2026 Libera Awards

2026 Libera Awards
2026 Libera Awards
Date	June 8, 2026
Location	Gotham Hall, New York City, United States
Presented by	American Association of Independent Music (A2IM)
Most nominations	Geese (5)
Website	liberaawards.com
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DateJune 8, 2026

LocationGotham Hall, New York City, United States

Presented byAmerican Association of Independent Music (A2IM)

Most nominationsGeese (5)

The 15th Libera Awards, also named 2026 Libera Awards, are scheduled to be held on June 8, 2026, at Gotham Hall in New York City, United States, presented by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) to recognize achievements in independent music in 2025.^[1]

The nominations were announced on March 18, 2026.^[2] American rock band Geese led the nominations with five, followed by Hayley Williams and Clipse, both with four nods each.^[3] The category for Independent Record Store of the Year was introduced while the award for Best Record from Games and Interactive Media returned after not being presented during the previous edition.

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[2]

[3]

Record of the Year	Breakthrough Artist
Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse (Self-released) Getting Killed – Geese (Partisan Records / Play It Again Sam) Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party – Hayley Williams (Post Atlantic) Sad and Beautiful World – Mavis Staples (Anit-) choke enough – Oklou (True Panther Records) Tranquilizer – Oneohtrix Point Never (Warp Records) Bleeds – Wednesday (Dead Oceans)	Geese (Partisan Records / Play It Again Sam) Gelli Haha (Innovative Leisure) Lambrini Girls (City Slang) Nourished by Time (XL Recordings) Water From Your Eyes (Matador Records)
Best Alternative Rock Record	Best American Roots Record
Straight Line Was a Lie – The Beths (Anti-) Getting Killed – Geese (Partisan Records / Play It Again Sam) Dancing Shoes – Nilufer Yanya (Ninja Tune) The Passionate Ones – Nourished by Time (XL Recordings) It's a Beautiful Place – Water from Your Eyes (Matador Records)	Nobody's Girl – Amanda Shires (ATO Records) Burnover – Greg Freeman (Transgressive Records / Canvasback) Earthstar Mountain – Hannah Cohen (Congrats Records) I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away – Hayden Pedigo (Mexican Summer) "Heavy Foot" – Mon Rovîa (Nettwerk Music Group) Neon Grey Midnight Green – Neko Case (Anti-) Owls, Omens and Oracles – Valerie June (Concord Records)
Best Blues Record	Best Classical Record
The Last Real Texas Blues Album – Antone's 50th Allstars (New West Records) Audience with the Queen – Galactic & Irma Thomas (Tchoup-zilla Records) One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey – Maria Muldaur (Nola Blue Records) Room on the Porch – Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' Mad Dogs & Englishmen Revisited Live at LOCKN' – Tedeschi Trucks Band & Leon Russell (Fantasy Records)	A Series of Actions in a Sphere of Forever – Kara-Lis Coverdale (Smalltown Supersound) Hymnal – Lyra Pramuk (7K!) Schubert Beatles – Theo Hoffman (NYFOS Records) Nature – Tiffany Poon (Pentatone) The Dunbar/Moore Sessions, Vol. II – Will Liverman (Lexicon Classics)
Best Country Record	Best Dance Record
"Richmond on the James" – Alison Krauss & Union Station (Down the Road Records) Hard Headed Woman – Margo Price (Loma Vista Recordings) "Good News" – Shaboozey (American Dogwood / EMPIRE) Songbird – Waylon Jennings (Son of Jessi) Ain't in It for My Health – Zach Top (Leo33 / Firebird Music)	Stardust – Danny Brown (Warp Records) "I Like It Like That" – Fcukers (Ninja Tune) Switcheroo – Gelli Haha (Innovative Leisure) Yes, Please. – Sextile (Sacred Bones Records) Club Shy Room 2 – Shygirl (Because Music)
