The UK's Association of Independent Music (AIM) have revealed the nominees for their 2013 awards.

AIM's Independent Music Awards shine a spotlight on records and achievements which are likely to be overlooked by the likes of the BRIT awards or who wouldn't really be right for something like the Mercury Music Prize.

As a judge for these awards, it's incredibly inspiring to see not just the sales figures (some of them were eye-popping), but to explore little known records in far-flung genres on the long list and to read the tales of DIY labels (Alcopop released an album as a download code with a Mountain Bike?!). This year's nominees should give you a taste of the fabulous health that Independent record labels, especially the ones based in the UK, are in at moment. It therefore seems fitting that the daddy of the all, Rough Trade's Geoff Travis, will be recognised for his lifetime of toil and risk-taking, putting out records by everyone from The Smiths and The Strokes to lesser known wonders like Life Without Buildings and The Veils.

Now in its third year, the AIM Awards is proud to have honoured a fantastic array of independent artists, labels and industry figures such as: Björk, Adele, Edwyn Collins, 4AD, The Prodigy, Stolen Recordings, Frank Turner, Enter Shikari, Black Butter Records, First Aid Kit, Alt-J, SBTRKT, John Robb, Daniel Miller (Mute), Laurence Bell (Domino), 65daysofstatic & many, many more.

The 2013 AIM Independent Music Awards will take place on 3rd September, at The Brewery in London, hosted by indie champions Steve Lamacq (BBC 6Music) and Huw Stephens (Radio 1).

To give you a taste of this year's nominees, we've compiled this Spotify playlist (also exported to RDIO), including tracks released by the nominated labels - the full list of nominees follow below.

Tracklisting:

The Radio Dept. – Mad About The Boy
John Grant – GMF
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Mermaids
Daughter – Youth
The National – Fake Empire (Live)
Enter Shikari – Sorry You're Not A Winner - Live In Hatfield
The Rift Valley Brothers – Mu Africa
David Byrne & St. Vincent – Who
Vampire Weekend – Diane Young
Villagers – The Bell
Billy Bragg – A New England
Interpol – PDA (First Demo)
Bonobo – Heaven For The Sinner
Jon Hopkins – Open Eye Signal
Grimes – Genesis
Jagwar Ma – Man I Need
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Thrift Shop - feat. Wanz
TNGHT (Hudson Mohawke x Lunice) – Higher Ground
The 2 Bears – Be Strong
Major Lazer – Get Free - feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors
alt-J – Tessellate
Public Service Broadcasting – Inform - Educate - Entertain
The Horrors – I Can See Through You (Blanck Mass Remix)
Django Django – WOR
The Fall – Totally Wired
Violent Femmes – Ugly [1983 Rough Trade UK Single]
The Strokes – The Modern Age
Palma Violets – Best Of Friends
The Smiths – This Charming Man - John Peel session 9/14/83
Burial – Truant
Ghostpoet – Dial Tones
The xx – Unfold
God Is An Astronaut – Frozen Twilight
Department M – The Second Prize
The Computers – Love Triangle, Hate Squares
Johnny Foreigner – Johnny Foreigner vs You
That Fucking Tank – Wonderful World Of
Howling Bells – Setting Sun - Ulrich Schnauss Remix
Bellowhead - Roll the Woodpile Down
Passenger – Let Her Go

WINNERS

Pioneer Award: Geoff Travis (Rough Trade)
Outstanding Contribution To Music: Billy Bragg (Cooking Vinyl)

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THE NOMINEES

Independent Album of the Year

Daughter - If You Leave (4AD)
David Byrne & St Vincent - Love This Giant (4AD)
Ghostpoet - Some Say I So I Say Light (PIAS)
Jagwar Ma - Howlin' (Marathon Artists)
John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts (Bella Union)
Jon Hopkins - Immunity (Domino)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away (Bad Seed)
Public Service Broadcasting - Inform - Educate - Entertain (Liquid Management)
Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City (XL)
The xx - Coexist (XL)

Best Difficult Second Album

Ghostpoet – Some Say I So I Say Light (PIAS)
John Grant – Pale Green Ghosts (Bella Union)
Major Lazer – Free The Universe (Because Music)
Villagers – Awayland (Domino)
The xx - Coexist (XL Recordings)

Special Catalogue Release of the Year

Bonobo – The North Borders (Ninja Tune)
Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights 10th Anniversary Edition (Matador)
The Horrors – Higher (XL)
Various – Kenya Special (Sound Way Records)
Various Artists – Scared to Get Happy: A Story of Indie Pop 1980-89 (Cherry Red)

Independent Track of the Year

Daughter - Youth (4AD)
Jagwar Ma – The Throw (Marathon Artists)
Palma Violets – Best of Friends (Rough Trade)
Passenger – Let Her Go (Nettwerk)
TNGHT – Higher Ground (Warp Records)
Vampire Weekend – Diane Young (XL Recordings)

Independent Video of the Year

Childhood - Solemn Skies (Marathon Artists)
David Byrne & St Vincent (4AD)
Django Django - WOR (Because Music)
Grimes - Genesis (4AD)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Thrift Shop (Macklemore/ADA)
The Ramona Flowers – Lust & Lies (Distiller Records)

Best Live Act

Bellowhead (Navigator)
Bonobo (Ninja Tune)
Enter Shikari (PIAS)
Johnny Marr (ADA)
The National (4AD)

PPL Award for most played new independent act

Alabama Shakes (Rough Trade)
Alt-J (Infectious)
Django Django (Because Music)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (ADA)
The 2 Bears (Southern Fried)

Independent Label of the Year

Bella Union
Cooking Vinyl
Matador
PIAS
Warp

Best Small Label

Alcopop! Records
Gringo Records
Hyperdub
Rocket Girl
Too Pure Singles Club

Hardest Working Band or Artist

Alt-J (Infectious)
The Computers (One Little Indian)
Enter Shikari (Ambush Reality/PIAS)
Frankie & the Heartstrings (Wichita)
Sam Lee (Nest Collective)

Indie Champion Award

Gilles Peterson – BBC Radio 1
Joe Sparrow – A Band A Day
John Kennedy - XFM
Lauren Laverne – BBC 6Music
Lawrence Montgomery – Rise Music

Best Independent Festival

Hebridean Celtic Festival
In The Woods
Leefest
Truck Festival
Y Not Festival

Independent Breakthrough of the Year

The 1975 (Dirty Hit)
Daughter (4AD)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (Macklemore/ADA)
Palma Violets (Rough Trade)
Passenger (Nettwerk)
Public Service Broadcasting (Liquid Management)

More info: musicindie.com/awards

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DiScuss: Who do you think could/should/will win when the awards take place on September 3rd?