Stormzy, one of UK grime’s brightest talents, has been named as the winner of the AIM Innovator award.
Taking place 6 September at the Brewery in Clerkenwell, London, the event will celebrate the great and the good from the independent music sector.
Stormzy will receive his award alongside Róisín Murphy (Outstanding Contribution) and Richard Russell (Pioneer Award). Other nominees for this year’s awards include Wolf Alice, Field Music, Radiohead and Skepta.
The Innovator Award - in association with FUGA - celebrates the achievements of an artist, label or businessperson pushing the boundaries of independent music.
Commenting on the prize, MistaJam, AIM Awards host and BBC Radio 1/1Xtra broadcaster, said: ‘There is no better candidate to win this award than Stormzy.
‘Statistically, creatively, culturally and physically; no other artist has taken the traditional music business model of how to make, market, create, break, tour and monetise a new musical artist and flipped it on its head in the way Stormzy has in the last 24 months. He has forged a new path for his peers to follow AND he's done it all with no major backing and before his 23rd Birthday! He's not only set the bar, he's redefined it.’
South London artist Stormzy has already scooped up two MOBOs, won Best International Artist at the BET Awards, performed on Jools Holland, become the first unsigned rapper to feature on the BBC Sound Of... list, and sold almost a million records.
Last year he made history by sending two grime freestyles into the UK chart top 20.
Read our recent feature exploring the ongoing success of grime across 2016.
musicindie.com/awards
Taking place 6 September at the Brewery in Clerkenwell, London, the event will celebrate the great and the good from the independent music sector.
Stormzy will receive his award alongside Róisín Murphy (Outstanding Contribution) and Richard Russell (Pioneer Award). Other nominees for this year’s awards include Wolf Alice, Field Music, Radiohead and Skepta.
The Innovator Award - in association with FUGA - celebrates the achievements of an artist, label or businessperson pushing the boundaries of independent music.
Commenting on the prize, MistaJam, AIM Awards host and BBC Radio 1/1Xtra broadcaster, said: ‘There is no better candidate to win this award than Stormzy.
‘Statistically, creatively, culturally and physically; no other artist has taken the traditional music business model of how to make, market, create, break, tour and monetise a new musical artist and flipped it on its head in the way Stormzy has in the last 24 months. He has forged a new path for his peers to follow AND he's done it all with no major backing and before his 23rd Birthday! He's not only set the bar, he's redefined it.’
South London artist Stormzy has already scooped up two MOBOs, won Best International Artist at the BET Awards, performed on Jools Holland, become the first unsigned rapper to feature on the BBC Sound Of... list, and sold almost a million records.
Last year he made history by sending two grime freestyles into the UK chart top 20.
Read our recent feature exploring the ongoing success of grime across 2016.
musicindie.com/awards
