Japanese Breakfast, Jason Isbell, Brittany Howard, more to perform at indie A2IM Libera Awards 2022 [Watch online free]
The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) has announced an impressive lineup for this year’s A2IM Libera Awards celebrating independent music and labels..
The largest global independent music awards show, this year’s event is bith an in-person, ticketed gala focused on industry and advocacy awards held at Webster Hall in New York City, and a separate, free-to-watch broadcast of consumer-facing awards and performances
Madlib honored
The evening, which celebrates the extraordinary talent of the independent music community, will honor iconic DJ, producer, and rapper Madlib with the Independent Icon Award.. Signed to Peanut Butter Wolf’s Stones Throw Records, the group would go on to have a pivotal influence on the label and the brand. The trio eventually parted ways to work on solo projects, resulting in history-making collaborations such as Madlib’s 2003 album Champion Sound, created with his longtime friend J Dilla, the 2004 album Madvillainy recorded alongside MC MF Doom, and several singles and LPs with rapper Freddie Gibbs released on the Madlib Invazion independent label.
The Concert
The virtual ceremony will begin streaming at 6:30 pm ET exclusively on A2IM’s YouTube channel. The online show will feature performances by artists including Japanese Breakfast, soulful singer-songwriter and producer Brittany Howard, Helado Negro, who’s fresh off of an international tour to support his seventh studio album, Far In; songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Cautious Clay, Grammy Award-winning Jason Isbell and his band the 400 Unit who are up for three awards including Best Americana Record and Record of the Year.
To RSVP for the live stream, visit liberaawards.com/live.
Among the artists performing live at the gala will be: Sammy Rae & The Friends, a 7-piece funk-infused rock n’ roll band led by singer-songwriter Samantha Bowers; folk artist Tré Burt, who has drawn praise from NPR, and is touring in support of his latest album, You, Yeah, You; Grammy-award winning five piece brass ensemble Canadian Brass (nominated for the Best Classical category at this year’s awards); and Brooklyn-based pop R&B singer-songwriter Adrian Daniel, who has received critical acclaim from VIBE and NPR, and recently released his latest EP Crimson. More performers will be announced in the coming weeks. Madlib will also DJ the Libera Awards afterparty at the Ritz Lounge. The event takes place at Webster Hall in New York City from 6 to 11 p.m. ET.
Sprecial Awards
The in-person gala will feature live, industry-insider award presentations, including Label of the Year (Small, Medium, Large), A2IM Humanitarian, and more. Two new honors focused on A2IM’s advocacy on Capitol Hill will be presented: the Congressional Independent Music Guardian award will honor Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA), and the Excellence In Advocacy Award will honor singer and activist Dionne Warwick.
The IMPALA Sustainability Task Force will receive the inaugural Innovation in Sustainability Award. To keep in line with A2IM’s sustainability initiatives, the Libera Awards is encouraging the selection of a plant-based meal, and all awardees will receive custom-designed trophies that have been locally manufactured and crafted with 100% recycled material.
Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.
