The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) announced the nominees for the 2022 A2IM Libera Awards. For the 11th year, the United States-based award show honors the talent of the independent music sector. The Orchard is a proud sponsor of this year’s Libera Awards, presenting the category Best Outlier Record. Congratulations to our distributed artists and label partners on 30 nominations – the most nominations we’ve ever seen for the Libera Awards!
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit received three nominations this year: Record of the Year, Best Live/Livestream Act, and Best Americana Record. The group’s album Georgia Blue (Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers) was a charity album featuring cover versions of songs by a wide range of Georgia artists, from Gladys Knight & the Pips to the Allman Brothers Band.
The Orchard distributed artists stacked half of the noms in the Self-Released Record category, including Cautious Clay (Cautious Clay), Sinead Harnett (Thairish Limited), and Jackson Wooten (The Assembly). Independently, these artists received recognition from not just any release, but their debut albums.
This year’s Libera Awards will return to an in-person ceremony held on June 16, 2022 in New York City. In addition, viewers can tune into a virtual broadcast live on YouTube. To RSVP for the live stream, visit liberaawards.com/live.
Find the full list of Libera Award nominees here and The Orchard distributed artists below.
Record of the Year
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Georgia Blue (Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers)
Self-Released Record of the Year
Cautious Clay – Deadpan Love (Cautious Clay)
Sinéad Harnett – Ready Is Always Too Late (Thairish Limited)
Jackson Wooten – A New Child (The Assembly LLC)
Best Reissue
Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (Fat Possum Records)
Tom Tom Club – The Good, The Bad and The Funky (Nacional Records)
Best Live/Livestream Act
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – “Driver 8” – Live from Athens, GA
Best Alternative Rock Record
Cautious Clay – “Wildfire” (Cautious Clay)
Best Americana Record
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Georgia Blue (Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers)
Leo Nocentelli – Another Side (Light in the Attic)
Best Blues Record
Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps – Rose-Colored Glasses, Vol. 1 (Blue Heart Records)
Best Classical Record
Vitamin String Quartet – Our Flashback Wedding (CMH Label Group)
Best Country Record
Emily Scott Robinson – American Siren (Oh Boy Records)
Morgan Wade – Reckless (Ladylike Records/Thirty Tigers)
Sturgill Simpson – The Ballad of Dood & Juanita (High Top Mountain Records/Thirty Tigers)
Best Folk/Bluegrass Record
The Weather Station – Ignorance (Fat Possum Records)
Best Heavy Record
Babymetal – 10 Babymetal Budokan (Cooking Vinyl)
Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record
Joyner Lucas & J. Cole – “Your Heart” (Twenty Nine Music Group)
Best Jazz Record
Jihye Lee Orchestra – Daring Mind (Motéma Music)
Best Latin Record
Cimafunk – El Alimento (Terapia Productions/Thirty Tigers)
Best R&B Record
Charlotte Day Wilson – Alpha (Stone Woman Music Inc.)
Best Rock Record
The The – The Comeback Special (earMUSIC)
Best Spiritual Record
Oak Ridge Boys – Front Porch Singin’ (Lightning Rod Records / Thirty Tigers)
Natalie Bergman – Mercy (Third Man Records)
Best Sync Usage
John Prine – “Caravan of Fools” – Ep 3 Yellowstone (Oh Boy Records)
Creative Packaging
Erroll Garner – Liberation in Swing: Centennial Collection (Mack Avenue Music Group / Octave Music Licensing, LLC)
Label of the Year (Big)
Third Man Records
Label of the Year (Small)
Oh Boy Records
