Under the iconic arches of Camden’s Roundhouse, the Association of Independent Music (AIM) Awards 2025 marked its 15th anniversary with a night that underscored the breadth and power of the UK’s independent music scene. The AIM Awards 2025 delivered more than just a list of winners; it curated a narrative of artistic defiance and social change, underscoring the vital role of independent music in a challenging cultural landscape. Headlined by the uncompromising post-punk of Fontaines D.C. and the genre-bending jazz fusion of Ezra Collective, the ceremony celebrated artists who prioritise creative freedom and community over compromise.
The @AIM_UK Awards turned 15 in style at the @RoundhouseLDN this week, with @mrcymrcymrcy, @fontainesdublin and @EzraCollective all taking home the iconic trophy.https://t.co/iUIOYGYoCe
— NOTION (@NotionMagazine) September 25, 2025
The night saw the two acts secure top honours for projects that have pushed critical and commercial boundaries, cementing their status as standard-bearers for the new era of independent music. Fontaines D.C. dominated the flagship category, taking home ‘Best Independent Album’ for their highly cinematic and introspective fourth record, ‘Romance’. The Dublin band’s win was hailed as a victory for artistic evolution, as the album marked a significant thematic departure from their earlier work, exploring visual and literary influences through a moodier, more expansive sound. Meanwhile, Ezra Collective, whose rise has been fueled by a fierce connection to London’s jazz scene and a commitment to grassroots culture, captured the award for ‘Best Independent Track’ for their infectious single, God Gave Me Feet For Dancing (feat. Yazmin Lacey), a track that fuses London jazz, Afrobeat and club influences into a single irresistible groove.
Fontaines DC and @XLRECORDINGS triumph at AIM Independent Music Awards https://t.co/NWZ48XPnjN pic.twitter.com/fKYI3sKVVr — Music Week (@MusicWeek) September 24, 2025
The AIM Awards also served as a bridge between the past and the future by honouring two industry veterans whose work laid the groundwork for today’s independent scene. Broadcasting icon Gilles Peterson received the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Music Award’ for his four decades spent championing jazz and global sounds and nurturing new generations of talent. Similarly, avant-garde pioneer Cosey Fanni Tutti was presented with the ‘Innovator Award’ in recognition of her five-decade career of radical boundary-pushing in music, art, and performance. Her poignant quote, “innovation and independence really are sisters with me,” encapsulated a core tenet of the evening’s message.
Last night at the Westminster Park Plaza in London, the AIM Independent Music Awards celebrated some of the best in indie music! Cosey Fanni Tutti and Gilles Peterson were among the standout winners. Check out all the highlights from the event here: https://t.co/Buhj9pH2ME (via…
— We Love Deephouse (@WeLoveDeephouse) September 24, 2025
AIM Awards CEO Silvia Montello, in her address, said: “Tonight’s 15th anniversary edition of The Independent Music Awards has been an unforgettable celebration of the creative freedom, resilience, and innovative spirit…The night highlighted the breadth of talent across the sector, and the passion that keeps it thriving. It was a joyous occasion and a reminder of the continued importance of the independent music sector as the epicentre of creative freedom.”
The night’s winners embodied a vision of creativity that is bold, experimental and rooted in community, signalling that the future of British music will be written on its own terms, as the AIM Awards 2025 closed on a note of possibility. In one room, post-punk met jazz fusion, heritage stood alongside experimentation, and the UK’s independent artists were recognised as architects of tomorrow’s sound. In elevating these artists alongside icons like Gilles Peterson and Cosey Fanni Tutti, the ceremony affirmed that the UK’s indie scene is not simply surviving in a streaming-dominated era; it is trying to reinvent the contours of an ever-changing industry.
