Macklemore and Ryan Lewis win big the at Association of Independent Music awards

See the AIM Independent Music Awards winners in full (below)

Hip hop artists Ryan Lewis, left, and Macklemore (Getty Images)

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, the hip-hop duo who topped the international charts without any mainstream music industry support, were named the big winners at the Association of Independent Music awards.

Macklemore and Lewis topped the US and UK charts with "Thrift Shop", a single taken from The Heist, their debut album, which the pair independently produced, recorded and released. The video for "Thrift Shop" became a YouTube phenomenon and has recorded 400 million views.

The Seattle duo won Independent Breakthrough Of The Year and the PPL Award For The Most Played New Independent Act honours at the East London ceremony, held on Tuesday night.

The xx triumphed in the Best ‘Difficult’ Second Album category for the platinum-selling Coexist, the follow up to the London trio’s Mercury Music prize award-winning debut.

Enter Shikari won the Best Live Act Award whilst the Independent Album Of The Year went to Daughter, the indie-folk trio who formed at London’s Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, for If You Leave, released by 4AD.

Vampire Weekend’s "Diane Young" was named Independent Track of the Year. Sheffield’s Warp won Independent Label of the Year, in recognition of recent releases from Flying Lotus, Grizzly Bear and Brian Eno.

Glastonbury promoter Michael Eavis presented Billy Bragg with the Outstanding Contribution To Music award. The “bard of Barking” celebrated his win with a set of classic tracks spanning his 30 year career.

DJ Steve Lamacq was honoured with a Special Recognition Award presented by Richard Hawley, marking 20-years broadcasting for the BBC and his support of independent artists.

The Pioneer Award went to Geoff Travis, founder of Rough Trade Records and the Rough Trade Record Shop, whose discoveries include The Smiths, The Libertines and The Strokes.

Alison Wenham, CEO of the Association of Independent Music, said: “This year’s winners reflect the towering strength of the indies in A&R. Historically, the UK's indie sector has punched above its weight in the international marketplace and we are confident the winners will enjoy success across the world in the years to come.”

The awards were judged by representatives of Radio 1 and 1Xtra, 6Music, NME, The Quietus, Rocksound, The Independent, Radio 2, Metro, Mixmag and Q magazine with one voted for by the readers of The Fly.

AIM Independent Music Awards winners in full:

Best Live Act (voted for by visitors to the-fly.co.uk): Enter Shikari

Independent Breakthrough Of The Year (in association with 7digital): Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Hardest Working Band Or Artist: Frankie & The Heartstrings

Best ‘Difficult’ Second Album (in association with XFM): The xx - ‘Co-exist’

Independent Album Of The Year (in association with Record Store Day): Daughter - ‘If You Leave’

Best Small Label (in association with Disc Manufacturing Services): Alcopop! Records

PPL Award For Most Played New Independent Act: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Special Catalogue Release Of The Year (in association with Amazon): Various Artists - Scared To Get Happy : A Story of Indie Pop 1980 - 89

Independent Label Of The Year (in association with Coutts): Warp

Independent Track Of The Year (in association with Spotify) : Vampire Weekend - ‘Diane Young’

Independent Video Of The Year (in association with Vevo): Django Django - ‘WOR’

Indie Champion Award (in association with Consolidated Independent): Gilles Peterson - BBC 6music

Golden Welly Award (in association with UK Music, AIF + This Is Fake DIY): In The Woods

Special Recognition Award: Steve Lamacq - BBC 6music

Outstanding Contribution to Music (in association with eMusic): Billy Bragg

Pioneer Award (in association with Nokia Music): Geoff Travis, Rough Trade