The 2019 Libera Awards took place on June 20, 2019. Presented by the American Association of Independent Music, it recognized the best in independent music during a ceremony at New York City's Ziegfeld Ballroom.
The ceremony was hosted by comedian Chris Gethard and featured performances by Deva Mahal, Sunflower Bean, and Jean-Michel Blais.
This was the first year where there were three categories for Label of the Year as opposed to two; Small (5 or fewer employees), Medium (6-14 employees), and Big (15 or more employees).
Winners and nominees Adapted from Libera Awards. Album of the YearBest Live ActKamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth Mitski – Be The Cowboy IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance serpentwithfeet – soil Yves Tumor – Safe In The Hands Of LoveBADBADNOTGOOD King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Mitski Run the Jewels KelelaBest American Roots/Folk AlbumBest Blues AlbumJohn Prine – The Tree of Forgiveness Calexico – The Thread That Keeps Us Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers I'm With Her – See You Around Dom Flemons – Black CowboysFantastic Negrito – Please Don't Be Dead Shemekia Copeland – America's Child Boz Scaggs – Out Of The Blues Deva Mahal – Run Deep Cedric Burnside – Benton County RelicBest Classical AlbumBest Country/Americana AlbumJean-Michel Blais – Dans ma main Niklas Paschburg – Oceanic Henrik Schwarz & Metropole Orkest – Scripted Orkestra London Symphony Orchestra – Fuchs: Piano Concerto "Spiritualist" Oliver Coates – John Luther Adams: Canticles of the SkyJohn Prine – The Tree of Forgiveness Phosphorescent – C'est La Vie Mary Gauthier – Rifles and Rosary Beads Jim Lauderdale – Time Flies Alejandro Escovedo – The CrossingBest Dance/Electronic AlbumBest Hip-Hop/Rap AlbumYves Tumor – Safe In The Hands Of Love Leon Vynehall – Nothing Is Still Jon Hopkins – Singularity SOPHIE – Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides Oneohtrix Point Never – Age OfAwkwafina – In Fina We Trust August Greene – August Greene Myke Bogan – Joe Fontana Blueface – Famous Cryp Junglepussy – JP3Best Jazz AlbumBest Latin AlbumKamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth Onyx Collective – Lower East Suite Part Three Esperanza Spalding – 12 Little Spells Julian Lage – Modern Lore Tia Fuller – Diamond CutBad Bunny – X 100PRE Cuco – Chiquito Orquesta Akokán – Orquesta Akokán El Alfa – El Hombre Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles – Mariachi Reyna de Los AngelesBest Metal AlbumBest Outlier AlbumDeafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love High on Fire – Electric Messiah Underoath – Erase Me Thou – Magus Sleep – The SciencesKhruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo Kero Kero Bonito – Time 'n' Place Serpentwithfeet – soil Yves Tumor – Safe In The Hands Of Love Oneohtrix Point Never – Age OfBest R&B AlbumBest Re-Issue AlbumCharles Bradley – Black Velvet Durand Jones & The Indications – Durand Jones & The Indications Blood Orange – Negro Swan Kadhja Bonet – Childqueen Serpentwithfeet – soilPixies – Come On Pilgrim...It's Surfer Rosa Tom Waits – Small Change Bauhaus – The Bela Session Liz Phair – Girly-Sound To Guyville: The 25th Anniversary Boxset Hiss Golden Messenger – Devotion: Songs About Rivers and Spirits and ChildrenBest Rock AlbumBest Sync UsageCourtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel Mitski – Be The Cowboy Shame – Songs of Praise Snail Mail – Lush IDLES – Joy as an Act of ResistanceRun the Jewels (RTJ Music, Inc.) – x Black Panther Gillian Welch (Acony Records) – "The Way It Will Be" in This Is Us Shigeto (Ghostly International) – "Ann Arbor Pt 1" & "Lady Misaki" in Japan's Decorated Trucks - Shot on iPhone (Apple) Perfume Genius (Matador Records) – Eighth Grade trailer Alice Merton (Mom+Pop) – "No Roots" (Mini Cooper Sync)Best World AlbumBreakthrough Artist/ReleaseBombino – Deran Gilberto Gil – OK OK OK Femi Kuti – One People One World Angelique Kidjo – Remain in Light Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 – Black TimesIDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance Snail Mail – Lush Lucy Dacus – Historian Sunflower Bean – Come For Me Caroline Rose – LonerCreative PackagingIndependent ChampionKamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth Various Artists – Brainfeeder X Charles Bradley – Black Velvet Deluxe Box Mitski – Be The Cowboy John Maus – Vinyl Box SetNPR Caroline CD Baby Redeye SoundExchangeLabel of the Year (Big)Label of the Year (Medium)Domino Recording Co. Dead Oceans Polyvinyl Record Co. Rough Trade Records Warp RecordsPartisan Records Bloodshot Records Mom+Pop Saddle Creek Yep Roc RecordsLabel of the Year (Small)Marketing GeniusDaptone Records Brainfeeder Hardly Art Innovative Leisure Oh Boy RecordsAphex Twin – Collapse EP King Gizzard – King Gizzard Reissues Campaign Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance Reggae Month – Studio OneVideo of the YearMitski – "Nobody" Moses Sumney – "Quarrel" John Prine – "Summer's End" Aphex Twin – "T69 Collapse" Kamasi Washington – "Street Fighter"
Special awards A2IM Lifetime Achievement Award Jonathan Poneman, co-founder of Sub Pop
References
External links Official website