De La Soul, Caroline Polachek, Blondshell and IDLES won in multiple categories at the 2024 A2IM Libera Awards, which were held on Monday (June 10) at Gotham Hall in New York City. Comedian Marcia Belsky hosted the show.
Mitski’s seventh studio album, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We (Dead Oceans), won record of the year.
De La Soul’s classic 1989 debut album 3 Feet High and Rising won three awards – best reissue, creative packaging and a marketing genius award. The album, originally released on Tommy Boy Records, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame this year. The reissue was released on AOI Records/Chrysalis Records.
Polachek’s Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, released on Perpetual Novice, won self-released record of the year and best alternative rock record.
Blondshell’s Blondshell, released on Partisan Records, won best rock record. The group also won breakthrough artist presented by Virgin Music Group.
IDLES, on Partisan Records, took awards for music video of the year (“Dancer”) and best short-form video (“Grace” teaser). Both tracks appear on the band’s fifth studio album, Tangk.
Killer Mike’s Michael, released on Loma Vista Recordings, which won a Grammy for best rap album on Feb. 4, won best hip-hop/rap record.
This year’s Libera Awards featured performances from Christian McBride’s New Jawn (Mack Avenue Music Group), classical pianist Lara Downes (Pentatone), Latin artist Pachyman (ATO Records), rapper Kari Faux (drink sum wtr), hotly-tipped NYC-trio Fcukers (Ninja Tune/Technocolour), and rising pop rock artist LØLØ (Hopeless Records).
The awards are presented by A2IM (The American Association of Independent Music, Inc.), a not-for-profit trade association that represents independent music recording owners.
The A2IM Libera Awards presented by Merlin boasted 36 categories honoring the best in independent music. This year saw the addition of three new categories: best record from games and interactive media, publisher of the year and distributor of the year.
This year, the Libera Awards honored Louis Posen, founder of Hopeless Records, with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his leadership in the independent sector.
The Libera Awards will kick off A2IM’s annual Indie Week conference, which will begin Tuesday (June 11) and run through Thursday, June 13 at the InterContinental New York Times Square.
Here’s a complete list of nominations for the 2024 Libera Awards, with winners marked:
Record of the Year
L’Rain – I Killed Your Dog (Mexican Summer)
Killer Mike – MICHAEL (Loma Vista Recordings)
WINNER: Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We (Dead Oceans)
Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (Perpetual Novice)
Wednesday – Rat Saw God (Dead Oceans)
Label of the Year (15 or more employees)
Dead Oceans
Domino Recording Company
Hopeless Records
Matador Records
Merge Records
WINNER: Partisan Records
Sub Pop Records
Third Man Records
Label of the Year (5 or fewer employees)
Bastard Jazz Recordings
Bayonet Records
FADER Label
Innovative Leisure
Oh Boy Records
Topshelf Records
WINNER: True Panther
Label of the Year (6-14 employees)
Captured Tracks
City Slang
Lex Records
WINNER: Light in the Attic
Mack Avenue Music Group
Photo Finish Records
Saddle Creek
Distributor of the Year
FUGA
Light in the Attic
The Orchard
WINNER: Redeye Worldwide
Secretly Distribution
Symphonic Distribution
Virgin Music Group
Publisher of the Year
Arts & Crafts Music
Domino Publishing Company
Reservoir Media
Rimas Publishing
WINNER: Secretly Publishing
Sub Pop Publishing
Warp Publishing
Independent Champion presented by Merlin
WINNER: Bandcamp
Downtown Music Holdings
Infinite Catalog
Light in the Attic
Peanut Butter Wolf
