Madi Diaz Wins A2IM Libera Award for Best Americana Record

Madi Diaz is feeling Libera-rated

The 2022 A2IM Libera Awards have been doled out, with the 36-year-old half-Peruvian American singer-songwriter and musician among the winners.

Madi DiazDiaz received the award for Best Americana Record for her acclaimed album History of a Feeling.

The Best Latin Record award went to Helado Negro.

The Ecuadorian American musician, whose real name is Roberto Carlos Lange, won the award for his album Far In.

Mexican & Asian rock group The Linda Lindas won the award for Best Punk Record for their viral hit single “Racist, Sexist Boy” (Live at LA Public).

U.S. Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA) received the Congressional Independent Music Guardian award for her continued support of indie music.

The awards were presented at Webster Hall in New York City on Thursday, June 16, and also, in a different format, online on A2IM’s official YouTube channel.

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) sponsors the Libera Awards. A2IM is a not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in New York City that works to support the independent recorded music sector. Membership includes nearly 700 independently-owned American music labels.

Here’s the full list winners from the 2022 A2IM Libera Awards:

Record of the year: Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
Self-released record of the year: Cautious Clay – Deadpan Love (Cautious Clay)
Video of the year: Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue” (Domino Recording Co.)
Label of the year (big) (tie): mom+pop music; Matador Records
Label of the year (medium): Sacred Bones Records
Label of the year (small): Oh Boy Records
A2IM humanitarian award: Common
Best alternative rock record: Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
Best Americana record: Madi Diaz – History of a Feeling (ANTI-)
Best blues record (tie): Cedric Burnside – I Be Trying (Single Lock Records); Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – 662 (Alligator Records)
Best classical record: Bryce Dessner, Australian String Quartet, Sydney Dance Company – Impermanence/Disintegration (37d03d)
Best country record: Sturgill Simpson – The Ballad of Dood & Juanita (High Top Mountain Records / Thirty Tigers)
Best dance record: Jungle – Loving In Stereo (AWAL)
Best electronic record: 박혜진 Park Hye Jin – Before I Die (Ninja Tune)
Best folk/bluegrass record (tie): Hand Habits – Fun House (Saddle Creek); Jose Gonzalez – Local Valley (Mute)
Best heavy record: Deafheaven – Infinite Granite (Sargent House)
Best hip-hop/rap record: Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (AWAL)
Best jazz record: BADBADNOTGOOD – Talk Memory (XL Recordings/Innovative Leisure)
Best Latin record: Helado Negro – Far In (4AD)
Best live/livestream act: Mdou Moctar – “Live at the Niger River”
Best outlier record: L’Rain – Fatigue (Mexican Summer)
Best pop record: Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams (Transgressive/[PIAS])
Best punk record: The Linda Lindas – “Racist, Sexist Boy” (Live at LA Public Library) (Epitaph)
Best R&B record: Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant (Brainfeeder (Ninja Tune))
Best reissue: Radiohead – Kid A Mnesia (XL Recordings)
Best rock record: IDLES – CRAWLER (Partisan Records)
Best spiritual record: Blind Boys of Alabama feat. Bela Fleck – “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” (Single Lock Records)
Best sync usage: Phoebe Bridgers – “I Know the End” – Ep 106 Mare of Easttown (Dead Oceans)
Best world record: Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime (Matador Records)
Breakthrough artist/release: Wet Leg – Chaise Longue (Domino Recording Co.)
Creative packaging: Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
Independent champion: Bandcamp
Marketing genius: Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
Excellence in advocacy: Dionne Warwick
Congressional independent music guardian: Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA)
Innovation in sustainability: IMPALA Sustainability Task Force

Rebecca Black Earns Libera Awards Nomination from American Association of Independent Music

It’s a Libera-ting moment for Rebecca Black

This year’s A2IM Libera Awards nominations have been revealed, with the 24-year-old half-Mexican American singer earning a nod.

Rebecca BlackBlack, who rose to acclaim with 2011’s viral sensation single “Friday,” earned a nomination in the Self-Released Record of the Year category for the latest album Rebecca Black Was Here, a six-track album that offers a clear sense of who Black is as an artist, stringing together the weirdness of hyper-pop with the melodic heft of mainstream pop.

