Awards 

 

About our awards

 
There are four types of IMPALA Awards: the 100 Artists to Watch award in collaboration with YouTube (replacing our European Independent Album of the Year), the Annual Outstanding Contribution to European Independent Music, the Changemaker Award to promote equity, diversity and inclusion and the European Sales Awards.

“100 Artists to Watch” 

 

IMPALA returns every Spring with a new programme to boost diversity in the European independent music sector, in partnership with YouTube. “100 Artists to Watch” puts the spotlight on key independent artists across Europe. A new set of participating artists is announced each spring, see more here. This new programme replaces IMPALA’s annual European Independent Album of the Year Award, which had a great roll of 10 years, see more here.

 

Click to see our 2022 list here.

Click to see our 2023 list here.
Kees Van Weijen, 2022 Winner
Keith Harris OBE, 2021 Winner
Love Record Stores 2020 Winner
Music Declares Emergency 2019 winner

IMPALA CHANGEMAKER AWARD

The Changemaker Award is part of IMPALA’s equity, diversity and inclusion work. Launched in May 2022, it puts the spotlight on projects working on equity, diversity and inclusion. Every year we highlight projects in this field and our task force picks the one they feel is the most inspirational. See more here.


IMPALA SALES AWARDS

The European Sales Awards promote independents and their artists on the basis of pan-European sales at different points in the success spectrum.

The IMPALA Awards are the first sales awards which recognise that success on a pan-European basis needs to be acknowledged on different levels. They celebrate the fact that success begins well before sales reach 1 million (the only pan-European sales level officially recognised before IMPALA launched its own scheme). The IMPALA Awards are intended to provide a new tool for independent music companies and artists to promote themselves, both domestically and internationally. They also recognise new talent and cultural diversity, and the fact that in order to promote cultural diversity in a meaningful and practical way, success needs to be celebrated at a much earlier point in an artist’s career than when they reach 1 million sales.

Over 950 albums have now been registered for the IMPALA Sales Awards, representing more than 100 million units sold and €1.5bn in revenue.

Levels and Conditions

These awards are open, not only to Europe based independent record companies, but also to independent record companies situated outside Europe, providing the CD, track, single etc. has reached the number of shipments below in Europe. Please note that digital consumption also counts, local rules can be used to covert as appropriate. There is no release date restriction on the sales awards.

The Award categories are (note that digital consumption also counts, please use local rules to covert):

IMPALA Silver 20 000
IMPALA Double silver 40 000
IMPALA Gold 75 000
IMPALA Double Gold 150 000
IMPALA Diamond 200 000
IMPALA Platinum 400 000
IMPALA Double Platinum 800 000

All shipments, made at any time, to anywhere in Europe can be counted in the number of shipments claimed for an award providing they are included in the qualifying territories list. This can include home territory and/or any other European territories. Note, as mentioned above, that digital consumption also counts, please use local rules to covert).

Publication

IMPALA compiles a list of releases for which an award is claimed via the IMPALA website. It is possible to certify shipments for an award and be included in this list (by submitting part A of the certification form). The list will be published every quarter and will also be posted on the IMPALA website. You may also go on to complete part B of the form to order the physical award to offer to your artist, the producer, etc.

Award orders

Award winners can order the IMPALA award. It is presented in a glass case containing the CD and cover, the IMPALA sales award stamp “in recognition of ‘x’ sales in Europe” and a personalised printed plaque with the title of the recording, the artist and the name of the record company releasing the record, plus the name of any intended recipient.

IMPORTANT: To mount the award the agent needs the corresponding number of copies of the actual CD and the released CD cover.

Prices

For prices, visit the award registration page. You will receive a confirmation by e-mail of the order, the inscription to be put on the personalised plaque and the amount of the invoice. Payment is to be made to the agent handling the orders on behalf of IMPALA. The agent will send the invoice together with the award(s) ordered. The agent will endeavour to deliver your order within two to three weeks.

Qualifying territories

EU

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

EEA

Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway

Other European countries

Albania, Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Israël, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom

To register, visit the Register/Order page

IMPALA – Independent Music Companies Association

Rue des Deux Eglises 37-39, 1000, Brussels, BELGIUM

+32 2 503 31 38

info@impalamusic.org