Stormzy presented the awards via video link. Dressed in a black tuxedo the croydon rapper shared a few words about the British Nigerian from Islington, north London. Stormzy referred to Simz as “One of the illest MCs in the country, and that’s not female MC that’s MC full stop.”

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Stormzy is an artist that has worked alongside Simz on their come up releasing their first track together in 2015 alongside UK rap veteran Kano on Simz track “Dead body part 2+3”. The artists have gone on to share the stage together at a number of shows including Simz 2017 show at London roundhouse as well as the 2015 1xtra grime prom at the Royal Albert Hall.

Simz made a return this year after a year-long hiatus following the release of her ep Drop 6, a 5 track project that currently sits on a combined 14 million Spotify streams. Her album Grey Area was released in 2019 and was the last time fans heard a  full body of work from Simz and saw the 27-year-old win an Ivor Novello award and NME award for Best alum and Best British Album. 

This year Simz returned with her album Sometimes I might be Introvert which she dropped at the beginning of September and experienced a commercial success Simz had never gained before, peaking in the charts at number 4, 83 places higher than her previous album Grey area which peaked at 87th.

Sometimes I might be introvert was widely regarded as one of the best projects of 2021, but due to its late release can be seen to have missed out on a majority of the awards ceremonies. However, the 27-year-old did receive 5 nominations at the UK music video awards for her videos for “Introvert” and “Women” the two lead singles for her album. The video for “Women” being directed by Simz, her directing debut which was put upon her due to her first choice director not being available.

Away from music Little Simz has acted in a number of different roles, including her role on Netflix hit show Topboy where she plays the character, Shelley.

In Simz post announcing her win at this years, BET awards the 27-year-old who has been releasing music for well over 5 years ended her caption with “@bet thank you for seeing me”

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The ‘sometimes I might be an introvert’ tour was announced following Simz return to music after going quiet in 2020 following her last album release ‘Grey area’ in 2019. The multi-talented artist returned in early April posting on Instagram with the caption “sorry I’ve been quiet, I’ve been working. New music coming”.

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This post was followed by the release of her first single ‘Introvert’, the single was accompanied by a powerful video that mixed clips of the artist with clips of black civil rights protest, black lives matter protest and conflict between police and black individuals. The powerful video was followed by Simz second single ‘Women’ featuring Cleo Sol, the song was an ode to all women with the video featuring some of the most influential women in Simz life and in the UK industry.

The rapper had a quiet 2020, following a 2019 that can be seen to have taken her to a new level of artist. Her album ‘Grey area’ was released in 2019 and shortlisted for that year’s Mercury Prize as well as winning the NME award for best British album at the 2020 awards. The artist’s talent doesn’t stop at music and in 2019 the rapper starred in Netflix’s revival of Top Boy, playing Shelley and featuring on the shows soundtrack with one of the standout tracks ‘Venom’.

The artist is lowkey and tends to keep to herself, not being an avid user of social media when fans hear from her it is often for good reason. Her choice of words are powerful and often carry a strong message. The title of her upcoming album ‘Sometimes I might be an introvert’ is Simz letting her fans know that she isn’t going to be the loudest on the timeline, in an interview with the Guardian the British Nigerian artist said “I’m just very to myself and I didn’t know how to really navigate that, especially coming in this industry where you’re expected to have this extroverted persona all the time.”

Tickets for Little Simz upcoming tour go on sale on Friday the 4th of June. The tour dates are listed as:

25/11/2021 – 02 institute – Birmingham

27/11 – 02 academy – Newcastle

28/11 – 02 Academy – Glasgow 

30/11 – The academy – Dublin

02/12 – 02 academy – Bristol 

06/12 – Rock City – Nottingham 

7/12 – Albert Hall – Manchester

08/12 – LCR UEA – Norwich 

10/12 – Dome – Brighton 

12/12 – University great hall – Cardiff

13/12 – Corn exchange – Cambridge 

14/12 – 02 academy – Liverpool 

16/12 – 02 academy Brixton – London

The 1st of September was an unforgettable night for Dave, real name David Omoregie, as the rapper was given the award of Best Contemporary Song. It was Dave’s monumental track, Black, that secured the No Words hitmaker with the prestigious award. 

Defiant, powerful, and thought-provoking, Black mediates on the struggles of Black people from historical suffering to the plight of modern times. Covering modern racial inequality, stereotyping and the history of slavery, to say that Black was deserving of Best Contemporary Song would be a gross understatement. 

Amongst the panel of judges for the Best Contemporary Song award were singer-songwriter Noa, rapper Ghetts and Pauline Black of ska revival band Selecter. The talented artists all described Black as “important, eloquent and a song that not only empowers but is borderless in its musicality.”

The Album of the Year Award went to Little Simz, aka Simbiatu Ajikawo, for her defiant record Grey Area. The award was shared with producer Inflo.

