The coveted Best Live Performer Award went to the city’s Britpop legends Shed Seven in celebration of their electrifying live shows.
The award was voted for by members of the public, making this latest honour all the more significant for the Going for Gold band as it reflects the band’s enduring appeal.
Britpop band Shed Seven.(Image: )
AIM is a not-for-profit organisation representing and supporting the UK’s independent music sector which makes up close to a third of the UK’s recorded music market. It champions talent at its annual Independent Music Awards, which recognise global success and the best emerging talent in the sector.
Shed Seven celebrated their first and then second number one albums last year with Liquid Gold and A Matter of Time following a three-decade wait.
Frontman Rick Witter sent a video acceptance speech to the awards ceremony, which was held in London on Tuesday night.
Holding up the two number one album awards, he said: “We are honoured to receive the Best Live Act. What makes it even more special is that it was a public vote which recognises the hard work we have put in over the last 30 years.”
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Shed Seven are signed to Cooking Vinyl, whose hard work was highlighted by three roster nominations in the Best Live Performer award category.
The two number-one albums placed Shed Seven in an exclusive club, alongside Elvis, The Beatles and Taylor Swift, as they became the 20th artists to have two albums top the Official Charts in the same year.
2024 was also a milestone year for Shed Seven – whose guitarist Paul Banks and vocalist Rick Witter first dreamt of having a band when they were pupils at Huntington School – as they celebrated the 30th anniversary of their first album and enjoyed two sell-out homecoming shows at York’s Museum Gardens before a huge UK tour.
This year, Shed Seven made their long overdue Glastonbury comeback and treated fans to a 45-minute career-spanning set on the Main Stage of the Woodsies Area – 30 years after last playing at the famous festival, on the NME Stage, back in 1995.
In a promotional trailer video about the gig, Shed Seven declared itself ‘older, louder, better, battle-tested’.
The video was created by York-based Digifish Limited where Paul Banks is creative director.
Glastonbury came hot on the heels of the band’s biggest ever North Yorkshire headline show when they played the 8,000-capacity Scarborough Open Air Theatre.
AIM CEO Gee Davy said: “Tonight’s 15th anniversary edition of The Independent Music Awards has been an unforgettable celebration of the creative freedom, resilience, and innovative spirit that has always defined the independent music community.
“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.”
Other awards included Gilles Peterson, broadcaster, DJ and label founder, who was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Music award for more than four decades of shaping global music culture. Peterson has been a pivotal force since the 1980s – founding Acid Jazz Records, running Talkin’ Loud, launching Brownswood Recordings and Worldwide FM, and championing artists such as Yussef Dayes, Emma-Jean Thackray and Kokoroko.
Cosey Fanni Tutti, one of the first female independent label founders, received the Innovator Award for pushing boundaries over five decades across art, music, and performance.
The Best Independent Album was awarded to Fontaines D.C. for their critically-acclaimed fourth album Romance.