Best Electronic Record	Best Folk Record
DÍA – Ela Minus (Domino) The Last Sound on Earth – Helado Negro (Big Dada / Ninja Tune) choke enough – Oklou (True Panther Records) Tranquilizer – Oneohtrix Point Never (Warp Records) The BPM – Sudan Archives (Stones Throw Records)	Now Would Be a Good Time – Folk Bitch Trio (Jagjaguwar) Foxes in the Snow – Jason Isbell (Southeastern Records) Blurrr – Joanne Robertson (AD 93) Fatal Optimist – Madi Diaz (Anti-) Planting by the Signs – S.G. Goodman (Slough Water Records)
Best Global Record	Best Heavy Record
Journey Through Life – Femi Kuti (Partisan Records) La Belleza – Lido Pimienta (Anti-) Tears of Injustice – Mdou Moctar (Matador Records) Mulatu Plays Mulatu – Mulatu Astatke (Strut Records) Another Place – Pachyman (ATO Records)	I Don't Want to See You in Heaven – The Callous Daoboys (MNRK Music Group) Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe – Coheed and Cambria (Coheed and Cambria) Something to Consume – Die Spitz (Third Man Records) ...Is Your Friend – Drain (Epitaph) Pirouette – Model/Actriz (True Panther Records) Lotto – They Are Gutting a Body of Water (ATO Records) 45 Pounds – YHWH Nailgun (AD 93)
Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record	Best Jazz Record
Black Hole Superette – Aesop Rock (Rhymesayers Entertainment) Golliwog – Billy Woods (Backwoodz Studioz / Rhymesayers Entertainment) Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse (Self-released) Alfredo 2 – Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist (ESGN LLC) Black British Music (2025) – Jim Legxacy (XL Recordings) Like a Ribbon – John Glacier (Young) "Slime is Bestie" – Shygirl featuring JT & Sega Bodega (Because Music)	Trilogy 3 – Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade (Candid Records) Apple Cores – James Brandon Lewis (Anti-) Cream – Kassa Overall (Warp Records) For Dinah – Ledisi (Candid Records) New Dawn – Marshall Allen (Mexican Summer) Animaru – Mei Semones (Bayonet Records) Keys to the City Volume One – Robert Glasper (Loma Vista Recordings) Southern Nights – Sullivan Fortner (Artwork)
Best Latin Record	Best Outlier Record
Boleros Psicodélicos II – Adrian Quesada (ATO Records) "Sola" – Arca (XL Recordings) Se Amaba Así – Buscabulla (Domino) Mvd Luv – Juan Wauters (Captured Tracks) La Belleza – Lido Pimienta (Anti-) "Voy Creciendo" – Rubio (FAMA Collective) Pequena Vertigem de Amor – Sessa (Mexican Summer)	You're Weird Now – Guerilla Toss (Sub Pop) The Universe Smiles Upon You ii – Khruangbin (Dead Oceans) Sinister Grift – Panda Bear (Domino) Time Indefinite – William Tyler (Psychic Hotline) Yours, with Malice – Youth Code (Sumerian Records)
Best Pop Record	Best Punk Record
Who Is the Sky? – David Byrne (Matador Records) Girl Violence – King Princess (section 1) West End Girl – Lily Allen (BMG) choke enough – Oklou (True Panther Records) Glory – Perfume Genius (Matador Records) "Dopamine" – Robyn (Young)	"Well, Whatever It Was" – Joyce Manor (Epitaph) Who Let the Dogs Out – Lambrini Girls (City Slang) Adventure Club – Laura Jane Grace (Polyvinyl Record Co.) Are We All Angels – Scowl (Dead Oceans) Worldwide – Snõõper (Third Man Records) I'm Nice Now – Upchuck (Domino)
Best R&B Record	Best Rock Record
