Libera Awards Presented by Merlin Announces 2026 Nominees

LIBERA AWARDS PRESENTED BY MERLIN
ANNOUNCES 2026 NOMINEES

CEREMONY TO TAKE PLACE MONDAY, JUNE 8
AT GOTHAM HALL, NYC - HOSTED BY DELISA SHANNON

TICKETS ON-SALE NOW

THE LIBERA AWARDS PRESENTED BY MERLIN IS THE PREMIER CELEBRATION OF THE BEST INDEPENDENT ARTISTS AND INDUSTRY FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE

TOP ARTIST NOMINEES ARE INCLUDE OKLOU, GEESE, CLIPSE, HAYLEY WILLIAMS & WEDNESDAY
PLUS NOTABLE NAMES SUCH AS MAVIS STAPLES, DAVID BYRNE, FEMI KUTI, MARSHALL ALLEN + MORE

Photo Credit: Nick Karp

New York, NY (March 18, 2026) – Today, The Foundation for Independent Music (FIM), with support from A2IM (The American Association of Independent Music, Inc.), is proud to announce nominees for the 2026 Libera Awards Presented By Merlin, featuring 38 categories honoring the best in independent music, including for the first time, ‘Independent Record Store Of The Year’. This 15th annual awards ceremony will take place on Monday, June 8 at the historic Gotham Hall in New York City. The night will once again be hosted by Billboard Short-Form Content Director, Delisa Shannon. Tickets on sale here.

“We are delighted to announce today the 2026 Libera Awards nominees and share a big congratulations to all of the talented artists and hard-working members of the independent music industry, who are truly deserving of these accolades. Their talent, ambition, drive and creativity have expanded our horizons as both an industry and simply as music fans. We can not wait to celebrate with them on June 8,” said Ian Harrison, CEO of A2IM.

The Libera Awards is the night for the independent music industry to come together and acknowledge the very best from this past year. Attendees at the awards gala will connect with the who’s-who of the sector and have the opportunity to celebrate with friends, colleagues, and industry leaders.

The Libera Awards Presented By Merlin will once again kick off the Indie Week conference, beginning the following morning, Tuesday, June 9, and running through Thursday, June 11, at the InterContinental New York Times Square. Learn more.

Photo Credit: Nick Karp

2026 Libera Awards Presented By Merlin Nominees:

RECORD OF THE YEAR presented by MERLIN

• Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out (Clipse, under exclusive license to Roc Nation Distribution)
• Geese - Getting Killed (Partisan Records)
• Hayley Williams - Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party (Post Atlantic)
• Mavis Staples - Sad And Beautiful World (ANTI-)
• Oklou - choke enough (True Panther Records)
• Oneohtrix Point Never - Tranquilizer (Warp Records)
• Wednesday - Bleeds (Dead Oceans)

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST

• Geese (Partisan Records)
• Gelli Haha (Innovative Leisure)
• Lambrini Girls (City Slang)
• Nourished By Time (XL Recordings)
• Water From Your Eyes (Matador Records)

LABEL OF THE YEAR (15+ employees)

• Ghostly International
• Loma Vista Recordings
• Merge Records
• Ninja Tune
• Partisan Records
• Polyvinyl Record Co.
• Sacred Bones Records
• Sub Pop Records
• Stones Throw Records
• Third Man Records
• Warp Records

LABEL OF THE YEAR (6-14 employees)

• Arts & Crafts
• Brownswood Recordings
• Captured Tracks
• Fat Possum Records
• Light in the Attic
• Mass Appeal
• Mexican Summer
• Run For Cover Records
• Secret City Records
• Sumerian Records

LABEL OF THE YEAR (5 or fewer employees)

• Bayonet Records
• Brainfeeder
• Colemine Records
• Daptone Records
• Oh Boy Records
• Psychic Hotline
• RVNG Intl.
• Saddle Creek
• True Panther Records
• Wax Bodega