Adrian Quesada has three Libera nominations…

The 45-year-old Mexican American Grammy-winning producer/guitarist and his Black Pumas band mate Eric Burton earned a nod for Best Live/Livestream Act for their performance of “Colors” at the U.S. presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, as well as Best Rock Record for Capitol Cuts (Live from Studio A) and Best Sync Usage for the use of their song “Colors” in the Concrete Cowboy trailer.

The 25 anniversary edition of Buena Vista Social Club, from the ensemble of Cuban musicians of the same name, earned a nod for Best Reissue.

Madi Diaz is nominated in the Best Americana Record category.

The 35-year-old half Peruvian American singer-songwriter and musician earned the nod for her album History of a Feeling.

The Linda Lindas, comprised of  Asian-American and Latino singers Bela Salazar, Eloise Wong and Lucia de la Garza and Mila de la Garza, are up for Best Punk Record for “Racist, Sexist Boy (Live at LA Public Library), which became a viral sensation.

Jose Gonzalez earned a nod in the Best Folk/Bluegrass Record category for the 43-year-old Argentine-Swedish singer-songwriter’s Local Valley project.

João Donato is nominated in the Best World Record category for the 87-year-old Brazilian jazz and bossa nova pianist’s João Donato JID007 album.

Meanwhile, the nominees in the Best Latin Record category are Alejandro Escovedo (La Cruzada), Arca (KICK ii), Cimafunk (El Alimento), Helado Negro (Far In), Los Retros (Looking Back) and Xenia Rubinos (Una Rosa).

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) sponsors the Libera Awards. A2IM is a not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in New York City that works to support the independent recorded music sector. Membership includes nearly 700 independently-owned American music labels.

This year’s Libera Awards will include both a virtual broadcast exclusively streamed on YouTube and an in-person ceremony held on June 16 in New York City. The in-person gala will be held at an “iconic New York venue” and will include dinner and drinks as well as live award presentations.

Each year, the Libera Awards serve as the culmination of A2IM’s Indie Week, an international conference that brings together leaders from the independent music world for four days of keynotes, workshops, and panels. This year’s Indie Week will take place June 13-16 as a hybrid event — both online and in-person.

Here’s the full list of 2022 Libera Awards nominees:

Record of the Year
Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams (Transgressive/[PIAS])
Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg (4AD)
Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Georgia Blue (Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers)
Low – Hey What (Sub Pop)
Snail Mail – Valentine (Matador Records)

Self-Released Record of the Year
Cautious Clay – Deadpan Love (Cautious Clay)
Emma-Jean Thackray – Yellow (Movementt)
Jackson Wooten – A New Child (The Assembly LLC)
Rebecca Black – Rebecca Black Was Here (Rebecca Black)
Sinéad Harnett – Ready Is Always Too Late (Thairish Limited)
Wiki – Half God (Wikset Enterprise)

Breakthrough Artist/Release, Presented by Ingrooves
Black Country, New Road – For the first time (Ninja Tune)
girl in red –  if i could make it go quiet (World in Red/AWAL)
Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime (Matador Records)
Wet Leg – “Chase Longue” (Domino)

Video of the Year, Presented by YouTube Music
Danny Elfman – “True” (Epitaph Records)
IDLES – “CAR CRASH” (Partisan Records)
Japanese Breakfast – “Savage Good Boy” (Dead Oceans)
Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen – “Like I Used To” (Jagjaguwar)
Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue” (Domino Recording Co.)
Yves Tumor – “Jackie” (Warp Records)

Best Reissue
Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club (25th Anniversary Edition) (World Circuit Records/BMG)
Gang Of Four – 77-81 (Matador Records)
Radiohead – Kid A Mnesia (XL Recordings)
Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (Fat Possum Records)
Thundercat – The Golden Age of Apocalypse (Ten Year Anniversary Edition) (Brainfeeder/Ninja Tune)
Tom Tom Club – The Good, The Bad and The Funky (Nacional Records)

Best Live/Livestream Act
Amyl and The Sniffers – Live on KEXP at Home
Black Pumas – “Colors” – Biden Inauguration Performance
Japanese Breakfast  – “Be Sweet” – The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – “Driver 8” – Live from Athens, GA
Mdou Moctar – “Live at the Niger River”
St. Vincent – “At the Holiday Party” – Austin City Limits

Best Outlier Record, Presented by The Orchard
Bo Burnham – Inside (The Songs) (Bo Burnham/Imperial/Ingrooves)
L’Rain – Fatigue (Mexican Summer)
Moor Mother – Black Encyclopedia of the Air (ANTI-)
Spirit of the Beehive – Entertainment, Death (Saddle Creek)
Tirzah – Colourgrade (Domino Recording Co.)

