Radiohead, Run The Jewels, Bonobo, King Gizzard Lead A2IM’s Libera Award Noms: Exclusive

Andy Gensler
·7 min read

Radiohead, Run the Jewels, Bonobo and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizards lead this year’s diverse slate of nominees for the American Association of Independent Music’s (A2IM) LIbera Awards, which recognizes artistic, creative and business achievement in the independent music sector.

The ceremony will be held June 8 at New York City’s PlayStation Theater with Ted Leo hosting the sixth annual event which will also include performances by Nick Lowe, Ani DiFranco, Talib Kweli, Twin Peaks and Nick Hakim. DiFranco, who launched her Righteous Babe Records label in 1990 and has released over 20 albums, will be honored with this year’s Independent Icon Award.

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Leading all comers this year is Radiohead (XL Recordings) with six nominations, including: Album of the Year, Best Live Act (sponsored by Kickstarter), Best Sync Usage, Marketing Genius (sponsored by Caroline) for “Radiohead Disappears from the Internet,” Video of the Year and Video of the Year Fan’s Choice (both sponsored by YouTube). Following the Oxforshire quintet’s sextet of noms are Run the Jewels, Bonobo and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizards who each received five nominations.

“It feels good to get this nod of recognition for our live show,” said Chuck Prophet, who was nominated for Best Live Act and records for Yep Roc Records. “People can look at things on YouTube or on television. Even if it’s in HD on a screen the size of Texas. There’s nothing like playing to a room full of people and everyone is swaying to the same song.”

“The Libera Awards allow the independent recorded music community to celebrate and showcase its own,” said Richard James Burgess, CEO A2IM, in a statement. “In a digital environment where credits are sorely lacking it is increasingly necessary to identify and publically demonstrate the incredible diversity of independent music.”

Last year’s Libera winners included Alabama Shakes (Album of the Year, Best Live Act, and Best Sync Usage); Run the Jewels (Marketing Genius and Video of the Year), Kamasi Washington (Groundbreaking Album of the Year), Daptone Records (Label of the Year with less than 5 employees) and Sub Pop (Label of the Year with more than 6 employees).

The Libera Awards, which are presented by SoundExchange, will cap off the organization’s 2017 Indie Week which brings together the global community of independent music labels and businesses between June 5-8 at New York’s Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center on the Lower East side.

This year’s Indie week featured speakers and panelists will include Pandora CEO and founder Tim Westergren, Music Confidential founder Susan Butler, as well as SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe.

2017’s Libera Awards Nominations

Album of the Year 

  • Angel Olsen – MY WOMAN (Jagjaguwar)

  • Bon Iver – 22, A Million (Jagjaguwar)

  • Bonobo – Migration (Ninja Tune)

  • Mandolin Orange – Blindfaller (Yep Roc Records)

  • Radiohead – Moon Shaped Pool (XL Recordings)

  • Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 3 (Run the Jewels, Inc.)

  • Thundercat – Drunk (Brainfeeder)

Best Blues/Jazz/R&B Album

  • Adrian Young – Something About April II (Linear Labs)

  • BADBADNOTGOOD – IV (Innovative Leisure)

  • Bobby Rush – Porcupine Meat (Rounder Records)

  • Charles Bradley – Changes (Daptone Records)

  • Nick Waterhouse – Never Twice (Innovative Leisure)

  • Sampha – Process (Young Turks)

  • Thundercat – Drunk (Brainfeeder)

Best Live Act Sponsored by Kickstarter

  • Angel Olsen (Jagjaguwar)

  • Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar)

  • Charles Bradley (Daptone Records)

  • Chuck Prophet (Yep Roc Records)

  • Iggy Pop (Loma Vista Recordings)

  • Radiohead (XL Recordings)

  • Run the Jewels (Run the Jewels, Inc)

Best Sync Usage

  • Alabama Shakes – Transparent | Season 3 Official Trailer | Amazon Video (Music Supervisor: Arranged by Zync Music) (ATO Records)

  • Gillian Welch – Hell or High Water (Music Supervisor: Chris Robertson) (Acony Records)

  • Perfume Genius – Toyatathon 2016 Ad Spot (Music Supervisor: Abby Rubin) (Matador Records)

  • Radiohead – The Accountant Official Trailer (Music Supervisor: Miwa Okumura) (XL Recordings)

  • Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – Lincoln MKZ Spot (Music Supervisor: Neal Sugarman) (Daptone Records)

  • Sharon Van Etten – 2016 Volvo XC90 TV Commercial (Music Supervisor: Ben Dorenfeld, Grey Advertising / Jon Coombs, Secretly Group) (Jagjaguwar)

  • tUnE-yArDs – #Pixel: Memories by you, Phone by Google (Music Supervisor: Abby Rubin) (4AD)

Breakthrough Artist Sponsored by INgrooves

  • Delicate Steve – This Is Steve (ANTI-)

  • The Lemon Twigs – Do Hollywood (4AD)

  • Margaret Glaspy – Emotions and Math (ATO Records)

  • Margo Price – Midwest Farmer’s Daughter (Third Man Records)

  • Roosevelt – Roosevelt (City Slang)

  • Whitney – Light Upon the Lake (Secretly Canadian)

  • Young M.A – OOOUUU (M.A Music/3d)

Best Classical/World Album

  • Bing & Ruth – No Home Of The Mind (4AD)

  • Céu – Tropix (Six Degrees Records)

  • Hailu Mergia – Wede Harer Guzo (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

  • Imarhan – Imarhan (City Slang)

  • Laraaji – All In one Peace (Leaving Records)

  • Peter Broderick – Partners (Erased Tapes Records)

  • Tinariwen – Elwan (Anti-)