Jorge Brea
Thirty Tigers
Breakthrough Artist/Release presented by Virgin Music Group
BAMBII (Innovative Leisure)
bar italia (Matador Records)
WINNER: Blondshell – Blondshell (Partisan Records)
Indigo De Souza – All of This Will End (Saddle Creek)
Say She She – Silver (Colemine Records)
Slow Pulp (ANTI)
Wednesday (Dead Oceans)
Music Video of the Year
Black Pumas – “More Than a Love Song” (ATO Records)
Blondshell – “Salad” (Partisan Records)
Indigo De Souza – “Younger & Dumber” (Saddle Creek)
Geese – “Cowboy Nudes” (Partisan Records)
WINNER: IDLES – “Dancer” (Partisan Records)
Arlo Parks – “Blades” (Transgressive)
Shygirl – “Heaven (feat. Tinashe)” (Because Music)
Best Alternative Rock Record
Courtney Barnett – End of the Day (Mom+Pop)
Geese – 3D Country (Partisan Records)
Hotline TNT – Cartwheel (Third Man Records)
Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We (Dead Oceans)
WINNER: Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (Perpetual Novice)
Wednesday – Rat Saw God (Dead Oceans)
Best American Roots Record
Charley Crockett – The Man From Waco Redux (Son Of Davy/Thirty Tigers)
Madi Diaz – “Don’t Do Me Good” (feat. Kacey Musgraves) (ANTI)
WINNER: MJ Lenderman – “Rudolph” (ANTI)
Hiss Golden Messenger – Jump for Joy (Merge Records)
Esther Rose – Safe to Run (New West Records)
Allison Russell – The Returner (Fantasy Records)
Best Blues Record
The Count Basie Orchestra – Basie Swings the Blues (Candid Records)
Robert Finley – Black Bayou (Easy Eye Sound)
WINNER: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – Live in London (Alligator Records)
Bettye LaVette – LaVette! (Jay-Vee Records/MRI)
Various Artists – Tell Everybody! (21st Century Juke Joint Blues From Easy Eye Sound) (Easy Eye Sound)
Nick Waterhouse – The Fooler (Innovative Leisure)
Best Classical Record
Chick Corea & Orchestra da Camera della Sardegna – Sardinia (Candid Records)
Doeke – Bewondering (Nettwerk Music Group)
Lara Downes – Love at Last (Pentatone)
Erik Hall – Canto Ostinato (Western Vinyl)
WINNER: Hauschka – Philanthropy (City Slang)
Will Liverman – The Dunbar/Moore Sessions: Vol. I (Lexicon Classics)
Kelly Moran – Vesela (Warp Records)
Chick Corea & Orchestra da Camera della Sardegna – “Mozart Concerto No. 24 C Minor, K.491: II Larghetto” (Candid Records)
Best Country Record
Mya Byrne – Rhinestone Tomboy (Kill Rock Stars)
Colbie Caillat – Along the Way (Blue Jean Baby Records/Downtown Artist & Label Services)
The Pink Stones – You Know Who (Normaltown Records)
WINNER: Margo Price – Strays (Loma Vista Recordings)
Tanya Tucker – Sweet Western Sound (Fantasy Records)
Turnpike Troubadours – A Cat in The Rain (Bossier City Records/Thirty Tigers)
Best Dance Record
Aluna – MYCELiUM (Mad Decent)
Braxe + Falcon – Step by Step (Remixes) (Smugglers Way/Domino Recording Company)
Jayda G – Guy (Ninja Tune)
LP Giobbi – Light Places (Counter Records/Ninja Tune)
Peggy Gou – “(It Goes Like) Nanana” (XL Recordings)
Hudson Mohawke & Nikki Nair – Set the Roof (Warp Records)
WINNER: Romy – Mid Air (Young)
Best Electronic Record
Floating Points – “Birth4000” (Ninja Tune)
Sofia Kourtesis – Madres (Ninja Tune)
Little Dragon – Slugs of Love (Ninja Tune)
ODESZA, Yellow House – Flaws in Our Design (Foreign Family Collective/Ninja Tune)
Overmono – Good Lies (XL Recordings)
DJ Shadow – Action Adventure (Mass Appeal)
WINNER: Yaeji – With a Hammer (XL Recordings)
Best Folk Record
Julie Byrne – The Greater Wings (Ghostly International)
Laura Jane Grace – “Dysphoria Hoodie” (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
Kara Jackson – Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? (September Recordings)
Aoife O’Donovan – Age of Apathy Solo Sessions (Yep Roc Records)
Andy Shauf – Norm (ANTI)
