMPALA executive chair, said: ‘The special edition of the award features an exciting set of releases by forward-thinking and innovative young labels, who have made an impressive artistic contribution in just a few years of existence. The jury will now decide which release they believe is the most exceptional.’
The shortlist in full:
And So I Watch You From Afar – Heirs (Smalltown America)
Armin van Buuren – Embrace (Armada Music)
Balthazar – Thin Walls (Play It Again Sam)
Bror Forsgren – Narcissus (Jansen Plateproduksjon)
Christine and the Queens – Chaleur Humaine (Edition Collector) (Because Music)
Cummi Flu – Z (Albumlabel)
Electric Nana – To Life! (Sin Anestesia)
JME – Integrity> (Boy Better Know)
José González – Vestiges & Claws (Imperial Recordings)
Kállay Saunders Band – Delivery Boy (Egység Média)
Lovely Quinces – Meet Me in Moscow (Part One) (LAA)
Nils Frahm – Solo (Erased Tapes Records)
Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm – Collaborative Works (Erased Tapes Records)
Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L - Sanguis Meus, Mama! (GAEA Records)
Primitive Reason – Walk Inside: The Singles Collection (Kaminari Records)
Puts Marie – Masoch I-II (Two Gentlemen)
Rangleklods – Straitjacket (Tambourhinoceros)
Sleaford Mods – Key Markets (Harbinger Sound)
Trixie Whitley – Porta Bohemica (Unday Records)
