SoundExchange Presents The 2016 A2IM Libera Awards

New York, NY: A2IM's 2016 Libera Awards, which recognize excellence across a broad swath of categories within the independent music community, will be held on Thursday, June 16, 2016 in New York City at Manhattan Center's Grand Ballroom (cap. 1,200). Since A2IM's inaugural Liberas at (Le) Poisson Rouge, the show has doubled in size each year, and is now a force to be reckoned with in the music awards pantheon. This year will feature more live performances and an optional seated dinner. The Liberas form the capstone of A2IM's Indie Week, and is the biggest award show for independents by independents.

The 2016 finalists for the fifth annual Liberas celebrate the continued strength of the independent community, commercially and culturally, from chart toppers such as Alabama Shakes and All Time Low, to breakout artists like Courtney Barnett (Grammy Best New Artist Nominee) and Kamasi Washington. Leading the label nominees this year are ATO, with eight nominations, and Sub Pop & 4AD, with seven nominations each. Alabama Shakes (ATO) and Kamasi Washington (Brainfeeder) top the artist nominees with five and four nominations respectively. Winners will be selected by voting members of A2IM. (Full List Below).

Year after year, the Liberas draw a VIP crowd of label executives from around the globe representing every genre imaginable, and this year is no different, with awards and honorees showcasing the breadth and diversity of talent within the Independent label sector. Last years' winners included Run the Jewels ("Groundbreaking Album" and "Marketing Genius,") and Sturgill Simpson ("Breakthrough Artist" and "Heritage Album").

Also announced are sponsorship partnerships with SoundExchange, ADA, AtoZ Media, Caroline, Fox Rothschild LLP, FUGA, INgrooves, Kickstarter, MC Events, The Orchard, Pandora, Publicide.com, Silva Screen Music / SO Recordings / SBMC Inc., and YouTube/ Google Play Music.

SoundExchange will serve as the Libera's Presenting Sponsor. "SoundExchange is honored to play a key role with the independent music community every day, and in particular with the upcoming Libera Awards," said Michael Huppe, President & CEO of SoundExchange. "We look forward to celebrating the achievements of independent labels, artists and all those that contribute to the success in this vibrant music marketplace."

Presenting sponsors for the Video of the Year Award are YouTube and Google Play. "YouTube and Google Play celebrate the work of independent artists, whose contributions enrich and expand our platforms, inspiring fan engagement across a worldwide audience," said Ted Kartzman, Independent Music Partner Management, Google. "It is a privilege to sponsor the Video of the Year category for the Libera Awards and spotlight the inspiring talent that has emerged this year."

Caroline also returns as a sponsor this year, presenting the Marketing Genius Award. "Caroline is proud to sponsor the A2IM Libera Awards that recognize excellence in the independent music community," said Piero Giramonti, Co-General Manager of Caroline Records. "The best and brightest artists of the future are developed by the passion, commitment, taste, and expertise of our indie colleagues, where artistry and quality are the most important foundations of our business. It is an honor and a privilege to be in a position to support the awards and the critically important work that everyone is doing for the future of music."

Pieter Van Rijn, CEO of FUGA, sponsoring partner of the Independent Champion award added: "We're delighted to be a part of the A2IM Libera Awards this year and proud to be sponsoring the Independent Champion category. It's important to honor those who are committed to ensuring independent music gets the exposure it deserves and who strive for a level playing field for independents."

Label of the Year (<5 employees) will be presented by The Orchard. "The indie sector is vibrant, unique, exciting, and innovative," said Colleen Theis, Chief Operating Officer at The Orchard. "There's no place we'd rather be than side by side with our labels and artists, delivering on our mission to provide world class sales, marketing and technology so they can achieve their dreams. The Orchard lives and breathes independent music, and we've sponsored the Liberas since the beginning, because it's important to recognize and applaud success."

Eliah Seton, President of ADA Worldwide, sponsoring partner of the Label of the Year (6+ employees) award added: "Indies put the artist and their music first - they are the lifeblood of our industry. A2IM exists to support them in that endeavor, and ADA Worldwide is honored to play a role in that effort."

INgrooves will sponsor the Groundbreaking Album of the Year Award. "At INgrooves, supporting the independent music community is at the core of what we do," said Amy Dietz, INgrooves' Executive Vice President. "The indies continue to show their strength and relevance in the marketplace and the Libera awards are a celebration of all the fantastic music coming from this creative group. It's been an amazing year and we are excited to partner with A2IM, once again, for this event!"

