Merlin Celebrates Members With 2025 Libera Awards Nominations

The nominations for A2IM’s 2025 Libera Awards have been announced, and we’re thrilled to see so many artists, labels, and distributors from across the Merlin membership recognized for their outstanding work. The 14th annual awards ceremony, presented by Merlin, will take place on Monday, June 9 at the historic Gotham Hall in New York City. The awards are a celebration of the independent music community. It’s an honor to see our members among the nominees!

Here is the complete list of nominations for the 2025 Libera Awards, presented by Merlin:

Label of the Year (15 or More Employees)

• ANTI- Records (Epitaph)
• Dead Oceans (Secretly)
• Mom+Pop
• Ninja Tune
• Stones Throw Records
• Sub Pop Records
• Warp Records

Label of the Year (6-14 Employees)

• Captured Tracks (Secretly Distribution)
• City Slang (IDOL)
• Mexican Summer (IDOL)
• Secret City Records

Label of the Year (5 or Fewer Employees)

• Bayonet Records (Secretly Distribution)
• Daptone Records (Redeye)
• Oh Boy Records (Secretly Distribution)
• Psychic Hotline (Redeye)
• Topshelf Records (Redeye)

Record of the Year

• Jessica Pratt – Here in the Pitch – Mexican Summer (IDOL)
• Kim Gordon – The Collective – Matador Records (Beggars)
• MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks – ANTI- (Epitaph)
• Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood – ANTI- (Epitaph)

Alternative Rock Record

• Being Dead – EELS – Bayonet Records (Secretly Distribution)
• Kim Deal – Nobody Loves You More – 4AD (Beggars)
• Kim Gordon – The Collective – Matador Records (Beggars)
• Nada Surf – Moon Mirror – New West Records (Redeye)

American Roots Record

• Dave Alvin + Jimmie Dale Gilmore – TexiCall – Yep Roc Records (Redeye)
• Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – Woodland – Acony Records
• MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks – ANTI- (Epitaph)
• Swamp Dogg – Blackgrass – Oh Boy Records (Secretly Distribution)

Blues Record

• Shemekia Copeland – Blame It On Eve – Alligator Records (Exceleration)

Classical Record

• Kelly Moran – Moves in the Field – Warp Records

Country Record

• Corb Lund – El Viejo – New West Records (Redeye)
• Fancy Hagood – American Spirit – Fancy Hagood Enterprises (Secretly Distribution)
• Shaboozey – Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going – American Dogwood (EMPIRE)
• Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood – ANTI- (Epitaph)

Dance Record

• Fcukers – Baggy$$ – Technicolour (Ninja Tune)
• Peggy Gou – I Hear You – XL Recordings (Beggars)
• Shygirl – Club Shy – Because Music

Electronic Record

• Caribou – Honey – Merge Records
• Floating Points – Cascade – Ninja Tune
• Flying Lotus – Spirit Box – Warp Records
• Jamie xx – In Waves – Young (Beggars)
• Photay – Waking Hours – Mexican Summer (IDOL)

Folk Record

• Adrianne Lenker – Bright Future – 4AD (Beggars)
• Aoife O’Donovan – All My Friends – Yep Roc Records (Redeye)
• Bonny Light Horseman – Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free – Jagjaguwar (Secretly)
• Jessica Pratt – Here in the Pitch – Mexican Summer (IDOL)
• Madi Diaz – Weird Faith – ANTI- (Epitaph)

Global Record

• Altin Gun – “Vallahi Yok” – ATO Records
• Asake – Lungu Boy – YBNL Nation (EMPIRE)
• Glass Beams – Mahal – Ninja Tune
• Manu Chao – Viva Tu – Because Music
• Mdou Moctar – Funeral for Justice – Matador Records (Beggars)

Heavy Record

• High On Fire – Cometh The Storm – MNRK Music Group
• METZ – Up On Gravity Hill – Sub Pop Records
• Scene Queen – Hot Singles In Your Area – Hopeless Records

Hip-Hop/Rap Record

• BigXthaPlug – Take Care – UnitedMasters
• Cash Cobain – PLAY CASH COBAIN – Giant Music (GYROstream)
• Shygirl – Immaculate (feat. Saweetie) – Because Music

Jazz Record

• BADBADNOTGOOD – Mid Spiral – XL Recordings (Beggars)
• Kamasi Washington – Fearless Movement – Young (Beggars)
• Lakecia Benjamin – Phoenix Reimagined (Live) – Ropeadope Records (Symphonic)
• Morgan Guerin – Tales Of The Facade – Candid Records (Exceleration)
• Nala Sinephro – Endlessness – Warp Records

Latin Record

• Buscabulla – “11:11” – Domino Recording Company
• Chicano Batman – “Era Primavera” – ATO Records
• Girl Ultra – blush – Big Dada (Ninja Tune)
• Reyna Tropical – Malegria – Psychic Hotline (Secretly Distribution)

Outlier Record

• Chanel Beads – Your Day Will Come – Jagjaguwar (Secretly)
• Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn – Quiet in a World Full of Noise – Merge Records
• Hakushi Hasegawa – Mahōgakkō – Brainfeeder (Ninja Tune)
• Helado Negro – PHASOR – 4AD (Beggars)
• Khruangbin – A LA SALA – Dead Oceans (Secretly)
• Moor Mother – The Great Bailout – ANTI- (Epitaph)
• SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE – YOU’LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING – Saddle Creek

Pop Record

• Kate Nash – 9 Sad Symphonies – Kill Rock Stars (Exceleration)
• Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk – Mom+Pop
• Sofie Royer – Young-Girl Forever – Stones Throw Records
• Suki Waterhouse – Memoir of a Sparklemuffin – Sub Pop Records