"A Flex" – Dawn Richard (Merge Records) Hooke's Law – keiyaA (XL Recordings) In the Blue Light – Kelela (Warp Records) "Everybody Gets Down" – NxWorries (Stones Throw Records) "Children of the Baked Potato" – Thundercat featuring Remi Wolf (Brainfeeder) "do it afraid" – Yaya Bey (drink sum wtr)	If You Asked for a Picture – Blondshell (Partisan Records) "It's Amazing to Be Young" – Fontaines D.C. (XL Recordings) Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party – Hayley Williams (Post Atlantic) Phantom Island – King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (p(doom) records) Welcome to My Blue Sky – Momma (Polyvinyl Record Co.) R Is for Rocket – Rocket (Transgressive Records / Canvasback) Bleeds – Wednesday (Dead Oceans)
Self-Released Record of the Year	Best Singer-Songwriter Record
Charlotte de Witte – Charlotte de Witte (KNTXT) This Time Around – Colbie Caillat (Blue Jean Baby Records) Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party – Hayley Williams (Post Atlantic) Showbiz! – Mike (10k) The Sword & the Soaring – Navy Blue (Freedom Sounds) Salvation – Rebecca Black (Rebecca Black) Enough. – Snacktime (Self-Released)	Oblivion – Alice Phoebe Lou (Nettwerk Music Group) Tether – Annahstasia (drink sum wtr) Cover the Mirrors – Ben Kweller (The Noise Company) Luminescent Creatures – Ichiko Aoba (Psychic Hotline) "Crimson and Clay" – Jason Isbell (Southeastern Records) Fatal Optimist – Madi Diaz (Anti-) Animaru – Mei Semones (Bayonet Records)
Best Soul/Funk Record	Best Spiritual Record
Heartache in Room 14 – The Altons (Daptone Records) Can't Lose My (Soul) – Annie and the Caldwells (Luaka Bop) Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt – Curtis Harding (Anti-) Flowers – Durand Jones & The Indications (Dead Oceans) Tuff Times Never Last – Kokoroko (Brownswood Recordings) Sad and Beautiful World – Mavis Staples (Anti-) Cut & Rewind – Say She She (drink sum wtr) The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 – Sly & the Family Stone (High Moon Records)	Llorón – Alexxander (Reach Records) The Prophet and the Madman – Ami Taf Ra (Brainfeeder) Solace of the Mind – Amina Claudine Myers (Red Hook Records) Soul Ecstasy – Chandrika Tandon (Soul Chants Music) Reconstruction – Lecrae (Reach Records) Remix Meditation – Lil Jon & Kabir Sehgal (Tiger Turn) Another Mississippi Sunday Morning – Parchman Prison Prayer (Glitterbeat Records) Hallelujah! Don't Let the Devil Fool Ya – Robert Finley (Easy Eye Sound)
Best Sync Usage	Creative Packaging
"Days Move Slow" by Bully in the film I Know What You Did Last Summer (Sub Pop) "Why Can't I Touch It" by Buzzcocks in a commercial for Ross (Domino) "Me Myself and I" by De La Soul in the "Back to School" commercial for Target (A.O.I. Records / Reservoir) "King of Possibilities" by Goldie Boutilier in the series The Hunting Wives (ONErpm) "In Spite of Ourselves" by John Prine in the film Die My Love (Oh Boy Records) "Burning" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the "Driven" campaign for Lucid Motors (Secretly Canadian) "mangetout" by Wet Leg in the series Heated Rivalry (Domino)	"Monster Rap" b/w "Frankenstein 1984" (Frankenstein-Shaped Vinyl) – Bobby "Boris" Pickett & Edgar Winter (Reservoir Recordings) Sable, Fable – Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar) Cuba and Beyond – Chucho Valdés & Royal Quartet (InnerJazz) Donuts (Audiophile Edition) – J Dilla (Stones Throw Records) Halloween: The Complete Expanded Collection – John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies (Sacred Bones Records) Special Herbs – MF Doom (Rhymesayers Entertainment / Metalface Records)
Best Reissue	Best Remix