Kickstarter will sponsor Best Live Act award. "Kickstarter is thrilled to be a partner with the 2016 A2IM Libera Awards" added Molly Neuman, Head of Music, Kickstarter. "The artists, labels and individuals the Liberas will be honoring represent the same values of independence and creativity so crucial to Kickstarter's mission of helping bring creative projects to life."

"Independent labels and musicians are essential partners to Pandora, and have been since the start," added Lars Murray, SVP Music Makers Group, Pandora. "It's only natural for Pandora to sponsor The Libera Awards again this year and work with A2IM and its members to honor the best in independent music."

2016 Libera Awards

A&R Team of the Year
ATO Records
Captured Tracks
Domino Recording Co.
Glassnote Records
Matador Records
Mom + Pop Music
Sub Pop Records

Album of the Year
Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color (ATO Records)
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Mom + Pop Music)
Beach House - Depression Cherry (Sub Pop Records)
Jamie xx - In Colour (Young Turks)
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell (Asthmatic Kitty)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love (Jagjaguwar)
Kamasi Washington - The Epic (Brainfeeder)

Best Live Act Sponsored By Kickstarter
Against Me! (Total Treble)
Alabama Shakes (ATO Records)
Father John Misty (Sub Pop Records)
Future Islands (4AD)
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (Stax Records)
Run the Jewels (Mass Appeal Records)
St. Vincent (Loma Vista Recordings)

Best Sync Usage - Sponsored by Silva Screen Music / So Recordings / SBMC Inc.
Alabama Shakes - Apple iPad Pro (Music Supervisor: Jimmy Dickson) (ATO Records)
BADBADNOTGOOD - Apple iPhone (Music Supervisor: Ezra Remer) (Innovative Leisure)
Flying Lotus - Apple Music (Music Supervisor: Peymon Maskan & Josh Marcy) (Warp Records)
Hanni El Khatib - Levi's 501 CT (Music Supervisor: Ezra Remer) (Innovative Leisure)
The Heavy - Samsung x Marvel viral advert (Music Supervisor: Kelly Ross) (Counter Records)
HOLYCHILD - Apple Watch Commercial (Music Supervisor: Peymon Maskan) (Glassnote Records)
Queen - Suicide Squad trailer (Music Supervisor: Naaman Snell & Lana Bui) (Hollywood Records, Inc.)
Shamir - Android OS Watch: Wear What You Want (Music Supervisor: Andrew Kahn) (XL Recordings)

Breakthrough Artist Sponsored by Fox Rothschild LLP; celebrating the independent label superstar artist who has for the first time commercially released a music project that has exceeded 5,000 full-length albums, 25,000 track sales, or 2,500,000 interactive streams.
Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle (6131 Records)
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (Mom + Pop Music)
Hop Along - Painted Shut (Saddle Creek Records)
Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon (True Panther Sounds)
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (Stax Records)
Shamir - Ratchet (XL Recordings)
Kamasi Washington - The Epic (Brainfeeder)

Creative Packaging Sponsored by AtoZ Media; celebrating the best or most creative packaging - including bundled packages, premium offerings or artwork/design packaging.
Battles - La Di Da Di (Creative Director: Dave Konopka) (Warp Records)
Brand New - Deja Entendu - Record Store Day Exclusive (Creative Director: Jeffery Ramirez) (Triple Crown Records)
Father John Misty - I Love You Honeybear (Creative Director: Sasha Barr) (Sub Pop Records)
Run The Jewels - Meow The Jewels (Creative Director: Will Scott, Run The Jewels) (Mass Appeal)
Scharpling & Wurster - The Best of the Best Show (Creative Director: T. A. Breen) (Numero Group)
The Sword - High Country (Creative Director: Eddie Levy) (Razor & Tie)
Various - Ork Records: New York, New York (Creative Director: Numero Group, Ken Shipley & Tim Bre) (Ork Records)

Groundbreaking Album of the Year - Sponsored by INgrooves 
Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color (ATO Records)
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Think (Mom + Pop Music)
Deafheaven - New Bermuda (ANTI-)
HEALTH - Death Magic (Loma Vista Recordings)
Major Lazer - Peace Is The Mission (Mad Decent)
Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden of Delete (Warp Records)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love (Jagjaguwar)
Kamasi Washington - The Epic (Brainfeeder)

Heritage Album of the Year
Drive-By Truckers - It's Great to Be Alive! (ATO Records)
Houndmouth - Little Neon Limelight (Rough Trade Records)
Low - Ones and Sixes (Sub Pop Records)
The Staple Singers - Faith & Grace: A Family Journey 1953-1976 (Stax Records)
Thundercat - The Beyond/ Where The Giants Roam (Brainfeeder)
Warren Haynes - Ashes & Dust (Concord Music Group)
Kamasi Washington - The Epic (Brainfeeder)
The Zombies - Still Got That Hunger (The End Records)

