The nominees for all of the 38 categories honoring the best in independent music, including for the first time, Independent Record Store of the Year, appear below. The
15th annual awards ceremony will take place on Monday, June 8 at Gotham Hall in New York City.
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.
“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.
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)
