Artist News Awards

IMPALA announces European Indie Album Of The Year shortlist

By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 2 February 2016

IMPALA has announced the shortlist for its European Independent Album Of The Year Award. And once again, the major labels have been completely overlooked. It’s a travesty. In fact, this year the award has been limited to albums released on indie labels that have been around for less than fifteen years. So, ageist too.

Says IMPALA’s Helen Smith of this year’s awards, which come as the pan-European indie label trade group celebrates fifteen years of pan-European indie label trade grouping: “This special edition of the award features an exciting set of releases by forward-thinking and innovative young labels, who have made an impressive artistic contribution in just a few years of existence. The jury will now decide which release they believe is the most exceptional”.

And the nominees are…

And So I Watch You From Afar – Heirs (Smalltown America)
Armin Van Buuren – Embrace (Armada Music)
Balthazar – Thin Walls (Play It Again Sam)
Bror Forsgren – Narcissus (Jansen Plateproduksjon)
Christine And The Queens – Chaleur Humaine (Edition Collector) (Because Music)
Cummi Flu – Z (Albumlabel)
Electric Nana – To Life! (Sin Anestesia)
JME – Integrity> (Boy Better Know)
José González – Vestiges & Claws (Imperial Recordings)
Kállay Saunders Band – Delivery Boy (Egység Média)
Lovely Quinces – Meet Me In Moscow (Part One) (LAA)
Nils Frahm – Solo (Erased Tapes Records)
Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm – Collaborative Works (Erased Tapes Records)
Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L – Sanguis Meus, Mama! (GAEA Records)
Primitive Reason – Walk Inside: The Singles Collection (Kaminari Records)
Puts Marie – Masoch I-II (Two Gentlemen)
Rangleklods – Straitjacket (Tambourhinoceros)
Sleaford Mods – Key Markets (Harbinger Sound)
Trixie Whitley – Porta Bohemica (Unday Records)

You can listen to tracks by all of the nominees in this handy Spotify playlist.