BEST ALTERNATIVE ROCK RECORD

• The Beths - Straight Line Was A Lie (ANTI-)
• Geese - Getting Killed (Partisan Records)
• Nilufer Yanya - Dancing Shoes (Ninja Tune)
• Nourished By Time - The Passionate Ones (XL Recordings)
• Water From Your Eyes - It's a Beautiful Place (Matador Records)

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS RECORD

• Amanda Shires - Nobody's Girl (ATO Records)
• Greg Freeman - Burnover (Transgressive Records / Canvasback)
• Hannah Cohen - Earthstar Mountain (Congrats Records)
• Hayden Pedigo - I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away (Mexican Summer)
• Mon Rovîa - “Heavy Foot" (Nettwerk Music Group)
• Neko Case - Neon Grey Midnight Green (ANTI-)
• Valerie June - Owls, Omens, and Oracles (Concord Records)

BEST BLUES RECORD

• Antone's 50th Allstars - The Last Real Texas Blues Album (New West Records)
• Galactic & Irma Thomas - Audience With The Queen (Tchoup-zilla Records)
• Maria Muldaur - One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey (Nola Blue Records)
• Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' - Room On The Porch (Concord Records)
• Tedeschi Trucks Band and Leon Russell - Mad Dogs & Englishmen Revisited Live at LOCKN' (Fantasy Records)

BEST CLASSICAL RECORD

• Kara-Lis Coverdale - A Series of Actions in a Sphere of Forever (Smalltown Supersound)
• Lyra Pramuk - Hymnal (7K!)
• Theo Hoffman - Schubert Beatles (NYFOS Records)
• Tiffany Poon - Nature (Pentatone)
• Will Liverman - The Dunbar/Moore Sessions, Vol. II (Lexicon Classics)

BEST COUNTRY RECORD

• Alison Krauss & Union Station - "Richmond on the James" (Down The Road Records)
• Margo Price - Hard Headed Woman (Loma Vista Recordings)
• Shaboozey - "Good News" (American Dogwood / EMPIRE)
• Waylon Jennings - Songbird (Son of Jessi)
• Zach Top - Ain't In It For My Health (Leo33 / Firebird Music)

BEST DANCE RECORD

• Danny Brown - Stardust (Warp Records)
• Fcukers - "I Like It Like That" (Ninja Tune)
• Gelli Haha - Switcheroo (Innovative Leisure)
• Sextile - yes, please. (Sacred Bones Records)
• Shygirl - Club Shy Room 2 (Because Music)

BEST ELECTRONIC RECORD presented by Redeye Worldwide

• Ela Minus - DÍA (Domino)
• Helado Negro - The Last Sound On Earth (Big Dada / Ninja Tune)
• Oklou - choke enough (True Panther Records)
• Oneohtrix Point Never - Tranquilizer (Warp Records)
• Sudan Archives - THE BPM (Stones Throw Records)

BEST FOLK RECORD

• Folk Bitch Trio - Now Would Be A Good Time (Jagjaguwar)
• Jason Isbell - Foxes in the Snow (Southeastern Records)
• Joanne Robertson - Blurrr (AD 93)
• Madi Diaz - Fatal Optimist (ANTI-)
• S.G. Goodman - Planting By The Signs (Slough Water Records)

BEST RECORD FROM GAMES AND INTERACTIVE MEDIA

• C418 - Minecraft: Alpha + Beta (Box Set) (Ghostly International)
• Gracie LeClere / Jack Wall - Call of Duty®: Black Ops 7 (Original Soundtrack) (Activision)
• Hudson Bikichky - Eclipsium (Original Soundtrack) (Materia Collective)
• Lorien Testard - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Original Soundtrack) (Laced Records)
• Tom Morello - “Everything Burns” (ft. Beartooth) (Mom+Pop)
• Various Artists - Arcane League of Legends: Season 2 Original Soundtrack (Extended Edition) (Riot Games)

