After much anticipation, updates regarding the biggest night in independent music have been shared. Yesterday (March 18), A2IM (The American Association of Independent Music, Inc.) in partnership with The Foundation for Independent Music (FIM) unveiled the nomination list for the 2026 Libera Awards presented by Merlin.
Atop the list are rising French electronic star Oklou and raging rockers Geese, with five nominations each. Following closely are legendary hip-hop duo Clipse; beloved rock vocalist Hayley Williams; and indie favorites Wednesday, with four nods each.
Oklou’s choke enough, Geese’s Getting Killed, Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out, Hayley Williams’ Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party, and Wednesday’s Bleeds will face off for Record of The Year.
Another category with stiff competition is Music Video of the Year where Clipse’s “So Be It,” Geese’s “Taxes,” Oklou’s “viscus,” and Wednesday’s “Elderberry Wine” will battle it out alongside Die Spitz’s “Throw Yourself to the Sword” & Wet Leg’s “catch these fists.”
Next is the Marketing Genius category, where Geese (Partisan Records/Play It Again Sam), Clipse (Roc Nation Distribution), Hayley Williams (Post Atlantic), and Wednesday’s (Dead Oceans) respective album rollouts are being recognized. The final faceoff, being this year’s most nominated acts will take place in the Best Rock Record category. Both Hayley Williams’ Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party and Wednesday’s Bleeds received a nod.
Oklou is up for Best Electronic Record presented by Redeye Worldwide (choke enough), Best Pop Record (choke enough) and Best Remix [“blade bird (Nick León Broward Mix)”].
Geese is nominated for Breakthrough Artist and Best Alternative Rock (Getting Killed). Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out is nominated for Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record presented by AUDIOSALAD. Hayley William’s Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party is nominated for Self-Released Record Of The Year.
Among the 38 categories, music professionals and fans alike will notice this year’s ceremony brings forth a new competitive slot. For this first time, the A2IM voting committee will have the chance to vote for the best ‘Independent Record Store Of The Year.’ The inagural nominees are Amoeba Music, The Electric Fetus, Grimey’s New & Preloved Music, Music Millennium, Plaid Room Records, Rough Trade NYC, Turntable Lab, and Waterloo Records.
The 15th annual Libera Awards (2026 Libera Awards) will be held at the historic Gotham Hall in New York City on Monday, June 8, 2026. Delisa Shannon of Billboard will return to serve as the evening’s host yet again. Continue below to view the full nomination list for the 2026 Libera Awards presented by Merlin. Find more information here.
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/Play It Again Sam)
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/Play It Again Sam)
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/Play It Again Sam)
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” from Bloodline (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” from Arcadia (Down The Road Records)
Margo Price – Hard Headed Woman (Loma Vista Recordings)
Shaboozey – “Good News” from Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going (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” from Ö (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” featuring JT and Sega Bodega from ALIAS is ME (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” from Puta / Sola (XL Recordings)
Buscabulla – Se Amaba Así (Domino)
Juan Wauters – MVD LUV (Captured Tracks)
Lido Pimienta – La Belleza (ANTI-)
Rubio – “Voy Creciendo” from Espero podamos ver un ovni juntxs (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” from Sexistential (Young)
BEST PUNK RECORD
Joyce Manor – “Well, Whatever It Was” from I Used to Go to This Bar (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” from A Flex (Merge Records)
keiyaA – hooke’s law (XL Recordings)
Kelela – In The Blue Light (Warp Records)
NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) – “Everybody Gets Down” from Everybody Gets Down (Stones Throw Records)
Thundercat – “Children of the Baked Potato” featuring 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 / Metalface Records)
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” from Romance Deluxe (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” from Foxes in the Snow (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 / Metalface Records)
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/Play It Again Sam)
Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party (Post Atlantic)
MF DOOM – Special Herbs (Rhymesayers Entertainment / Metalface Records)
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/Play It Again Sam)
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)