Independent Labels Win Big at 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards

New York, NY: A2IM congratulates our member labels: Anti, ATO, Big Machine, Concord, Concord Jazz, Curb, eOne, Loma Vista, Mack Avenue, Motema, Naxos, Rounder, Southeastern Records, and Thirty Tigers on their GRAMMY wins.

Big Machine won in four categories including, Album of the Year (Taylor Swift "1989") Best Pop Vocal Album (Taylor Swift "1989"), Best Music Video (Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar "Bad Blood",) and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media (Glen Campbell "I'll be Me").

ATO had an exceptionally strong showing, also winning four categories including Best Rock Performance (Alabama Shakes "Don't Wanna Fight"), Best Rock Song (Alabama Shakes "Don't Wanna Fight"), Best Alternative Music Album (Alabama Shakes "Sound & Color"), and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (Alabama Shakes "Sound & Color").

Thirty Tigers artists won four awards including Best Americana Album (Jason Isbell "Something More Than Free"), Best Regional Roots Album (Jon Cleary 'Go Go Juice), Best Roots Gospel Album (The Fairfield Four "Still Rocking My Soul") and Best American Roots Song (Jason Isbell "24 Frames").

 

Mack Avenue Records won two awards: Best Improvised Jazz Solo (Christian McBride's "Cherokee") & Best Jazz Vocal Album (Cécile McLorin Salvant's "For One to Love"). Said Denny Stilwell, President of Mack Avenue Records:

"We are honored to have the incredibly talented Cécile McLorin Salvant and Christian McBride as part of the Mack Avenue family. They personify creativity, independent spirit, and excellence! This has been a great day for theindependent community!"

ANTI- Records won Best American Roots Performance (Mavis Staples "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"). Dave Hansen, General Manager of ANTI- had this to say:

"We Congratulate Mavis Staples for her Grammy. It is an honor for all of us at ANTI- to be part of it."

 

Motema Music also took home Best Instrumental Composition for Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra's "The Afro Latin Jazz Suite". Said Jana Herzen, President of Motema Music:

"I'm so honored and proud of Arturo O'Farrill for his expansive, inclusive and epic Afro Latin Suite, recorded the very week that Obama began to normalize Cuban relations with the US."

 

Richard James Burgess, A2IM CEO added:

"A2IM congratulates all of its member labels and their artists on their wins in tonight's 58th Grammy Awards. These wins showcase the incredible range of independent music."

A2IM Member Grammy Wins:

Album of the Year: Taylor Swift '1989' (Big Machine)
Best Pop Vocal Album: Taylor Swift '1989' (Big Machine)
Best Metal Performance: Ghost "Cirice" (Loma Vista)
Best Rock Song: Alabama Shakes "Don't Wanna Fight" (ATO)
Best Rock Performance: Alabama Shakes "Don't Wanna Fight" (ATO)
Best Alternative Music Album: Alabama Shakes 'Sound & Color' (ATO)
Best Traditional R&B Performance: Lalah Hathaway "Little Ghetto Boy" (eOne)
Best Improvised Jazz Solo: Christian McBride "Cherokee" (Mack Avenue)
Best Jazz Vocal Album: Cécile McLorin Salvant "For One to Love" (Mack Avenue)
Best Latin Jazz Album: Eliane Elias 'Made in Brazil' (Concord Jazz)
Best Christian Contemporary Song: Francesca Battistelli 'Holy Spirit' (Curb)
Best Roots Gospel Album: The Fairfield Four 'Still Rocking My Soul' (Fairfield Four Records/ Thirty Tigers)
Best American Roots Performance: Mavis Staples 'See That My Grave Is Kept Clean' (Anti)
Best American Roots Song: Jason Isbell "24 Frames" (Southeastern Records)
Best Americana Album: Jason Isbell "Something More Than Free" (Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers)
Best Bluegrass Album: The Steeldrivers 'The Muscle Shoals Recordings' (Rounder)
Best Folk Album: Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn 'Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn' (Rounder)
Best Regional Roots Album: Jon Cleary 'Go Go Juice' (FHQ/Thirty Tigers)
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: Glen Campbell 'I'll be Me' (Big Machine)
Best Instrumental Composition: Arturo O'Farrill 'The Afro Jazz Suite' (Motema)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: Alabama Shakes 'Sound & Colour' (ATO)
Best Choral Performance: Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil (Chandos Records)
Best Contemporary Classical Composition: True Concord Voices and Orchestra, led by Eric Holtan, Far In The Heavens (Reference Recordings)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Eighth Blackbird's Filament (Cedille Records).
Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Violinist Augustin Hadelich and conductor Ludovic Morlot's Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L'Arbre Des Songes (Seattle Symphony Orchestra)
Best Classical Compendium: Giancarlo Guerrero 'Paulus: Three Places of Enlightenment' (Naxos)
Best Music Video: Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar "Bad Blood" (Big Machine)

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 over 382 Independently-owned American music label small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The organization represents Independents' interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community, as well as, supports a key segment of America's creative class and the small business community that represents America's cultural and musical genre diversity. Billboard Magazine, using Nielsen SoundScan data, identified the Independent music label sector as 35.1 percent of the music industry's U.S. recorded music sales market in 2014 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