Punk Record

• Ekko Astral – pink balloons – Topshelf Records (Redeye)
• Laura Jane Grace – Hole In My Head – Polyvinyl Record Co.
• Pissed Jeans – Half Divorced – Sub Pop Records
• SPRINTS – Letter To Self – City Slang (IDOL)

R&B Record

• Erika de Casier – Still – 4AD (Beggars)
• Mavis Staples – “Worthy” – ANTI- (Epitaph)
• NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) – Why Lawd? – Stones Throw Records
• serpentwithfeet – GRIP – Secretly Canadian (Secretly)
• Yaya Bey – Ten Fold – Big Dada (Ninja Tune)

Reissue

• Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force – Planet Rock: The Album – Tommy Boy Records (Reservoir)
• American Football – American Football LP1 (25th Anniversary Edition) – Polyvinyl Record Co.
• Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd – The Moon And The Melodies – 4AD (Beggars)
• John Cale – Paris 1919 (Deluxe Edition) – Domino Recording Company
• MF DOOM – MM..FOOD (20th Anniversary Edition) – Rhymesayers Entertainment (Secretly Distribution)
• Ray Charles – Crying Time – Tangerine Records (Exceleration)
• Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso (10 Year Anniversary Edition) – Psychic Hotline (Secretly Distribution)

Remix

• Fcukers – “Bon Bon (Confidence Man Remix)” – Technicolour (Ninja Tune)
• Kelela – RAVE:N, The Remixes – Warp Records
• MF DOOM – “One Beer (Madlib Remix)” – Rhymesayers Entertainment (Secretly Distribution)
• Shygirl – “mr useless MK remix” – Because Music
• Slowdive – “kisses (grouper rmx)” – Dead Oceans (Secretly)

Rock Record

• Fontaines D.C. – Romance – XL Recordings (Beggars)
• Jack White – No Name – Third Man Records
• Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven – Epitaph
• The Lemon Twigs – A Dream Is All We Know – Captured Tracks (Secretly Distribution)
• The Linda Lindas – No Obligation – Epitaph

Singer-Songwriter Record

• Adrianne Lenker – Bright Future – 4AD (Beggars)
• Christian Lee Hutson – Paradise Pop. 10 – ANTI- (Epitaph)
• Faye Webster – Underdressed at the Symphony – Secretly Canadian (Secretly)
• Jessica Pratt – Here in the Pitch – Mexican Summer (IDOL)
• Katie Gavin – “As Good As It Gets” – Saddest Factory Records (Secretly)
• Laura Marling – Patterns In Repeat – Partisan Records/Chrysalis Records (Reservoir/Secretly Distribution)

Spiritual Record

• Flock – Flock II – Strut (!K7)
• Lecrae – “Die For The Party” – Reach Records
• The Harlem Gospel Travelers – Rhapsody – Colemine Records (Secretly Distribution)
• The Nelons – Loving You – Daywind Records

Sync Record

• De La Soul – “Say No Go” (Civil War) – A.O.I./Chrysalis (Reservoir)
• Jamie xx & The Avalanches – “All You Children” (Apple) – Young (Beggars)
• Spoon – “The Way We Get By” (‘A Real Pain’ Trailer) – Matador Records (Beggars)
• Waxahatchee feat. MJ Lenderman – “Right Back to It” (Tracker S1 E6) – ANTI- (Epitaph)

Breakthrough Artist

• Jessica Pratt – Mexican Summer (IDOL)
• Magdalena Bay – Mom+Pop
• Mannequin Pussy – Epitaph
• MJ Lenderman – ANTI- (Epitaph)
• Shaboozey – American Dogwood (EMPIRE)

Creative Packaging

• Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Expanded Edition) – Warp Records
• Khruangbin – A LA SALA – Dead Oceans (Secretly)
• Mac DeMarco – Salad Days 10 Year Anniversary Edition – Captured Tracks (Secretly Distribution)
• MF DOOM – MM..FOOD (20 Year Anniversary Edition) – Rhymesayers Entertainment (Secretly Distribution)
• The Go Betweens – G Stands For Go-Betweens: Volume 3 – Domino Recording Company
• Various Artists – Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 8 – Sub Pop Records

Distributor of the Year

• FUGA
• IDOL
• Redeye
• Secretly Distribution
• Symphonic Distribution

Soul/Funk Record

• Angela Muñoz – Descanso – Stones Throw Records
• Neal Francis – “Back It Up” – ATO Records
• The Dip – Love Direction – Dualtone
• Thee Sacred Souls – Got a Story to Tell – Daptone Records (Redeye)
• Thee Sinseers – Sinseerly Yours – Colemine Records (Secretly Distribution)

Marketing Genius

• Khruangbin – A LA SALA – Dead Oceans (Secretly)
• MF DOOM – MM..FOOD (20 Year Anniversary Edition) – Rhymesayers Entertainment (Secretly Distribution)
• MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks – ANTI- (Epitaph)
• Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood – ANTI- (Epitaph)

Music Video of the Year

• Fontaines D.C. – “Starburster” – XL Recordings (Beggars)
• Justice – “Neverender (starring Tame Impala)” – Because Music
• Porter Robinson – “Cheerleader” – Mom+Pop
• Waxahatchee feat. MJ Lenderman – “Right Back to It” – ANTI- (Epitaph)
• Yaeji – “booboo” – XL Recordings (Beggars)

Publisher of the Year

• Beggars
• Downtown Music Publishing
• Reservoir
• Secret City Publishing
• Warp Publishing

Self-Released Record of the Year

• Fancy Hagood – American Spirit – Fancy Hagood Enterprises (Secretly Distribution)

Congratulations to all the nominees. We look forward to celebrating with you on June 9th!