2022 Libera Awards Reveal Rock + Metal Nominees

The American Association of Independent Music has revealed the nominees for the 2022 A2IM Libera Awards and there's a wealth of buzzy rock and metal acts that are seeing their works rewarded with nominations this year.

In the Best Heavy Record category, you'll find Babymetal's 10 Babymetal Budokan, Deafheaven's Infinite Granite, Every Time I Die's Radical, Quicksand's Distant Population and Spiritbox's Eternal Blue all flying the flag for heavy music over the past year.

Best Punk Record nominees for 2022 are Amyl and the Sniffers' Comfort to Me, Chubby and the Gang's The Mutt's Nuts, illuminati hotties' Let Me Do One More, Sleaford Mods' Spare Ribs and The Linda Lindas' "Racist, Sexist Boy" (Live at the LA Public Library).

Best Alternative Rock Record includes Cautious Clay's Wildfire, Courtney Barnett's Things Take Time, Take Time, Dry Cleaning's New Long Leg, girl in red's if i could make it go quiet, Japanese Breakfast's Jubilee, Low's HEY WHAT and Snail Mail's Valentine.

On the rock side of things, you'll get Black Pumas' Capitol Cuts, IDLES' Crawler, Parquet Courts' Sympathy for Life, shame's Drunk Tank Pink and The The's The Comeback Special vying for Best Rock Record.

In other categories of note, Wet Leg have a chance to clean up with three nominations, including ones for Best Sync Usage for "Chaise Longue" in HBO Max's Gossip Girl, Breakthrough Artist Release and Video of the Year (also for "Chaise Longue"). IDLES' "Car Crash" and Danny Elfman's "True" are also vying for Video of the Year. You can see all of the nominees in all of the categories listed below.

The 2022 A2IM Libera Awards will take place online and in person on June 16. The in-person gala will be held at a still-to-be-revealed iconic New York venue with dinner and drinks accompanying the live award presentation. Meanwhile, fans can watch online via YouTube on June 16. The player for the event can be seen below and will go live with the ceremony.

Tickets will go on sale soon for the in-person ceremony. Follow @liberaawards on twitter and instagram to know about it first. To RSVP for the live stream, visit https://liberaawards.com/live/. The Libera Awards are made possible by the support of its sponsors including Merlin, ADA, YouTube Music, The Orchard, edm.com<http://edm.com/>, MSK (Mitchell; Silberberg & Knupp, LLP), Redeye Worldwide, and Virgin Music.

Each year, the Libera Awards serve as the culmination of A2IM’s Indie Week, an international conference that brings together leaders and visionaries from the independent music world for four days of keynotes, workshops, and panels. This year’s Indie Week will take place June 13-16 as a hybrid event — both online and in-person. To learn more about Indie Week 2022, visit https://a2im.org/indieweek/.

2022 Libera Awards Nominees

A2IM Humanitarian Award

Common - (for work with) A Rebirth of Sound
Margo Price - (for work with) Farm Aid
Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD)
Rev. Moose - (for work with) National Independent Venue Association (NIVA)
Secretly Group - SC25: Every Light On This Side Of The Town
Hopeless Records / Sub City Records - Songs That Saved My Life

Best Alternative Rock Record

Cautious Clay - "Wildfire" (Cautious Clay)
Courtney Barnett - Things Take Time, Take Time (Mom + Pop Music)
Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg (4AD)
girl in red - if i could make it go quiet (AWAL)
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
Low - HEY WHAT (Sub Pop Records)
Snail Mail - Valentine (Matador Records)

Best Americana Record

Fruit Bats - The Pet Parade (Merge Records)
Hiss Golden Messenger - Quietly Blowing It (Merge Records)
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Georgia Blue (Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers)
John Hiatt with The Jerry Douglas Band - Leftover Feelings (New West Records)
Leo Nocentelli - Another Side (Light in the Attic)
Madi Diaz - History Of A Feeling (ANTI-)
Steve Gunn - Other You (Matador Records)

Best Blues Record

Cedric Burnside - I Be Trying (Single Lock Records)
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - 662 (Alligator Records)
Eric Bibb - Dear America (Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group)
Neal Francis - "Can't Stop The Rain" (ATO Records)
Nick Waterhouse - Promenade Blue (Innovative Leisure)
Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps - Rose-Colored Glasses, Vol. 1 (Blue Heart Records)

Best Classical Record

Bryce Dessner, Australian String Quartet, Sydney Dance Company - Impermanence/Disintegration (37d03d)
Canadian Brass - Canadiana (Linus Entertainment)
Grandbrothers - All The Unknown (City Slang)
Jeremiah Fraites - Piano Piano (Dualtone Music Group)
Theo Alexander - Sunbathing Through A Glass Screen (Arts & Crafts)
Vitamin String Quartet - Our Flashback Wedding (CMH Label Group)

