AIM Awards: Mills and Boom

Founder and Chairman of The Beggars Group Martin Mills will receive the Pioneer Award at this year’s AIM Independent Music Awards in September.

Mills, who founded Beggars Banquet in 1974 as a series of record shops that evolved into a label, is currently the chairman of the Beggars Group– an umbrella group of independent record labels comprised of Rough Trade, 4AD, Matador, XL Recordings and Young Turks.

The Beggars boss is the fourth recipient of the Pioneer Award following Geoff Travis (Rough Trade), Daniel Miller (Mute) and Laurence Bell (Domino).

Martin Mills said: “I’m delighted and moved to receive this honour from my peers; nothing can mean more than that”.

Alison Wenham, Chairman and Chief Executive of AIM added: “I’m so glad the judges have chosen Martin to receive this year’s Pioneer Award. Martin is one of the music industry’s great visionaries, having built an exceptional company around finding and nurturing true talent.”

Artists in the Beggars stable include Adele, Bon Iver, The National, Radiohead, Vampire Weekend, Jack White and The xx.

The AIM Awards take place on September 2nd at The Brewery in Clerkenwell, London. Find out more and get tickets here.