NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Country-folk legend John Prine took top honors at the A2IM 2019 Libera Awards, winning the awards for Best American Roots/Folk Album and Best Country/Americana Album for The Tree of Forgiveness (Oh Boy Records).
The awards, which took place at Ziegfeld Ballroom in NYC, as part of A2IM’s Indie Week, were presented by SoundExchange and in partnership with Merlin. Hosted by comedian and author Chris Gethard, the Libera Awards are intended to recognize the contributions of musicians, songwriters, record labels and industry figures who contribute their talent to the world of indie music.
“I’d like to congratulate this year’s Libera Award winners,” said A2IM President and CEO Richard James Burgess. “As independent music continues to grow to make up an even larger percentage of the overall music market, it’s wonderful to be able to come together as a community to highlight and honor the innovative artists and entrepreneurs whose talent and hard work made this happen.”
Other winners include National Public Radio, which recieved the Independent Icon Award and Jonathan Poneman, co-founder of the legendary Sub Pop Records, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Latin artist Bad Bunny’s X 100PRE (Rimas Entertainment) was presented the award for Best Latin Album, while Kamasi Washington won Album of the Year for Heaven and Earth (Young Turks) among all the awards.
Performances for the night included Hiss Golden Messenger, Sunflower Bean, Jean-Michel Blais, Kadjha Bonet and Deva Mahal.
The 2019 Libera Award Winners:
Best American Roots/Folk Album
* John Prine – The Tree of Forgiveness (Oh Boy Records)
Best Blues Album
* Fantastic Negrito – Please Don’t Be Dead (Concord Records / Concord)
Best Classical Album
* Jean-Michel Blais – Dans ma main (Arts & Crafts Productions Inc.)
Best Country/Americana Album
* John Prine – The Tree of Forgiveness (Oh Boy Records)
Best Dance/Electronic Album (sponsored by Symphonic Distribution)
* Yves Tumor – Safe In The Hands Of Love (Warp Records)
Best Hip-Hop/Rap Album (sponsored by Songtrust)
* Awkwafina – In Fina We Trust (Awkwafina Records / AWAL)
Best Jazz Album
* Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth (Young Turks)
Best Latin Album
* Bad Bunny – X 100PRE (Rimas Entertainment)
Best Metal Album
* Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (ANTI Records)
Best Outlier Album
* Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo (Dead Oceans)
Best R&B Album
* Charles Bradley – Black Velvet (Daptone Records)
Best Re-Issue Album
* Pixies – Come On Pilgrim…It’s Surfer Rosa (4AD)
Best Rock Album
* Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel (Mom+Pop)
Best Live Act
* BADBADNOTGOOD (Innovative Leisure)
Best Sync Usage
* Run the Jewels – x Black Panther (RTJ Music, Inc.)
Best World Album
* Bombino – Deran (Partisan Records)
Breakthrough Artist/Release (sponsored by Ingrooves)
* IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance. (Partisan Records)
Creative Packaging
* Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth (Young Turks)
Independent Champion
* NPR
Label of the Year (Big) (sponsored by ADA)
* Domino Recording Co. Ltd.
Label of the Year (Medium)
* Partisan Records
Label of the Year (Small)
* Daptone Records
Marketing Genius
* Aphex Twin – Collapse EP (Warp Records)
Video of the Year
* Mitski – “Nobody” (Dead Oceans)
Album of the Year
* Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth (Young Turks)
Lifetime Achievement Award
* Jonathan Poneman – Sub Pop Records
