The 2026 Libera Awards nominees have been announced, featuring recent Grammy winners Clipse and Mavis Staples alongside Hayley Williams and Geese for record of the year. The ceremony will take place on June 8 at Gotham Hall in New York City. Nominations cover 38 categories honoring independent music.
The Foundation for Independent Music (FIM), supported by A2IM, revealed the nominees for the 2026 Libera Awards on March 18. Presented by Merlin, the awards recognize excellence across 38 categories in independent music and will occur on Monday, June 8, at Gotham Hall in New York City. This marks the 15th annual event, hosted by Delisa Shannon of Billboard, and it precedes the Indie Week conference from June 9 to 11 at the InterContinental New York Times Square. Clipse's Let God Sort Em Out, nominated for album of the year and best rap album at the Grammys, and Mavis Staples's Sad and Beautiful World, which includes her Grammy-winning tracks “Godspeed” and “Beautiful Strangers,” are contending for record of the year. Both artists won Grammys on February 1. Hayley Williams's Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, nominated for best alternative music album at the Grammys, joins Geese's Getting Killed, Oklou’s choke enough, Oneohtrix Point Never’s Tranquilizer, and Wednesday’s Bleeds in the category. Geese is also nominated for breakthrough artist with Gelli Haha, Lambrini Girls, Nourished by Time, and Water From Your Eyes. A new category, Independent Record Store of the Year, lists Amoeba Music, The Electric Fetus, Grimey’s New & Preloved Music, Music Millennium, Plaid Room Records, Rough Trade NYC, Turntable Lab, and Waterloo Records. Ian Harrison, CEO of A2IM, stated: “We are delighted to announce today the 2026 Libera Awards nominees and share a big congratulations to all of the talented artists and hard-working members of the independent music industry, who are truly deserving of these accolades. Their talent, ambition, drive and creativity have expanded our horizons as both an industry and simply as music fans.” Nominations span genre-neutral and genre-specific awards, plus industry honors like Label of the Year.