Tackling issues such as violence, self-certainty, and growing up, Simz’ third studio album pairs razor-sharp wit and lyricism with electrifying, experimental production. Including tracks like Offence, Venom and Pressure, Grey Area demonstrates that Little Simz is a maverick of rap, who is only on the rise. 

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Another one sitting pretty. Just won Best Album at the @ivorsacademy 2020 for GREY Area !! Mate , so thankful. One time for flo on this one , my family , team and everyone that has been the foundation of support every artist needs. Been a long journey but more on the horizon to come. For now I’ll be enjoying the fruits of my labour. Blessings and thanks again, simma

A post shared by simz (@littlesimz) on Sep 2, 2020 at 3:49am PDT

The judges for Album of the Year Award included Idles frontman Joe Talbot and Jessie Ware. Simz relayed to The Guardian newspaper yesterday that “This award is really special, because it’s about the power of the pen, and to know that my pen is being respected and acknowledged is a good feeling.”

Little Simz took to social media to share news of her victory with her ever-expanding fanbase. Posting a photo of the Ivor Novello award, the rapper and singer reflected upon her music making journey.

Writing in the celebratory post on Instgram: “It’s been a long journey but more on the horizon to come. For now, I’ll be enjoying the fruits of my labour. Blessings and thanks again.” Garnering over 17,000 likes, the post has been met with a joyous reception from Little Simz fans. 

Calvin Harris also won big last night, scooping up the Award for Most Performed Work for his collaboration with Rag ‘N’ Bone Man on Giant. Calculated from collected data by royalties organisation PRs for Music, Harris shared the award with co-writers Troy Miller and Jamie Hartman. 

Singer Jamie Cullum was successful in winning in the “best song musically and lyrically” category for his moving song, The Age of Anxiety. Delving into topics such as Brexit, social media, and immigration, the track was described as “beautifully emotive, with an exceptionally crafted melody” by judges Lily Allen and Joan Armatrading. 

In a chat with The Guardian, the Twenty-Something hitmaker said that he was “extremely honoured…as someone who’s had a long journey as a songwriter, I’m particularly proud of this one.” Cullum also spoke on the song’s lyrics that refer to immigration, stating “We have a duty to show compassion to people who are in the greatest kind of need.

For the past 21 years, the AIM awards have celebrated emerging, unconventional artists of the independent music sector. Some notable artists who have been honoured at past AIM Awards are indie rock band Wolf Alice, rapper Stormzy and the indie-pop trio, London Grammar.

The #AimAwards2020 saw the ever virtual instalment of the ceremony. Originally set to take place at the Roundhouse, the iconic performing arts and concert venue in Camden, London, the ceremony transitioned to a virtual platform to adhere to health guidelines amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

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Pioneer Award AIM 2020. Crazy scenes yo. thank you @aimawards

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As well as scooping up the coveted Pioneer Award, Little Simz also delivered a blinding performance of her song, Might Bang Might Not. Little Simz, who describes herself as a “one woman army”, spoke on her somewhat difficult but rewarding music making journey, saying “it has been the stairs and not the escalators.”

When accepting her award, Little Simz elaborated on the many challenges independent artists face. Simz declared that “The hardest thing you will probably ever do if you are independent is to remain independent, but the rewards are so great.” Simz also gave some valuable advice to aspiring musicians, saying “the best thing to do is stay on it, surround yourself with people that believe in your journey and you will get there.” 

Little Simz took to social media today to revel in her well-deserved win. Posting to Instagram a photograph of herself holding her brand new award, Little Simz wrote “Pioneer Award AIM 2020. Crazy scenes yo. thank you @aimawards.” Gathering over 26,000 likes, the post was met with excitement from fans.

To the delight of her social media following, Simz also posted a clip of her performance at the #AimAwards2020. Featuring a snippet of You Should Call Your Mum, Simz’ powerful performance has received over 33,000 views on Instagram. 

Other British artists that stormed the #AimAwards2020 include rapper AJ Tracey, who picked up the amazing Innovator Award, and singer-songwriter FKA Twigs, who took home the Best [Difficult] Second Album for her breathtaking record, Magdalene. 

Little Simz, real name Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, was born in 1994 in London. As well as her success in music, Simz is also widely known for her roles in E4’s Youngsters and the BBC original, Spirit Warriors. 

 

 

 

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Simz charged onto the scene with the release of her debut mixtape E.D.G.E in 2014, and has been making huge waves in the rap game ever since. Penning hits like Offence, Venom and You Should Call Mum, with knife-sharp lyrical wit and a sonic blend of jazz, hip-hop and experimental rap, Simz’ sound is hard to pin down, which makes it so ear-catching in the first place.  

The latest release from Little Simz is EP Drop 6, which graced streaming platforms on the 6th May 2020.