A2IM Humanitarian Award
Common – (for work with) A Rebirth of Sound
Margo Price – (for work with) Farm Aid
Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD)
Rev. Moose – (for work with) National Independent Venue Association (NIVA)
Secretly Group – SC25: Every Light On This Side Of The Town
Hopeless Records / Sub City Records – Songs That Saved My Life

Best Alternative Rock Record
Cautious Clay – “Wildfire” (Cautious Clay)
Courtney Barnett – Things Take Time, Take Time (Mom + Pop Music)
Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg (4AD)
girl in red – if i could make it go quiet (AWAL)
Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
Low – Hey What (Sub Pop Records)
Snail Mail – Valentine (Matador Records)

Best Americana Record
Fruit Bats – The Pet Parade (Merge Records)
Hiss Golden Messenger – Quietly Blowing It (Merge Records)
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Georgia Blue (Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers)
John Hiatt with The Jerry Douglas Band – Leftover Feelings (New West Records)
Leo Nocentelli – Another Side (Light in the Attic)
Madi Diaz – History of a Feeling (ANTI-)
Steve Gunn – Other You (Matador Records)

Best Blues Record
Cedric Burnside – I Be Trying (Single Lock Records)
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – 662 (Alligator Records)
Eric Bibb – Dear America (Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group)
Neal Francis – “Can’t Stop The Rain” (ATO Records)
Nick Waterhouse – Promenade Blue (Innovative Leisure)
Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps – Rose-Colored Glasses, Vol. 1 (Blue Heart Records)

Best Classical Record
Bryce Dessner, Australian String Quartet, Sydney Dance Company – Impermanence/Disintegration (37d03d)
Canadian Brass – Canadiana (Linus Entertainment)
Grandbrothers – All the Unknown (City Slang)
Jeremiah Fraites – Piano Piano (Dualtone Music Group)
Theo Alexander – Sunbathing Through A Glass Screen (Arts & Crafts)
Vitamin String Quartet – Our Flashback Wedding (CMH Label Group)

Best Country Record
Caitlin Rose – Own Side Now (Deluxe Anniversary Edition) (ATO Records)
Emily Scott Robinson – American Siren (Oh Boy Records)
Morgan Wade – Reckless (Ladylike Records/Thirty Tigers)
Sturgill Simpson – The Ballad of Dood & Juanita (High Top Mountain Records/Thirty Tigers)
Fancy Hagood – Southern Curiosity (Mick Music/Downtown Music Services)
Lainey Wilson – Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ (Broken Bow Records/BMG)

Best Dance Record, Presented by edm.com
Brittany Howard – “Stay High again..” (Fred again.. & Joy Anonymous Remix) (ATO Records)
Dawn Richard – “Loose Your Mind” (Merge Records)
Disclosure – DJ-Kicks: Disclosure (!K7 Records)
Jungle – Loving in Stereo (AWAL)
Keys N Krates – “Original Classic” (Last Gang Records)
Logic1000 – You’ve Got the Whole Night to Go (Therapy distributed by Because Music)

Best Electronic Record, Presented by Redeye Worldwide
Arca – KicK iii (XL Recordings)
Caribou – “You Can Do It” (Merge Records)
Dawn Richard – Second Line (Merge Records)
Flying Lotus – Yasuke (Warp Records)
박혜진 Park Hye Jin – Before I Die (Ninja Tune)

Best Folk/Bluegrass Record
Aisha Badru – The Way Back Home (Nettwerk Records)
Hand Habits – Fun House (Saddle Creek)
Jose Gonzalez – Local Valley (Mute Records)
Shannon Lay – Geist (Sub Pop Records)
The Weather Station – Ignorance (Fat Possum Records)
Various Artists – Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2 (Oh Boy Records)

Best Heavy Record
Babymetal – 10 Babymetal Budokan (Cooking Vinyl)
Deafheaven – Infinite Granite (Sargent House)
Every Time I Die – Radical (Epitaph)
Quicksand – Distant Population (Epitaph)
Spiritbox – Eternal Blue (Rise Records / BMG)

Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record, Presented by Virgin Music
Injury Reserve – By the Time I Get to Phoenix (Self-Released/Stem)
Joyner Lucas & J. Cole – “Your Heart” (Twenty Nine Music Group)
Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (AWAL)
Mick Jenkins – Elephant in the Room (Cinematic Music Group/Ingrooves)
Mykki Blanco – Broken Hearts and Beauty Sleep (Transgressive/[PIAS])
Young M.A – Off the Yak (M.A Music/3D)

Best Jazz Record
Adrian Younge – The American Negro (Jazz Is Dead)
BadBadNotGood – Talk Memory (XL Recordings)
John Carroll Kirby – Septet (Stones Throw Records)
Nala Sinephro – Space 1.8 (Warp Records)
Jihye Lee Orchestra – Daring Mind (Motéma Music)
Nick Hakim – “Qadir” (Badbadnotgood Remix) (ATO Records)

Best Latin Record
Alejandro Escovedo – La Cruzada (Yep Roc Records)
Arca – KICK ii (XL Recordings)
Cimafunk – El Alimento (Terapia Productions/Thirty Tigers)
Helado Negro – Far In (4AD)
Los Retros – Looking Back (Stones Throw Records)
Xenia Rubinos – Una Rosa (ANTI-)

Best Pop Record
Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams (Transgressive/[PIAS])
Ashe – Ashlyn (Mom + Pop Music)
Big Red Machine – How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? (Jagjaguwar)
Chai – Wink (Sub Pop Records)
Noga Erez – Kids (City Slang)

Best Punk Record
Amyl and The Sniffers – Comfort to Me (ATO Records)
Chubby and the Gang – The Mutt’s Nuts (Partisan Records)
illuminati hotties – Let Me Do One More (Hopeless Records)
Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs (Rough Trade Records)
The Linda Lindas – “Racist, Sexist Boy” (Live at LA Public Library) (Epitaph)

Best R&B Record
Brittany Howard – Jaime (Reimagined) (ATO Records)
Charlotte Day Wilson – Alpha (Stone Woman Music Inc.)
Durand Jones & The Indications – Private Space (Dead Oceans)
Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant (Brainfeeder (Ninja Tune))
serpentwithfeet – Deacon (Secretly Canadian)
Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3 (4AD)

Best Rock Record, Presented by MSK (Mitchell; Silberberg & Knupp, LLP)
Black Pumas – Capitol Cuts (Live from Studio A) (ATO Records)
Idles – Crawler (Partisan Records)
Parquet Courts – Sympathy for Life (Rough Trade Records)
shame – Drunk Tank Pink (Dead Oceans)
The The – The Comeback Special (earMUSIC)

Best Spiritual Record
Blind Boys of Alabama feat. Bela Fleck – “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” (Single Lock Records)
Hiss Golden Messenger – O Come All Ye Faithful (Merge Records)
Natalie Bergman – Mercy (Third Man Records)
Oak Ridge Boys – Front Porch Singin’ (Lightning Rod Records / Thirty Tigers)
Wande feat. Porsha Love – “Don’t Worry Bout It” (Reach Records)

Best Sync Usage
Adele – “Hello” – NFL/Tom Brady’s Return (XL Recordings)
Black Pumas – “Colors” – Concrete Cowboy Trailer (ATO Records)
Fela Kuti – “Zombie’” – Gucci 100 Promo Campaign (Knitting Factory Records)
John Prine – “Caravan of Fools” – Ep 3 Yellowstone (Oh Boy Records)
Phoebe Bridgers – “I Know the End” – Ep 106 Mare of Easttown (Dead Oceans)
The Rolling Stones – “She’s a Rainbow” – Ep 205 Ted Lasso (ABKCO)
Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue” – Ep 5 Gossip Girl (Domino Recording Co.)

Best World Record
Altin Gün – Yol (ATO Records)
Femi Kuti and Made Kuti – Legacy + (Partisan Records)
João Donato – João Donato JID007 (Jazz Is Dead)
Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime (Matador Records)
Pachyman – The Return of Pachyman (ATO Records)

Creative Packaging
Buzzcocks – Complete UA Singles 1977-1980 (Domino)
Erroll Garner – Liberation in Swing: Centennial Collection (Mack Avenue Music Group / Octave Music Licensing, LLC)
Fela Kuti – Box Set #5 Co-Curated by Chris Martin & Femi Kuti (Knitting Factory Records)
Gang Of Four – 77-81 (Matador Records)
Gary Numan 45X15 – The Singles Collection 1978-1983 (Beggars Arkive)
Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee (Dead Oceans)