Best Country Record

Caitlin Rose - Own Side Now (Deluxe Anniversary Edition) (ATO Records)
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)
Fancy Hagood - Southern Curiosity (Mick Music/Downtown Music Services)
Lainey Wilson - Sayin' What I'm Thinkin' (Broken Bow Records/BMG)

Best Dance Record, Presented by edm.com<http://edm.com/>

Brittany Howard - "Stay High again.." (Fred again.. & Joy Anonymous Remix) (ATO Records)
Dawn Richard - "Loose Your Mind" (Merge Records)
Disclosure - DJ-Kicks: Disclosure (!K7 Records)
Jungle - Loving In Stereo (AWAL)
Keys N Krates - "Original Classic" (Last Gang Records)
Logic1000 - You've Got the Whole Night to Go (Therapy distributed by Because Music)

Best Electronic Record, Presented by Redeye Worldwide

Arca - KicK iii (XL Recordings)
Caribou - "You Can Do It" (Merge Records)
Dawn Richard - Second Line (Merge Records)
Flying Lotus - Yasuke (Warp Records)
박혜진 Park Hye Jin - Before I Die (Ninja Tune)

Best Folk/Bluegrass Record

Aisha Badru - The Way Back Home (Nettwerk Records)
Hand Habits - Fun House (Saddle Creek)
Jose Gonzalez - Local Valley (Mute Records)
Shannon Lay - Geist (Sub Pop Records)
The Weather Station - Ignorance (Fat Possum Records)
Various Artists - Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2 (Oh Boy Records)

Best Heavy Record

Babymetal - 10 Babymetal Budokan (Cooking Vinyl)
Deafheaven - Infinite Granite (Sargent House)
Every Time I Die - Radical (Epitaph)
Quicksand - Distant Population (Epitaph)
Spiritbox - Eternal Blue (Rise Records / BMG)

Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record, Presented by Virgin Music

Injury Reserve - By the Time I Get to Phoenix (Self-Released/Stem)
Joyner Lucas & J. Cole - "Your Heart" (Twenty Nine Music Group)
Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (AWAL)
Mick Jenkins - Elephant In The Room (Cinematic Music Group/Ingrooves)
Mykki Blanco - Broken Hearts and Beauty Sleep (Transgressive/[PIAS])
Young M.A - Off the Yak (M.A Music/3D)

Best Jazz Record

Adrian Younge - The American Negro (Jazz Is Dead)
BADBADNOTGOOD - Talk Memory (XL Recordings)
John Carroll Kirby - Septet (Stones Throw Records)
Nala Sinephro - Space 1.8 (Warp Records)
Jihye Lee Orchestra - Daring Mind (Motéma Music)
Nick Hakim - "QADIR" (BADBADNOTGOOD Remix) (ATO Records)

Best Latin Record

Alejandro Escovedo - La Cruzada (Yep Roc Records)
Arca - KICK ii (XL Recordings)
Cimafunk - El Alimento (Terapia Productions/Thirty Tigers)
Helado Negro - Far In (4AD)
Los Retros - Looking Back (Stones Throw Records)
Xenia Rubinos - Una Rosa (ANTI-)

Best Live/Livestream Act

Amyl and The Sniffers - Live on KEXP at Home
Black Pumas - "Colors" - Biden Inauguration Performance
Japanese Breakfast - "Be Sweet" - The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - "Driver 8" - Live from Athens, GA
Mdou Moctar - "Live at the Niger River"
St. Vincent - "At the Holiday Party" - Austin City Limits

Best Outlier Record, Presented by The Orchard

Bo Burnham - Inside (The Songs) (Bo Burnham/Imperial/Ingrooves)
L'Rain - Fatigue (Mexican Summer)
Moor Mother - Black Encyclopedia of the Air (ANTI-)
SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE - ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH (Saddle Creek)
Tirzah - Colourgrade (Domino Recording Co.)