Independent Champion Sponsored by FUGA; celebrating the media or non-commercial partner who was most supportive or beneficial to independent labels and artists.
Adult Swim
Bandcamp
KEXP
Merlin
Record Store Day
Secretly Distribution
Spotify

Into the Pit Award
All Time Low - Future Hearts (Hopeless Records)
Ghost - Meliora (Loma Vista Recordings)
Girl Band - Holding Hands With Jamie (Rough Trade Records)
Lightning Bolt- Fantasy Empire (Thrill Jockey)
Metz - Eraser (Sub Pop Records)
Savages - Adore Life (Matador Records)
Slayer - Repentless (Nuclear Blast)
Titus Andronicus - The Most Lamentable Tragedy (Merge Records)

Label of the Year (<5 employees) Sponsored by The Orchard
Awesome Tapes From Africa
Brainfeeder
Daptone Records
Loma Vista Recordings
Paradise of Bachelors
Temporary Residence
Suicide Squeeze Records

Label of the Year (6+ employees) Sponsored by ADA
4AD
ATO Records
Captured Tracks
Innovative Leisure
Merge Records
Mom + Pop Music
Sub Pop Records
Nuclear Blast Records

Marketing Genius Award - Sponsored by Caroline
Grimes - Art Angels - (Marketing Lead: Pablo Douzoglou) (4AD)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Chegg Music 101 (Marketing Lead: Heather Hatlo-Porter & Brandon Squar) (ADA & Chegg Music 101)
Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color - (Marketing Lead: Jon Salter) (ATO Records)
Doomtree Pop Quiz - (Marketing Lead: Dessa & Lazerbeak) (Doomtree Records)
Run The Jewels - #12DaysofRTJ - (Marketing Lead:Amaechi Uzoigwe, Zena White & Amit Nerurkar) (Mass Appeal Records)
Slayer - God Listens to Slayer! (Marketing Lead: Joanna Noyes) (Nuclear Blast)
Starset - Planetarium Shows - (Marketing Lead: Karen Dillett) (Razor & Tie)
Ten Bands One Cause - (Marketing Lead: Alex Brody) (RED Distribution)
Torche Vs. Robots - (Marketing Lead: Corey Zaloom & Bob Lugowe) (Relapse Records)

Shifting Beats Award 
Caravan Palace - <|º_º|> (Le Plan Recordings)
Grimes - Art Angels (4AD)
Jamie xx - In Colour (Young Turks)
Nosaj Thing - Fated (Innovative Leisure)
ODESZA - In Return - Deluxe Edition (Counter Records)
Purity Ring - Another Eternity (4AD)
U.S. Girls - Half Free (4AD)

Video of the Year - Sponsored by YouTube/Google Play
Caravan Palace - Lone Digger (Le Plan Recordings)
FKA Twigs - M3LL155X (Young Turks)
Grimes - Kill V. Maim (4AD)
Iron Patriot - Rock Roller (Jeff Crabtree)
Peaches - Dick In the Air (I U She Music)
Run The Jewels - Close Your Eyes (and Count to F*ck) (Mass Appeal Records)
Starset - Halo (Razor & Tie)
Lindsey Stirling - Take Flight (Lindseystomp Music)

About A2IM

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, A2IM is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in New York City representing a broad coalition of 391 Independently-owned American music labels. The organization represents these independently owned small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. In doing so it supports a key segment of America's creative class that represents America's diverse musical cultural heritage. Billboard Magazine, using Nielsen SoundScan data, identified the Independent music label sector as 34.4 percent of the music industry's U.S. recorded music sales market in 2015 based on copyright ownership, making Independent labels collectively the largest music industry segment.

The organization's board of directors are composed of the following: Razor & Tie President Craig Balsam, Concord Music Group President Glen Barros, INgrooves General Manager Amy Dietz, Epitaph/Anti- General Manager Dave Hansen, Beggars Group Chairman Martin Mills, Hopeless Records Owner Louis Posen, Dualtone Music Group CEO/Co-Founder Scott Robinson, Kill Rock Stars Owner/President Portia Sabin, Adshare President Jim Selby, Tommy Boy Owner/CEO Thomas Silverman, and Secretly Group Co-Founder/Co-Owner Darius Van Arman. A2IM's president's advisory committee is Curb Records Vice President Taylor Childress, Red House Records Vice President Chris Frymire, and Innovative Leisure Co-Owner Nate Nelson.

http://www.a2im.org