Libera Award for Record of the Year

The Libera Award for Record of the Year (known as Album of the Year prior to 2021) is an award presented by the American Association of Independent Music at the annual Libera Award which recognizes "best album released commercially in the United States by an independent label" since 2012.^[1]

Libera Award for Record of the Year
Country	United States
Presented by	American Association of Independent Music (A2IM)
First awarded	2012
Currently held by	Wet Leg, Wet Leg (2023)
Website	liberaawards.com

American band Bon Iver was the first recipients of the award for their eponymous album. Since 2013, a set of nominees is presented annually alongside the winner. Rock band Alabama Shakes are the only artists who have received the award more than once with two wins, for Boys & Girls in 2013 and for Sound & Color in 2016. Hip-hop duo Run the Jewels holds the most nominations in the category with three.

Winners and nominees

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
2012	Bon Iver	Bon Iver	—	[2]
2013	Alabama Shakes	Boys & Girls	Allah-Las – Allah-Las Bloom – Beach House Shields – Grizzly Bear Celebration Rock – Japandroids The Heist – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Babel – Mumford & Sons Red – Taylor Swift The Lumineers – The Lumineers Coexist – The xx	[3][4]
2014	Arcade Fire (tie)	Reflektor	Tomorrow's Harvest – Boards of Canada WomanChild – Cécile McLorin Salvant The Bones of What You Believe – Chvrches The Worse Things Get... – Neko Case Muchacho – Phosphorescent Trouble Will Find Me – The National Modern Vampires of the City – Vampire Weekend Who is William Onyeabor? – William Onyeabor	[5][6]
	Arctic Monkeys (tie)	AM
2015	The War on Drugs	Lost in the Dream	1989 – Taylor Swift Awake – Tycho I Love You, Honeybear – Father John Misty LP1 – FKA twigs No Cities to Love – Sleater-Kinney Rips – Ex Hex Run the Jewels 2 – Run the Jewels Syro – Aphex Twin They Want My Soul – Spoon	[7][8]
2016	Alabama Shakes	Sound & Color	Carrie & Lowell – Sufjan Stevens Depression Cherry – Beach House In Colour – Jamie xx Multi-Love – Unknown Mortal Orchestra Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit – Courtney Barnett The Epic – Kamasi Washington	[9][10]
2017	Angel Olsen	My Woman	22, A Million – Bon Iver A Moon Shaped Pool – Radiohead Blindfaller – Mandolin Orange Drunk – Thundercat Migration – Bonobo Run the Jewels 3 – Run the Jewels	[11][12]
2018	Slowdive	Slowdive	Capacity – Big Thief Chuck – Chuck Berry Cigarettes After Sex – Cigarettes After Sex Pure Comedy – Father John Misty	[13][14]
2019	Kamasi Washington	Heaven and Earth	Be the Cowboy – Mitski Joy as an Act of Resistance – Idles Safe in the Hands of Love – Yves Tumor Soil – Serpentwithfeet	[15][16]
2020	Big Thief	U.F.O.F.	Magdalene – FKA Twigs All Mirrors – Angel Olsen Jaime – Brittany Howard Pony – Orville Peck	[17][18]
2021	Phoebe Bridgers	Punisher	RTJ4 – Run the Jewels Set My Heart on Fire Immediately – Perfume Genius Heaven to a Tortured Mind – Yves Tumor It Is What It Is – Thundercat Saint Cloud – Waxahatchee	[19]
2022	Japanese Breakfast	Jubilee	Collapsed in Sunbeams – Arlo Parks Georgia Blue – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Hey What – Low New Long Leg – Dry Cleaning Valentine – Snail Mail	[20]
2023	Wet Leg	Wet Leg	Blue Rev – Alvvays Stumpwork – Dry Cleaning I Walked with You a Ways – Plains Diaspora Problems – Soul Glo A Light for Attracting Attention – The Smile	[21] [22]

Artists with multiple wins

2 wins

• Alabama Shakes

Artists with multiple nominations

3 nominations

• Run the Jewels

2 nominations

• Alabama Shakes
• Beach House
• Bon Iver
• Father John Misty
• Kamasi Washington
• Thundercat
• Yves Tumor
• Dry Cleaning

References

1. "2020 Libera Awards - 2020 Categories". October 9, 2019. Archived from the original on March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
2. Rys, Dan (June 22, 2012). "Bon Iver, Arcade Fire Named Best of the Independents at Inaugural Libera Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
3. Ugwu, Reggie (June 21, 2013). "Dualtone, Alabama Shakes, Tom Silverman Take Honors at 2013 Libera Awards". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
4. "A2IM Announces Indie Artist & Label 2013 LIBBY Awards Nominees". Hypebot. 25 April 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
5. Gesler, Andy (June 20, 2014). "Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Daptone, Bruce Iglauer Honored at A2IM's Libby Awards". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
6. Peters, Mitchell (April 25, 2014). "A2IM Libby Awards: Chvrches, William Onyeabor, ATO, Glassnote Among 2014 Nominees (Exclusive)". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
7. Houghton, Bruce (May 5, 2015). "A2IM Names Libera Indie Music Award Nominees". Hypebot. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
8. "A2IM's Libera Awards: Merlin, Sub Pop and Sturgill Simpson Amongst Winners". Music Business Worldwide. June 29, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
9. "SoundExchange Presents The 2016 A2IM Libera Awards". Shorefire. April 11, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
10. White, Caitlin (June 17, 2016). "Alabama Shakes And Kamasi Washington Win Big At The Independent Music Awards". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
11. Gensler, Andy (April 25, 2017). "Radiohead, Run The Jewels, Bonobo, King Gizzard Lead A2IM's Libera Award Noms: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
12. Aswad, Jem (June 9, 2017). "Angel Olsen, Radiohead, Sharon Jones Win Big at A2IM's Libera Awards". Variety. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
13. "A2IM Libera Awards 2018 - Nominees". Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
14. Aswad, Jem (June 22, 2018). "Aimee Mann, Funky Four +1 Perform, Slowdive Wins Big at Indie Libera Awards". Variety. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
15. Houghton, Bruce (March 28, 2019). "A2IM Names Indie Libera Award Nominees 2019: Mitski, Bad Bunny, Courtney Barnett, More". Hypebot. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
16. Houghton, Bruce (June 24, 2019). "A2IM Libera Indie Music Awards 2019 – Full Winners List". Hypebot. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
17. Brandle, Lars (April 2, 2020). "Chance the Rapper, FKA Twigs, Courtney Barnett & More Shortlisted For 2020 A2IM Libera Awards". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
18. "2020 - Libera Awards". Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
19. Grein, Paul (March 22, 2021). "Phoebe Bridgers, Run the Jewels & Perfume Genius Among Top Nominees For 2021 Libera Awards". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
20. Aswad, Jem (March 23, 2022). "Japanese Breakfast, Jason Isbell, Arlo Parks Lead Indie-Music Collective A2IM's 2022 Libera Awards Nominees". Variety. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
21. Aswad, Jem (March 22, 2023). "Wet Leg Leads Nominations for A2IM's Indie Libera Awards". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
22. Garcia, Thania; Okusanya, Emanuel (June 16, 2023). "Wet Leg, Sudan Archives and More Win Big at 2023 A2IM Libera Awards". Variety. Retrieved June 17, 2023.

External links

• Official website