The Best of Everything but the Girl – Everything but the Girl (Buzzin' Fly / Chrysalis Records) Flora – Hiroshi Yoshimura (Temporal Drift) Special Herbs – MF Doom (Rhymesayers Entertainment / Metalface Records) The Execution of All Things (Frozen Lake Edition) – Rilo Kiley (Saddle Creek) Fire of God's Love – Sister Irene O'Connor (Freedom to Spend) Odessey and Oracle: Mono Remastered – The Zombies (Beechwood Park Records)	"QQQQ" (Nick León Apocalypto Remix) – Ela Minus (Domino) "Walking Away from My Demons" (Wet Leg Remix) – Faux Real (City Slang) "Satisfaction Skank" – Fatboy Slim & The Rolling Stones (Southern Fried Records / ABKCO Music & Records) "Mannequin Love" (The Dare Remix) – Justice (Ed Banger) "Cuntology 101" (Peaches Remix) – Lambrini Girls (City Slang) "blade bird" (Nick León Broward Mix) – Oklou (True Panther Records) "Conocerla" – Reyna Tropical / Amantes del Futuro (Psychic Hotline)
Music Video of the Year	Marketing Genius
"So Be It" – Clipse (Clipse) "Throw Yourself to the Sword" – Die Spitz (Third Man Records) "Taxes" – Geese (Partisan Records / Play It Again Sam) "viscus" – Oklou (True Panther Records) "Elderberry Wine" – Wednesday (Dead Oceans) "catch these fists" – Wet Leg (Domino)	Because Beaubourg – Because Music (Because Music) Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse (Self-released) Getting Killed – Geese (Partisan Records / Play It Again Sam) Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party – Hayley Williams (Post Atlantic) Special Herbs – MF Doom (Rhymesayers Entertainment / Metalface Records) Bleeds – Wednesday (Dead Oceans) We'll Never Stop Living This Way: A Ghostly International Catalogue (Ghostly International)
Best Record from Games and Interactive Media	Independent Record Store of the Year
Minecraft: Alpha + Beta (Box Set) – C418 (Ghostly International) Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (Original Soundtrack) – Gracie LeClere & Jack Wall (Activision) Eclipsium (Original Soundtrack) – Hudson Bikichky (Materia Collective) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Original Soundtrack) – Lorien Testard (Laced Records) "Everything Burns" – Tom Morello featuring Beartooth (Mom+Pop) Arcane League of Legends: Season 2 Original Soundtrack (Extended Edition) – Various Artists (Riot Games)	Amoeba Music The Electric Fetus Grimey's New & Preloved Music Music Millennium Plaid Room Records Rough Trade NYC Turntable Lab Waterloo Records
Independent Champion	Label of the Year (Big)
AudioSalad DISCO FaroLatino Light in the Attic Qobuz TuneCore	Ghostly International Loma Vista Recordings Merge Records Ninja Tune Partisan Records Polyvinyl Record Co. Sacred Bones Records Sub Pop Records Stones Throw Records Third Man Records Warp Records
Label of the Year (Medium)	Label of the Year (Small)
Arts & Crafts Brownswood Recordings Captured Tracks Fat Possum Records Light in the Attic Mass Appeal Mexican Summer Run for Cover Records Secret City Records Sumerian Records	Bayonet Records Brainfeeder Colemine Records Daptone Records Oh Boy Records Psychic Hotline RVNG Intl. Saddle Creek True Panther Records Wax Bodega
Publisher of the Year	Distributor of the Year
Beggars Music Downtown Music Publishing Reservoir Secretly Publishing Sub Pop Publishing Warp Publishing	AudioSalad FUGA IDOL Light in the Attic The Orchard Redeye Worldwide Secretly Distribution Symphonic Distribution Virgin Music Group
Impact Award
To be announced

v t e Libera Awards
Major awards	Record of the Year Best Live Act Best Breakthrough Artist Best Sync Usage Marketing Genius Label of the Year Video of the Year Best Americana Record Best Blues Record Best Classical Record Best Dance/Electronic Record Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record
Ceremony year	2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Related	American Association of Independent Music

2026 Libera Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award

References

External links

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