WINNER: Sufjan Stevens – Javelin (Asthmatic Kitty Records)
Sunny War – Anarchist Gospel (New West Records)
Best Global Record presented by Redeye Worldwide
Altin Gün – Ask (ATO Records)
Asake – Work of Art (YBNL Nation / EMPIRE)
Bombino – Sahel (Partisan Records)
Pachyman – Switched-On (ATO Records)
Sampa the Great – As Above, So Below (Deluxe) (Loma Vista Recordings)
WINNER: WITCH – Zango (Desert Daze Sound)
Best Heavy Record
Beartooth – The Surface (Red Bull Records)
The Callous Daoboys – God Smiles Upon the Callous Daoboys (MNRK Music Group)
From Ashes to New – Blackout (Better Noise Music)
Fucked Up – One Day (Merge Records)
WINNER: Model/Actriz – Dogsbody (True Panther)
Soul Glo – “If I Speak (Shut the Fuck Up)” (Epitaph)
Zulu – A New Tomorrow (Flatspot Records)
Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record
Aesop Rock – Integrated Tech Solutions (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
Atmosphere – So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
Danny Brown – Quaranta (Warp Records)
Conway The Machine – WON’T HE DO IT (Drumwork Music Group LLC/EMPIRE)
McKinley Dixon – Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? (City Slang)
Kari Faux – REAL B*TCHES DON’T DIE! (drink sum wtr)
WINNER: Killer Mike – MICHAEL (Loma Vista Recordings)
billy woods, Kenny Segal – Maps (Backwoodz Studios/Fat Possum Records)
Best Jazz Record
Joey Alexander – Continuance (Mack Avenue Music Group)
Louis Cole – Some Unused Songs (Brainfeeder)
Sam Gendel & Marcella Cytrynowicz – AUDIOBOOK (Psychic Hotline)
Robert Glasper – In December (Loma Vista Recordings)
WINNER: John Carroll Kirby – Blowout (Stones Throw Records)
Christian McBride’s New Jawn – Prime (Mack Avenue Music Group)
Best Latin Record
El Búho – Strata (Wonderwheel Recordings)
Bebel Gilberto – João ([PIAS])
WINNER: Helado Negro – “LFO (Lupe Finds Oliveros)” (4AD)
Carla Morrison – “Todo Fue Por Amor (de la película “Con Esta Luz”)” (Cosmica Artists)
Pahua – Habita (Nacional Records)
Tagua Tagua – Tanto (Wonderwheel Recordings)
Best Outlier Record
Anjimile – The King (4AD)
ANOHNI – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross (Secretly Canadian)
Khruangbin – Live at Sydney Opera House (Dead Oceans)
WINNER: L’Rain – I Killed Your Dog (Mexican Summer)
Tirzah – trip9love…??? (Domino Recording Company)
yeule – softscars (Ninja Tune)
Best Pop Record
Belle and Sebastian – Late Developers (Matador Records)
CHAI – CHAI (Sub Pop Records)
Becca Mancari – Left Hand (Captured Tracks)
WINNER: Samia – Honey (Grand Jury Music)
Suki Waterhouse – “To Love” (Sub Pop Records)
Best Punk Record
CIVIC – Taken by Force (ATO Records)
WINNER: Mannequin Pussy – “I Got Heaven” (Epitaph)
Neck Deep – “Take Me With You” (Hopeless Records)
Scowl – Psychic Dance Routine (Flatspot Records)
Snõõper – Super Snõõper (Third Man Records)
Soul Glo – “If I Speak (Shut the Fuck Up)” (Epitaph)
Best R&B Record
Emily King – Special Occasion (ATO Records)
WINNER: Sampha – Lahai (Young)
Emeli Sandé – How Were We to Know (Chrysalis Records)
Jorja Smith – falling or flying (FAMM Limited (Jorja Smith))
Cleo Sol – Gold (Forever Living Originals / TuneCore)
Jamila Woods – Water Made Us (Jagjaguwar)
Best Record From Games and Interactive Media
Jon Everist – The Lamplighters League (Original Soundtrack) (Lakeshore Records)
WINNER: HEALTH – “HATEFUL” (Loma Vista Recordings)
Mr. Sauceman, ClascyJitto, Post Elvis – Pizza Tower (Materia Collective)
Matt Creamer, Retroware, Professor Shyguy ft. Nur-D – Prison City Original Soundtrack (Screenwave Media)
Best Reissue
Cymande – Cymande (Partisan Records)
WINNER: De La Soul – 3 Feet High & Rising (AOI Records/Chrysalis Records)
The Exploding Hearts – Guitar Romantic (Expanded and Remastered) (Third Man Records)
