A2IM Sets Libera Awards Lineup: Nick Lowe, Ani DiFranco, Talib Kweli, Twin Peaks and Nick Hakim To Perform At PlayStation Theater June 8, 2017
The 2017 A2IM Libera Awards, hosted by Ted Leo, will feature a diverse musical performance lineup, and for the first time, the show will offer a limited number of tickets to the public. This year’s lineup of Independent label artists includes Independent Icon Award honoree Nick Lowe (Yep Roc), Lifetime Achievement Award winner Ani DiFranco (Righteous Babe), Talib Kweli (Javotti Media), Twin Peaks (Grand Jury) and Nick Hakim (ATO Records).
“A2IM’s Libera Awards are growing rapidly. We are delighted to share with you an amazing performance lineup on June 8th at the Sony Playstation Theater in Times Square,” says A2IM CEO Richard James Burgess. “ Dress up in your freewheeling finery and celebrate the extraordinary range of our Independent music community.”
The Libera Awards recognizes excellence across diverse categories honoring leading artists and labels within the Independent music community. The award show is in its sixth year and was first held at (Le) Poisson Rouge. Annually, it has grown and will be held this June at New York City’s PlayStation Theater (cap. 2.100), A2IM’s largest audience yet. The organization represents a broad coalition of more than 430 Independently owned American music labels.
This year, 19 awards will be handed out, including Album of the Year and Label of the Year, and nominees will be announced in the coming weeks.
According to MIDiA and Music Business Worldwide, Independent labels beat out the three major categories to capture the biggest share of the 2016 global music market in recorded music, physical goods and music publishing, making Independent labels collectively the largest music industry sector. At the 2017 GRAMMY Awards, Independent artists won 38 categories and were up for 283 out of 420 non-producer category nominations.
The 2017 Libera Awards have a limited number of tickets available to the public, and single and full table tickets may be purchased here: https://a2im.org/event/a2im-2017-libera-awards/
Nick Lowe (Yep Roc)
According to the New York Times, Nick Lowe spent much of the 1970s “busy not fitting into three successive movements: pub rock, punk and new wave.” As the inaugural artist and house producer at Stiff Records, he helped create the blueprint for the modern indie label, and helmed historic early recordings for The Damned, Elvis Costello, and The Pretenders, among others. More recently his releases on Yep Roc Records since 2001 have heralded a bona fide second coming. “Few artists get better with age. Nick Lowe is the exception,” says NPR.
Ani DiFranco (Righteous Babe)
Grammy winner and feminist icon Ani DiFranco began her career as a proponent of the artist-run label, creating her own Righteous Babe Records in 1990. Since then she has released over twenty studio albums, collaborated and shared the stage with legends ranging from Bob Dylan to Chuck D to Prince, and supported a broad range of social causes including racial justice, reproductive rights, gender equality, environmental issues and prison reform. She will release her new album “Binary” in June and a memoir is forthcoming from Viking Books.
Talib Kweli (Javotti Media)
Lyricist/poet/MC Talib Kweli began one of hip-hop’s most respected careers with the independent Rawkus Records label as part of Black Star with Yasiin Bey, aka Mos Def, and DJ Hi-Tek. In collaboration and on his own, Kweli has released more than a dozen albums, with new collaborative EP with Styles P called ‘The Seven’ due in April. Since 2011, Kweli has released his music through his own Javotti Media, which he named after his grandmother and which he has described as “a platform for independent thinkers and doers.”
Twin Peaks (Grand Jury)
A band known for its staggering energy and restless punk attitude, Twin Peaks was born out of Chicago’s league-leading DIY scene, with some of its members first becoming friends in elementary school. The group’s new live LP, ‘Urbs in Horto,’ out 3/31, features performances recorded at two sold-out hometown shows last December.
Nick Hakim (ATO Records)
The New York Times calls R&B-influenced singer-songwriter Nick Hakim “a singular and vital presence.” Hailing from Washington, DC, but now based in Brooklyn, Hakim has released two well-received EPs and will put out his full-length debut, ‘Green Twins,’ on May 19.
About A2IM:
A2IM is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in New York City that exists to support and strengthen the independent recorded music sector. Membership currently includes a broad coalition of more than 430 Independently-owned American music labels. A2IM represents these independently owned small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. In doing so, it supports a key segment of America’s creative class that represents America’s diverse musical cultural heritage. Billboard Magazine, using Nielsen SoundScan data, identified the Independent music label sector as 35.1 percent of the music industry’s U.S. recorded music sales market in 2016 based on copyright ownership, making Independent labels collectively the largest music industry segment.
The organization’s board of directors consists of the following: ATO Vice President Stephanie Alexa, Razor & Tie COO Craig Balsam, Redeye Co-Owner Glenn Dicker, INgrooves EVP & General Manager Amy Dietz, Epitaph/Anti General Manager Dave Hansen, Big Machine COO Andrew Kautz, Beggars Group Founder/CEO Martin Mills, Hopeless Records Owner Louis Posen, Dualtone CEO/Co-Founder Scott Robinson, Tommy Boy Owner & CEO Thomas Silverman, and Secretly Label Group Co-Owner Darius Van Arman.
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