Best Country/Americana/Folk Album

  • Case/Lang/Veirs – Case/Lang/Veirs (ANTI-)

  • Drive-By Truckers – American Band (ATO Records)

  • Gillian Welch –  Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg (Acony Records)

  • Hiss Golden Messenger – Heart Like a Levee (Merge Records)

  • Mandolin Orange – Blindfaller (Yep Roc Records)

  • Margo Price – Midwest Farmers Daughter (Third Man Records)

  • Michael Chapman – 50 (Paradise of Bachelors)

  • Ryley Walker – Golden Sings That Have Been Sung (Dead Oceans)

Creative Packaging

  • Bobo Yéyé – Belle Époque in Upper Volta (Creative Director: Ken Shipley and Rob Sevier) (Numero Group)

  • Bonobo – Migration (Creative Director: Neil Krug) (Ninja Tune)

  • Bon Iver – 22, A Million (Creative Director: Eric Timothy Carlson) (Jagjaguwar)

  • Eggs Over Easy – The Eggs Over Easy Story (Creative Director: Nathan Golub) (Yep Roc Records)

  • King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity (Creative Director: Jason Galea) (ATO Records)

  • My Morning Jacket – It Still Moves (Deluxe Edition) (Creative Director: Jim James & Danny Cash) (ATO Records)

  • Thundercat – Drunk (Creative Director: Adam Stober) (Brainfeeder)

Best Dance/Electronica Album

  • ANOHNI – HOPELESSNESS (Secretly Canadian)

  • Bonobo – Migration (Ninja Tune)

  • Boys Noize – Mayday (Boysnoize Records)

  • DJ Shadow – The Mountain Will Fall (Mass Appeal Records)

  • Flume – Skin (Mom + Pop Music/Future Classic)

  • Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – Ears (Western Vinyl)

  • TYCHO – Epoch (Ghostly International)

Independent Champion Sponsored by The Orchard

  • Bandcamp

  • MERLIN

  • NPR

  • PledgeMusic

  • Redeye

  • Secretly Distribution

  • Spotify

Label of the Year (6+ employees) Sponsored by ADA

  • ATO Records

  • Innovative Leisure

  • Jagjaguwar

  • Mexican Summer

  • Stones Throw

  • XL Recordings

  • Yep Roc Records

Label of the Year (<5 employees)

  • Acony Records

  • Dangerbird Records

  • Daptone Records

  • Erased Tapes Records

  • Run For Cover Records

  • Topshelf

  • Triple Crown Records

Marketing Genius Sponsored by Caroline

  • Bon Iver – 22, A Million – (Marketing Lead: Phil Waldorf / Tom Davies) (Jagjaguwar)

  • Charles Bradley – Changes – (Marketing Lead: Nydia Davila, Victoria Morris, and Joanna Noyes) (Daptone Records)

  • DJ Shadow – Nobody Speak Campaign – (Marketing Lead: Amit Nerurkar, Chris Mcilvenny, Annie Chen) (Mass Appeal Records)

  • Joseph – I’m Alone, No You’re Not – (Marketing Lead: Jon Salter, Laura Lyons) (ATO Records)

  • KAYTRANADA – 99.9% The Game – (Marketing Lead: Adam Berman, Pablo Douzoglou, Blake Thomas) (XL Recordings)

  • King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity – (Marketing Lead: Jon Salter, Dave McClain, Laura Lyons) (ATO Records)

  • Radiohead –  Radiohead Disappears from the Internet – (Marketing Lead: Radiohead, Scott Wright) (XL Recordings)

  • The xx – I See You (Marketing Lead: Pablo Douzoglou, Blake Thomas) (Young Turks)

Best Metal/Hard Rock Album

  • The Claypool Lennon Delirium – Monolith of Phobos (ATO Records)

  • Descendents – Hypercaffium Spazzinate (Epitaph)

  • King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity (ATO Records)

  • Metallica – Hardwired…To Self-Destruct (Blackened Recordings)

  • Pierce The Veil – Misadventures (Fearless Records)

  • Red Fang – Only Ghosts (Relapse Records)

  • White Lung – Paradise (Domino Recording Company)

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album

  • Aesop Rock – The Impossible Kid (Rhymesayers Entertainment)

  • De La Soul – And The Anonymous Nobody (A.O.I. Records)

  • Gold Panda – Good Luck And Do Your Best (City Slang)

  • KAYTRANADA – 99.9% (XL Recordings)

  • NxWorries – Yes Lawd! (Stones Throw)

  • Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 3 (Run the Jewels, Inc.)

  • Tech N9ne – The Storm (Strange Music)

Video of the Year Sponsored by YouTube

  • Angel Olsen – Shut Up Kiss Me (Jagjaguwar)

  • ANOHNI – Drone Bomb Me (Secretly Canadian)

  • Bonobo – Kerala (Ninja Tune)

  • DJ Shadow feat. Run The Jewels – Nobody Speak (Mass Appeal Records)

  • King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Gamma Knife/People-Vultures (ATO Records)

  • Mitski – Your Best American Girl (Dead Oceans)

  • Radiohead – Daydreaming (XL Recordings)

Video of the Year (Fan Vote) Sponsored by YouTube

  • Angel Olsen – Shut Up Kiss Me (Jagjaguwar)

  • ANOHNI – Drone Bomb Me (Secretly Canadian)

  • Bonobo – Kerala (Ninja Tune)

  • DJ Shadow feat. Run The Jewels – Nobody Speak (Mass Appeal Records)

  • King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Gamma Knife/People-Vultures (ATO Records)

  • Mitski – Your Best American Girl (Dead Oceans)

  • Radiohead – Daydreaming (XL Recordings)

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