On June 18, 2020, the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) will be bringing the 2020 A2IM Libera Awards into people’s homes via a first-of-its-kind live-streaming global ceremony. Presented by SoundExchange and in partnership with Merlin, the virtual Libera Awards is A2IM’s way of continuing to connect artists and fans for this annual event, as well as maintaining its ninth year of supporting and honoring the extraordinary talent of independent artists. The 2020 awards show comes as A2IM celebrates 15 years of education, advocacy, and connection-building within the independent music industry.
“True to indie music’s form, our organization swiftly pivoted and evolved to serve the needs of our artists, labels, and the fans who support them,” said A2IM President and CEO Richard James Burgess. “As we all look for good news and a sense of normalcy during these turbulent times, this is a way we can serve the independent music community.”
From the provocative pop of FKA Twigs to soul-filled performances by Mavis Staples, this year’s awards celebrate artists, music, videos, and creative marketing spanning a wide range of genres across the independent music spectrum. It also showcases record labels of all sizes that work to bring amazing new music to fans around the world. Nominees for the 2020 awards also include organizations that have championed the success of independent music across the globe. The Libera Awards are made possible by the support of its sponsors including ADA, Ingrooves, Merlin, Qobuz, Songtrust, SoundExchange and The Orchard.
The nominees for the 2020 Libera Awards include:
Album of the Year (sponsored by The Orchard)
- FKA Twigs – Magdalene (Young Turks)
- Angel Olsen – All Mirrors (Jagjaguwar)
- Brittany Howard – Jaime (ATO Records)
- Orville Peck – Pony (Sub Pop Records)
- Big Thief – U.F.O.F (4AD)
Best Live Act
- Flying Lotus (Warp Records)
- Courtney Barnett (Mom+Pop Music)
- Mavis Staples (Anti Records)
- Fontaines D.C. (Partisan Records)
- IDLES (Partisan Records)
The full list of this year’s nominees – www.liberaawards.com
The streamed event will be hosted by acclaimed actor, comedian, and author Chris Gethard, who will be returning as Libera’s host after a blockbuster first year. The show will also include virtual performances from legendary hip-hop duo Shabazz Palaces and Latina punk pioneer Alice Bag.
Each year, the Libera Awards serve as the culmination of A2IM’s Indie Week, an international conference that brings together leaders and visionaries from the independent music world for four days of keynotes, workshops, and panels. This year is no exception, with the first-of-its-kind global virtual conference and award show taking place the week of June 15-18.
Since its inception, the organization has worked to elevate independent music and serve as a voice for the rights of independent artists and labels. Through the unique challenges of this year, just as it has done in every other, A2IM works to strengthen the independent music sector and ensure that a fair share of value created by independent music is returned to its rights owners and creators.
The Libera Awards – https://liberaawards.com/
Indie Week 2020 – http://www.a2imiw.com/
