Martin Mills to receive Pioneer Award at AIM Independent Music Awards

Founder and chairman of The Beggars Group to be honoured later this year

Martin Mills, the founder and chairman of The Beggars Group, will receive the Pioneer Award at this year’s AIM Independent Music Awards.

Mills established Beggars Banquet in 1974 before expanding the series of record shops into a label, helping launch the careers of artists including The Charlatans, The Cult, Gary Numan and Bauhaus.

Mills is currently the chairman of The Beggars Group, an umbrella group of independent record labels which comprises 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade, XL Recordings and Young Turks. In this role he has been played a role in the success of artists as diverse as Adele, Bon Iver, Cat Power, Grimes (pictured right), The National, Queens Of The Stone Age, Radiohead, Vampire Weekend, Warpaint, Jack White, Yo La Tengo and The xx.

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Speaking of the award Martin commented, “I’m delighted and moved to receive this honour from my peers; nothing can mean more than that.”

The Beggars boss is the fourth recipient of the Pioneer Award following previous winners, all of whom have been label bosses. He joins Geoff Travis (Rough Trade), Daniel Miller (Mute) and Laurence Bell (Domino) on the list of winners.

Alison Wenham, Chairman of AIM said, “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.”

The AIM Independent Music Awards 2014 take place on September 2. Tickets are on sale now from musicindie.com/awards

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