Mills scoops AIM Pioneer Award 2014

Martin Mills

Beggars Group founder Martin Mills has been selected by the AIM Awards judging panel to receive this year's Pioneer Award, recognising a visionary independent label founder.  The award, sponsored by The Orchard, will be presented to Martin at the ceremony on 2nd September in London. Mills set up Beggars Banquet in 1974, initially as record shops in London, guiding its expansion into a record label in 1977, launching the careers of Bauhaus, The Charlatans, The Cult, The Lurkers and Gary Numan amongst others. The company has since grown in to a confederacy of successful record labels, operating from London and with offices in all major markets. The Beggars Group, which Martin chairs, currently comprises 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade, XL Recordings and Young Turks, whose rosters include the likes of Adele, Alabama Shakes, Bon Iver, Cat Power, Grimes, The National, Queens of the Stone Age, Radiohead, Vampire Weekend, Warpaint, Jack White, Yo La Tengo and The xx. Martin is the fourth recipient of the Pioneer Award, following previous winners Geoff Travis (Rough Trade), Daniel Miller (Mute) and Laurence Bell (Domino). "I'm delighted and moved to receive this honour from my peers" said Martin on the news of the award, "nothing can mean more than that".