BEST GLOBAL RECORD

• Femi Kuti - Journey Through Life (Partisan Records)
• Lido Pimienta - La Belleza (ANTI-)
• Mdou Moctar - Tears of Injustice (Matador Records)
• Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu Plays Mulatu (Strut Records)
• Pachyman - Another Place (ATO Records)

BEST HEAVY RECORD

• The Callous Daoboys - I Don't Want To See You In Heaven (MNRK Music Group)
• Coheed and Cambria - The Father of Make Believe (Coheed and Cambria)
• Die Spitz - Something to Consume (Third Man Records)
• DRAIN - …IS YOUR FRIEND (Epitaph)
• Model/Actriz - Pirouette (True Panther Records)
• They Are Gutting a Body of Water - LOTTO (ATO Records)
• YHWH Nailgun - 45 Pounds (AD 93)

BEST HIP-HOP/RAP RECORD presented by AUDIOSALAD

• Aesop Rock - Black Hole Superette (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
• billy woods - GOLLIWOG (Backwoodz Studioz/Rhymesayers Entertainment)
• Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out (Clipse, under exclusive license to Roc Nation Distribution)
• Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo 2 (ESGN LLC)
• Jim Legxacy - black british music (2025) (XL Recordings)
• John Glacier - Like A Ribbon (Young)
• Shygirl - "SLIME is BESTIE” (ft. JT and Sega Bodega) (Because Music)

INDEPENDENT RECORD STORE OF THE YEAR

• Amoeba Music
• The Electric Fetus
• Grimey's New & Preloved Music
• Music Millennium
• Plaid Room Records
• Rough Trade NYC
• Turntable Lab
• Waterloo Records

BEST JAZZ RECORD

• Chick Corea, Christian McBride + Brian Blade - Trilogy 3 (Candid Records)
• James Brandon Lewis - Apple Cores (ANTI-)
• Kassa Overall - CREAM (Warp Records)
• Ledisi - For Dinah (Candid Records)
• Marshall Allen - New Dawn (Mexican Summer)
• Mei Semones - Animaru (Bayonet Records)
• Robert Glasper - Keys To The City Volume One (Loma Vista Recordings)
• Sullivan Fortner - Southern Nights (Artwork)

BEST LATIN RECORD

• Adrian Quesada - Boleros Psicodélicos II (ATO Records)
• Arca - "Sola" (XL Recordings)
• Buscabulla - Se Amaba Así (Domino)
• Juan Wauters - MVD LUV (Captured Tracks)
• Lido Pimienta - La Belleza (ANTI-)
• Rubio - "Voy Creciendo" (FAMA Collective)
• Sessa - Pequena Vertigem de Amor (Mexican Summer)

BEST OUTLIER RECORD

• Guerilla Toss - You're Weird Now (Sub Pop)
• Khruangbin - The Universe Smiles Upon You ii (Dead Oceans)
• Panda Bear - Sinister Grift (Domino)
• William Tyler - Time Indefinite (Psychic Hotline)
• Youth Code - Yours, With Malice (Sumerian Records)

BEST POP RECORD

• David Byrne - Who Is The Sky? (Matador Records)
• King Princess - Girl Violence (section 1)
• Lily Allen - West End Girl (BMG)
• Oklou - choke enough (True Panther Records)
• Perfume Genius - Glory (Matador Records)
• Robyn - "Dopamine" (Young)

BEST PUNK RECORD

• Joyce Manor - “Well, Whatever It Was” (Epitaph)
• Lambrini Girls - Who Let The Dogs Out (City Slang)
• Laura Jane Grace - Adventure Club (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
• Scowl - Are We All Angels (Dead Oceans)
• Snooper - Worldwide (Third Man Records)
• Upchuck - I'm Nice Now (Domino)

