A2IM Opens Submissions For 2015 Libera Awards, Reveals Event Details

NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2014 -- (New York, NY) A2IM is now accepting nominations for the fourth annual Libera Awards (The "LIBBYs"), a celebration of the extraordinary achievements by Independent labels and their artists as voted upon by the Independent music community. The 2014 LIBBYs saw Merge Records' Arcade Fire taking home the most LIBBYs (three awards, including a shared 'Album of the Year' with Domino Records' Arctic Monkeys), while Daptone Records and Glassnote Records were honored with 'Label of the Year' awards. The 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award went to Alligator Records' Founder and CEO, Bruce Iglauer.

The LIBBYs award excellence in a variety of categories honoring a broad spectrum within the independent music community, including artists, labels, marketers, and valued partners. The full list of 2015 categories is below.

Members and friends of the Independent music community (not limited to A2IM membership) are invited to send in nominations via this link: http://a2imlibbys.com/award-categories. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, February 22nd.

All nominee submissions must be for music, projects or artists that occurred or had new music available for commercial release in the United States via an independently owned/controlled label or artist during the period March 1, 2014 through February 28, 2015.

The 2015 A2IM LIBERA AWARDS:

Album of the Year

Groundbreaking Album of the Year

Heritage Album of the Year

Video of the Year

Breakthrough Artist of the Year

Hardest Working Artist

Marketplace Ally

Independent Champion

Marketing Genius

Best Sync Usage

Creative Packaging of the Year

Label of the Year (5 or less employees)

Label of the Year (6 or more employees)

Submissions will be pared down to a final ballot by A2IM's panel of Independent music experts from media, retail, distribution, marketers, and other strategic music partners. Winners will be selected by voting members of A2IM and presented at the LIBBYs Awards ceremony at the Highline Ballroom in NYC on Thursday, June 25th.

The LIBBYs were founded by a committee of Independent music labels and the committee is chaired by Kill Rock Stars President Portia Sabin.

About the Awards, Sabin says:

"Independent labels are the risk takers of the music industry; we commit our resources, expertise, and passion for music in creating meaningful opportunities for the artists we believe in. To win a Libby is to be recognized by the Independent community who understands firsthand the challenges we face as an industry, and thus the hard work and innovation that we put into our jobs every day."

ABOUT A2IM
Celebrating its 10th Anniversary representing America's independent music label creators, A2IM is a not- for-profit trade organization serving the Independent music community as a unified voice representing a sector that, according to Billboard Magazine, comprises 34.6% of the music industry's recorded music market share in the United States (and almost 40% of SoundScan digital album sales). The organization represents the Independents' interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community.

The organization's board of directors are composed of the following: Razor & Tie President Craig Balsam, Concord Music Group President Glen Barros, Secretly Label Group Head of Domestic Sales & Marketing Cathy Bauer, Smithsonian Folkways Director of Marketing & Sales Richard Burgess, Epitaph/Anti- General Manager Dave Hansen, Hopeless Records Owner Louis Posen, Dualtone Music Group CEO/Co-Founder Scott Robinson, Kill Rock Stars Owner/President Portia Sabin, Glassnote Records General Manager Chris Scully, Ole SVP Digital Jim Selby and Tommy Boy Owner/CEO Thomas Silverman. A2IM's president's advisory committee is Loma Vista Recordings Label Manager Josh Berman, Mack Avenue Records President Denny Stilwell and Compass Records Group Co-Founder Garry West. A2IM's Worldwide Independent Network lead representative is Wind-up Records General Manager Alan Galbraith.

For more information on A2IM, please visit a2im.org