Jerry Garcia – Might as Well: A Round Records Retrospective (Round Records)
Jason Isbell – Southeastern (Southeastern Records / Thirty Tigers)
Neutral Milk Hotel – The Collected Works of Neutral Milk Hotel (Merge Records)
Best Remix
WINNER: Sudan Archives, ODESZA – “Selfish Soul (ODESZA Remix)” (Stones Throw Records under exclusive license to Foreign Family Collective/Ninja Tune)
Christine and the Queens – “To Be Honest” (SG Lewis Remix) (Because Music)
John Summit, deadmau5, Kaskade – “I Remember” (John Summit Remix) (mau5trap)
Jerry Garcia & LP Giobbi – Garcia (Remixed) (Round Records)
Margo Price – “Change of Heart” (feat. Sierra Ferrell) (Loma Vista Recordings)
Best Rock Record
Be Your Own Pet – Mommy (Third Man Records)
WINNER: Blondshell – Blondshell (Partisan Records)
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Weathervanes (Southeastern Records)
Manchester Orchestra – The Valley of Vision (Loma Vista Recordings)
The National – First Two Pages of Frankenstein (4AD)
Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman… (Matador Records)
Ratboys – The Window (Topshelf Records)
Best Short-Form Video
Blondshell – “Kiss City” Reel (Partisan Records)
De La Soul – Tribute to Dave (AOI Records/Chrysalis Records)
WINNER: IDLES – “Grace” Teaser (Partisan Records)
John Carroll Kirby – “Oropendola” (Stones Throw Records)
Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We (Dead Oceans)
Best Singer-Songwriter Record
Indigo De Souza – All of This Will End (Saddle Creek)
Madi Diaz – “Same Risk” (ANTI)
WINNER: Angel Olsen – Forever Means (Jagjaguwar)
Jess Williamson – Time Ain’t Accidental (Mexican Summer)
Jenny Owen Youngs – Avalanche (Yep Roc Records)
Best Soul/Funk Record
WINNER: Betty Davis – Crashin’ From Passion (Light in the Attic)
Black Pumas – Chronicles of a Diamond (ATO Records)
Robert Finley – Black Bayou (Easy Eye Sound)
Neal Francis – Francis Comes Alive (ATO Records)
Say She She – Silver (Colemine Records)
Best Spiritual Record
WINNER: Blind Boys of Alabama – Echoes of the South (Single Lock Records)
Lecrae, Tasha Cobbs Leonard – “Your Power” (Reach Records)
Katy Nichole – Jesus Changed My Life (Centricity Music)
J Rocc – Beatitudes (Stones Throw Records)
Lori Vambe – Space-Time Dreamtime (STRUT)
Best Sync Usage
Cat Power – Cover of Rihanna’s “Stay” in A24’s Past Lives trailer (Domino Recording Company)
Brittany Howard ft. Childish Gambino – “Stay High” in You People (ATO Records)
WINNER: Refused – “New Noise” in The Bear (Season 2) (Epitaph)
Sharon Van Etten – “Anything” in Priscilla trailer (Jagjaguwar)
Nilüfer Yanya – “Midnight Sun” in The Boogeyman (ATO Records)
Creative Packaging
Aphex Twin – Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a room7 F760 (Warp Records)
WINNER: De La Soul – 3 Feet High & Rising (AOI Records/Chrysalis Records)
Jerry Garcia – Heads and Tails: Vol. 1 (Round Records)
Neutral Milk Hotel – The Collected Works of Neutral Milk Hotel (Merge Records)
John Prine – The Oh Boy Singles Box Set (Oh Boy Records)
Various Artists – Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 8 (Sub Pop Records)
Marketing Genius
Blonde Redhead – Sit Down for Dinner (section1)
Blondshell – Blondshell (Partisan Records)
WINNER: De La Soul – De La Soul Catalog Release (AOI Records/Chrysalis Records)
Peggy Gou – “(It Goes Like) Nanana” (XL Recordings)
Killer Mike – MICHAEL (Loma Vista Recordings)
Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We (Dead Oceans)
Self-Released Record of the Year
Laurel Halo – Atlas (Awe)
L’Queer – “Fuck Ron DeSantis” (L’Queer)
Michigander – It Will Never Be the Same (C3 Records)
Paris Texas – MID AIR (Paris Texas LLC)
WINNER: Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (Perpetual Novice)
Tenacious D – “Video Games” (Tenacious D)