Independent Champion, Presented by Merlin
Bandcamp
FUGA
Light in the Attic Distribution
Redeye Worldwide
SoundExchange

Label of the Year (Big), Presented by ADA
ATO Records
Matador Records
Merge Records
Mom + Pop Music
Ninja Tune
Polyvinyl Record Co.
Third Man Records

Label of the Year (Medium)
City Slang
Hopeless Records
New West Records
Sacred Bones Records
Saddle Creek
Yep Roc Records

Label of the Year (Small)
Don Giovanni Records
Innovative Leisure
Oh Boy Records
Sargent House
Sundazed

Marketing Genius
Bicep – Isles (Ninja Tune)
Various Artists – Death Row Records 30th Anniversary (Death Row Records)
Eyedress – Mulholland Drive (Lex Records)
Helado Negro – Helado Negro Ice Cream Tricycle (4AD)
Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Official Bootlegger Series (KGLW/Virgin Music)

FKA Twigs Takes Home Video of the Year Prize at A2IM Libera Awards

FKA Twigs is celebrating a sad day

The 10th annual A2IM Libera Awards have been announced, with the 33-year-old part-Spanish English singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actress taking home one of the top prizes.

FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs won the award for Video of the Year for the official clip for her single “Sad Day.”

The awards, now in their 10th year, celebrate the independent recorded music sector.

Gabriel Garzón-Montano also picked up an award…

The 31-year-old half-Colombian American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist took home the Best Latin Record prize for his album Agüita, his acclaimed sophomore album.

Here’s a full list of 2021 Libera Award winners:

Record of the year: Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher (Dead Oceans)
Video of the year: FKA twigs – “Sad Day” (Young Turks)
Best live/livestream act: Phoebe Bridgers (Dead Oceans)
Breakthrough artist/release (presented by Ingrooves): Arlo Parks (Transgressive/[PIAS])
A2IM humanitarian award: Killer Mike & El-P of Run the Jewels (Jewel Runners, Inc.)
Best alternative rock record: Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher (Dead Oceans)
Best Americana record: Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman (37d03d)
Best blues record: Fantastic Negrito – Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? (Cooking Vinyl Ltd.)
Best classical record: Erik Hall – Music for 18 Musicians (Steve Reich) (Western Vinyl)
Best country record: Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud (Merge Records)
Best dance/electronic record: Caribou – Suddenly (Merge Records)
Best folk/bluegrass record: Angel Olsen- Whole New Mess (Jagjaguwar)
Best hip-hop/rap record (presented by Virgin Music): Run the Jewels – RTJ4 (Jewel Runners, Inc.)
Best jazz record (presented by Qobuz): Gil-Scott Heron & Makaya McCraven – We’re New Again – A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven (XL Recordings)
Best Latin record: Gabriel Garzón-Montano – Agüita (Jagjaguwar in partnership with Stones Throw Records)
Best metal record: Architects – “Animals” (Epitaph Records)
Best outlier record (presented by The Orchard): Khruangbin – Mordechai (Dead Oceans)
Best punk record: IDLES – Ultra Mono (Partisan Records)
Best R&B record: Thundercat – It Is What It Is (Brainfeeder)
Best rock record (presented by Mitchell; Silberberg & Knupp LLP): Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death (Partisan Records)
Best spiritual record: Sun Ra Arkestra – Swirling (STRUT)
Best world record (presented by Redeye Worldwide): TIE: Altin Gün – “Ordunun Dereleri” (ATO Records) and Songhoy Blues – Optimisme (Fat Possum Records)
Best re-issue: J Dilla – Donuts (Jelly Edition) (Stones Throw Records)
Best sync usage: Run the Jewels (Jewel Runners, Inc.) – “Ooh LA LA” – Season three of Netflix’s Ozark
Creative packaging: Soccer Mommy – Color Theory limited edition back to school binder (Loma Vista Recordings)
Independent champion (presented by Merlin): Bandcamp
Marketing genius: Beggars Group – Supporting Indie Retail #loverecordstores Campaign
Label of the year (big–15 or more employees globally) (presented by ADA): Sub Pop Records
Label of the year (medium—6 to 14 employees globally): Light In The Attic
Label of the year (small—five or fewer employees globally) (presented by Spotify): Daptone Records
Independent icon: Mavis Staples
Lifetime achievement award: Stax Records