Beggars Group founder and chairman Martin Mills has been named as the winner of the Pioneer Award at this year’s AIM Independent Music Awards.
Martin is the fourth recipient of the prize, following in the footsteps of previous winners Geoff Travis (Rough Trade), Daniel Miller (Mute) and Laurence Bell (Domino).
He set up Beggars Banquet back in 1974 first as a record shop before expanding the business into a label and launching the careers of Gary Numan, the Charlatans and Bauhaus.
Beggars Group has grown into a confederacy of record labels - the entity includes Rough Trade, XL Recordings and Young Turks and artists such as Adele, The xx and Radiohead.
Martin said: ‘I’m delighted and moved to receive this honour from my peers; nothing can mean more than that.’
Alison Wenham, AIM chairman, added: ‘I'm so glad the judges have chosen Martin to receive this year's Pioneer Award. Martin is one of the music industry's great visionaries, having built an exceptional company around finding and nurturing true talent.
‘Martin has done more than anyone in the world to support and strengthen the independent sector globally through his work with AIM, WIN, Merlin and Impala, and I look forward to celebrating his achievements in September.’
Martin was awarded an MBE in the 2008 New Year honours, as well as outstanding contribution awards from Music Week, Billboard and the Radio Academy.
The AIM Independent Music Awards 2014 return to the Brewery in Clerkenwell, London on 2 September.
Tickets are on sale now from musicindie.com/awards.
Martin is the fourth recipient of the prize, following in the footsteps of previous winners Geoff Travis (Rough Trade), Daniel Miller (Mute) and Laurence Bell (Domino).
He set up Beggars Banquet back in 1974 first as a record shop before expanding the business into a label and launching the careers of Gary Numan, the Charlatans and Bauhaus.
Beggars Group has grown into a confederacy of record labels - the entity includes Rough Trade, XL Recordings and Young Turks and artists such as Adele, The xx and Radiohead.
Martin said: ‘I’m delighted and moved to receive this honour from my peers; nothing can mean more than that.’
Alison Wenham, AIM chairman, added: ‘I'm so glad the judges have chosen Martin to receive this year's Pioneer Award. Martin is one of the music industry's great visionaries, having built an exceptional company around finding and nurturing true talent.
‘Martin has done more than anyone in the world to support and strengthen the independent sector globally through his work with AIM, WIN, Merlin and Impala, and I look forward to celebrating his achievements in September.’
Martin was awarded an MBE in the 2008 New Year honours, as well as outstanding contribution awards from Music Week, Billboard and the Radio Academy.
The AIM Independent Music Awards 2014 return to the Brewery in Clerkenwell, London on 2 September.
Tickets are on sale now from musicindie.com/awards.
