It was all about the Indies on Thursday, June 21st at the 2018 A2IM Libera Awards, presented by SoundExchange with a special celebration of Merlin’s 10 Year Anniversary, held at The PlayStation Theater in NYC. Closing out A2IM’s annual Indie Week, performers, nominees and industry VIPs walked the red carpet to start the night off. Spotted on the carpet were A2IM CEO Richard James Burgess, performer and nominee Natalie Prass, actor Brendan Hines, Brett Gurewitz, Willie Nile, DJ Breakout and The Funky 4 + 1, model Brittany Garrick, awards host Kate Wolff, Raul Midon and Shabazz Palaces among others
During the show, hosted by NYC comedian Kate Wolff, the audience was treated to performances by Aimee Mann, Funky 4+ 1, Natalie Prass, Raul Midon, Sam Outlaw, Vicktor Taiwo, and a special tribute to Sharon Jones by her band The Dap-Kings.
This year, A2IM honored punk rock trailblazer Brett Gurewitz with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Merlin’s 10th Anniversary was also celebrated at the awards.
2018 Libera Award Winners:
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Live Act
Nick Cave
Bad Seed Ltd.
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Hip-Hop/Rap Album
Shabazz Palaces – ‘Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star’
Sub Pop Records
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best American Roots/Folk Album
Aimee Mann – ‘Mental Illness’
SuperEgo Records
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Blues Album
Benjamin Booker – ‘Witness’
ATO Records
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Classical Album
Detroit Symphony Orchestra – ‘Copland: Symphony No. 3 & 3 Latin American Sketches’
Naxos
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Country/Americana Album
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – ‘The Nashville Sound’
Southeastern Records /Thirty Tigers
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Jazz Album
Kamasi Washington – ‘Harmony of Difference’
Young Turks
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Latin Album
Chicano Batman – ‘Freedom Is Free’
ATO Records
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Outlier Album
Moses Sumney – ‘Aromanticism’
Jagjaguwar
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Metal Album
Converge – ‘The Dusk In Us’
Epitaph Records
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Dance/Electronic Album
Sylvan Esso – ‘What Now’
Loma Vista Recordings
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best R&B Album
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – ‘Soul of a Woman’
Daptone Records
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Re-Issue
Elliott Smith – ‘Either/Or: Expanded Edition’
Kill Rock Stars
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Rock Album
The National – ‘Sleep Well Beast’
4AD
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best Sync Usage
Cigarettes After Sex – ‘Cigarettes After Sex’
Partisan Records
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Best World Usage
Ibeyi – ‘Ash’
XL Recordings
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Independent Icon
Funky 4 + 1
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Breakthrough Artist
Princess Nokia – ‘1992 Deluxe’
Rough Trade Records
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Creative Packaging
Bob’s Burgers – ‘The Bob’s Burgers Music Album’
Sub Pop Records
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Independent Champion
MERLIN
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Label of the Year (6+ employees)
Dead Oceans
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Label of the Year (<5 employees)
Daptone Records
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Marketing Genius Award
Run the Jewels – Call Ticketron! 646.846.RTJ3
Run the Jewels, Inc.
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Video of the Year
Perfume Genius – “Die 4 You”
Matador Records
A2IM Lifetime Achievement Award
Brett Gurewitz
2018 A2IM Libera Awards
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Independent Impact Award
Taylor Swift – ‘Reputation’
Big Machine Label Group
2018 A2IM Libera Awards: Album of the Year
Slowdive – ‘Slowdive’
Dead Oceans