BEST R&B RECORD

• Dawn Richard - "A Flex" (Merge Records)
• keiyaA - hooke's law (XL Recordings)
• Kelela - In The Blue Light (Warp Records)
• NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) - "Everybody Gets Down" (Stones Throw Records)
• Thundercat - "Children of the Baked Potato (feat. Remi Wolf)" (Brainfeeder)
• Yaya Bey - do it afraid (drink sum wtr)

BEST REISSUE

• Everything But The Girl - The Best of Everything But The Girl (Buzzin' Fly / Chrysalis Records)
• Hiroshi Yoshimura - Flora (Temporal Drift)
• MF DOOM - Special Herbs (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
• Rilo Kiley - The Execution of All Things (Frozen Lake Edition) (Saddle Creek)
• Sister Irene O'Connor - Fire of God's Love (Freedom to Spend)
• The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle: Mono Remastered (Beechwood Park Records)

BEST REMIX

• Ela Minus – "QQQQ (Nick León Apocalypto Remix)" (Domino)
• Faux Real - "Walking Away From My Demons (Wet Leg Remix)" (City Slang)
• Fat Boy Slim & The Rolling Stones - "Satisfaction Skank" (Southern Fried Records and ABKCO Music & Records)
• Justice - "Mannequin Love" (The Dare Remix) (Ed Banger)
• Lambrini Girls - "Cuntology 101 (Peaches Remix)" (City Slang)
• Oklou - "blade bird (Nick León Broward Mix)" (True Panther Records)
• Reyna Tropical / Amantes del Futuro - "Conocerla" (Psychic Hotline)

BEST ROCK RECORD

• Blondshell - If You Asked For A Picture (Partisan Records)
• Fontaines D.C.- "It's Amazing To be Young" (XL Recordings)
• Hayley Williams - Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party (Post Atlantic)
• King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Phantom Island (p(doom) records)
• Momma - Welcome to My Blue Sky (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
• Rocket - R Is For Rocket (Transgressive Records / Canvasback)
• Wednesday - Bleeds (Dead Oceans)

BEST SINGER SONGWRITER RECORD

• Alice Phoebe Lou - Oblivion (Nettwerk Music Group)
• Annahstasia - Tether (drink sum wtr)
• Ben Kweller - Cover The Mirrors (The Noise Company)
• Ichiko Aoba - Luminescent Creatures (Psychic Hotline)
• Jason Isbell - "Crimson and Clay" (Southeastern Records)
• Madi Diaz - Fatal Optimist (ANTI-)
• Mei Semones - Animaru (Bayonet Records)

BEST SOUL/FUNK RECORD

• The Altons - Heartache in Room 14 (Daptone Records)
• Annie and the Caldwells - Can't Lose My (Soul) (Luaka Bop)
• Curtis Harding - Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt (ANTI-)
• Durand Jones & The Indications - Flowers (Dead Oceans)
• Kokoroko - Tuff Times Never Last (Brownswood Recordings)
• Mavis Staples - Sad And Beautiful World (ANTI-)
• Say She She - Cut & Rewind (drink sum wtr)
• Sly & the Family Stone - The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 (High Moon Records)

BEST SPIRITUAL RECORD

• Alexxander - LLORÓN (Reach Records)
• Ami Taf Ra - The Prophet and The Madman (Brainfeeder)
• Amina Claudine Myers - Solace of the Mind (Red Hook Records)
• Chandrika Tandon - Soul Ecstasy (Soul Chants Music)
• Lecrae - Reconstruction (Reach Records)
• Lil Jon, Kabir Sehgal - Remix Meditation (Tiger Turn)
• Parchman Prison Prayer - Another Mississippi Sunday Morning (Glitterbeat Records)
• Robert Finley - Hallelujah! Don't Let The Devil Fool Ya (Easy Eye Sound)

BEST SYNC USAGE

• Bully - "Days Move Slow" (I Know What You Did Last Summer) (Sub Pop)
• Buzzcocks - "Why Can't I Touch It" (ROSS) (Domino)
• De La Soul - "Me Myself and I" (Target Back to School) (A.O.I. Records/Reservoir)
• Goldie Boutilier - "King of Possibilities" (The Hunting Wives) (ONErpm)
• John Prine - "In Spite of Ourselves" (Die My Love) (Oh Boy Records)
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - “Burning” (Lucid) (Secretly Canadian)
• Wet Leg - "mangetout" (Heated Rivalry) (Domino)

BEST CREATIVE PACKAGING

• Bobby "Boris" Pickett & Edgar Winter - "Monster Rap" b/w "Frankenstein 1984" (Frankenstein-Shaped Vinyl) (Reservoir Recordings)
• Bon Iver - SABLE, fABLE (Jagjaguwar)
• Chucho Valdés, Royal Quartet - Cuba And Beyond (InnerJazz)
• J Dilla - Donuts (Audiophile Edition) (Stones Throw Records)
• John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies - Halloween: The Complete Expanded Collection (Sacred Bones Records)
• MF DOOM - Special Herbs (Rhymesayers Entertainment)

DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR

• AudioSalad
• FUGA
• IDOL
• Light in the Attic
• The Orchard
• Redeye Worldwide
• Secretly Distribution
• Symphonic Distribution
• Virgin Music Group

INDEPENDENT CHAMPION presented by Bandcamp

• AudioSalad
• DISCO
• FaroLatino
• Light in the Attic
• Qobuz
• TuneCore

MARKETING GENIUS

• Because Music - Because Beaubourg (Because Music)
• Clipse - Let God Sort 'Em Out (Clipse, under exclusive license to Roc Nation Distribution)
• Geese - Getting Killed (Partisan Records)
• Hayley Williams - Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party (Post Atlantic)
• MF DOOM - Special Herbs (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
• Wednesday - Bleeds (Dead Oceans)
• We'll Never Stop Living This Way: A Ghostly International Catalogue (Ghostly International)

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• Clipse - "So Be It" (Clipse, under exclusive license to Roc Nation Distribution)
• Die Spitz - “Throw Yourself to the Sword” (Third Man Records)
• Geese - "Taxes" (Partisan Records)
• Oklou - "viscus" (True Panther Records)
• Wednesday - "Elderberry Wine" (Dead Oceans)
• Wet Leg - "catch these fists" (Domino)

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR

• Beggars Music
• Downtown Music Publishing
• Reservoir
• Secretly Publishing
• Sub Pop Publishing
• Warp Publishing

SELF RELEASED RECORD OF THE YEAR

• Charlotte de Witte - Charlotte de Witte (KNTXT)
• Colbie Caillat - This Time Around (Blue Jean Baby Records)
• Hayley Williams - Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party (Post Atlantic)
• MIKE - Showbiz! (10k)
• Navy Blue - The Sword & The Soaring (Freedom Sounds)
• Rebecca Black - SALVATION (Rebecca Black)
• SNACKTIME - "ENOUGH." (Self-Released)

Supported By:

About the Foundation for Independent Music (FIM):

The Foundation for Independent Music (FIM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the growth, sustainability, and innovation of the independent music community. Through impactful educational programs, strategic initiatives, and a commitment to elevating diverse voices. FIM produces Indie Week, the world’s largest international gathering of independent music professionals, offering comprehensive education, industry insights, and networking for independent music stakeholders. FIM also presents the annual Libera Awards, the premier independent awards ceremony recognizing artistic and commercial excellence in independent music, celebrating achievements across categories that reflect the full breadth and vitality of the independent sector.

About Host, Delisa Shannon:

Delisa Shannon is a video journalist based in Brooklyn, NY focused on the intersection of music and culture. You can find her backstage and on the red carpet with some of your favorite artists. Delisa currently works at Billboard as Short Form Content Director, reimagining our relationship to short form content and its power to connect us. She has previously held bylines at Rolling Stone, where she highlighted legacy acts and rising voices in music.

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