Best Pop Record

Arlo Parks - Collapsed In Sunbeams (Transgressive/[PIAS])
Ashe - Ashlyn (Mom + Pop Music)
Big Red Machine - How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? (Jagjaguwar)
CHAI - WINK (Sub Pop Records)
Noga Erez - KIDS (City Slang)

Best Punk Record

Amyl and The Sniffers - Comfort To Me (ATO Records)
Chubby and the Gang - The Mutt's Nuts (Partisan Records)
illuminati hotties - Let Me Do One More (Hopeless Records)
Sleaford Mods - Spare Ribs (Rough Trade Records)
The Linda Lindas - “Racist, Sexist Boy” (Live at LA Public Library) (Epitaph)

Best R&B Record

Brittany Howard - Jaime (Reimagined) (ATO Records)
Charlotte Day Wilson - ALPHA (Stone Woman Music Inc.)
Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space (Dead Oceans)
Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant (Brainfeeder (Ninja Tune))
serpentwithfeet - DEACON (Secretly Canadian)
Tkay Maidza - Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3 (4AD)

Best Reissue

Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club (25th Anniversary Edition) (World Circuit Records/BMG)
Gang Of Four - 77-81 (Matador Records)
Radiohead - Kid A Mnesia (XL Recordings)
Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (Fat Possum Records)
Thundercat - The Golden Age of Apocalypse (Ten Year Anniversary Edition) (Brainfeeder/Ninja Tune)
Tom Tom Club - The Good, The Bad and The Funky (Nacional Records)

Best Rock Record, Presented by MSK (Mitchell; Silberberg & Knupp, LLP)

Black Pumas - Capitol Cuts (Live from Studio A) (ATO Records)
IDLES - CRAWLER (Partisan Records)
Parquet Courts - Sympathy for Life (Rough Trade Records)
shame - Drunk Tank Pink (Dead Oceans)
The The - The Comeback Special (earMUSIC)

Best Spiritual Record

Blind Boys of Alabama feat. Bela Fleck - "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free" (Single Lock Records)
Hiss Golden Messenger - O Come All Ye Faithful (Merge Records)
Natalie Bergman - Mercy (Third Man Records)
Oak Ridge Boys - Front Porch Singin' (Lightning Rod Records / Thirty Tigers)
Wande feat. Porsha Love - "Don't Worry Bout It" (Reach Records)

Best Sync Usage

Adele - “Hello” - NFL/Tom Brady’s Return (XL Recordings)
Black Pumas - "Colors" - Concrete Cowboy Trailer (ATO Records)
Fela Kuti - "Zombie'" - Gucci 100 Promo Campaign (Knitting Factory Records)
John Prine - "Caravan of Fools" - Ep 3 Yellowstone (Oh Boy Records)
Phoebe Bridgers - “I Know The End” - Ep 106 Mare of Easttown (Dead Oceans)
The Rolling Stones - "She's A Rainbow" - Ep 205 Ted Lasso (ABKCO)
Wet Leg - "Chaise Longue” - Ep 5 Gossip Girl (Domino Recording Co.)

Best World Record

Altin Gün - Yol (ATO Records)
Femi Kuti and Made Kuti - Legacy + (Partisan Records)
João Donato - João Donato JID007 (Jazz Is Dead)
Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime (Matador Records)
Pachyman - The Return of Pachyman (ATO Records)

Breakthrough Artist/Release, Presented by Ingrooves

Black Country, New Road - For the first time (Ninja Tune)
girl in red - if i could make it go quiet (World in Red/AWAL)
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime (Matador Records)
Wet Leg - "Chase Longue" (Domino)

Creative Packaging

Buzzcocks - Complete UA Singles 1977-1980 (Domino)
Erroll Garner - Liberation in Swing: Centennial Collection (Mack Avenue Music Group / Octave Music Licensing, LLC)
Fela Kuti - Box Set #5 Co-Curated by Chris Martin & Femi Kuti (Knitting Factory Records)
Gang Of Four - 77-81 (Matador Records)
Gary Numan 45X15 - The Singles Collection 1978-1983 (Beggars Arkive)
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee (Dead Oceans)

Independent Champion, Presented by Merlin

Bandcamp
FUGA
Light in the Attic Distribution
Redeye Worldwide
SoundExchange

Label of the Year (Big), Presented by ADA

ATO Records
Matador Records
Merge Records
Mom + Pop Music
Ninja Tune
Polyvinyl Record Co.
Third Man Records

Label of the Year (Medium)

City Slang
Hopeless Records
New West Records
Sacred Bones Records
Saddle Creek
Yep Roc Records

Label of the Year (Small)

Don Giovanni Records
Innovative Leisure
Oh Boy Records
Sargent House
Sundazed

Marketing Genius

Bicep - Isles (Ninja Tune)
Various Artists - Death Row Records 30th Anniversary (Death Row Records)
Eyedress - Mulholland Drive (Lex Records)
Helado Negro - Helado Negro Ice Cream Tricycle (4AD)
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Official Bootlegger Series (KGLW/Virgin Music)

Record of the Year

Arlo Parks - Collapsed In Sunbeams (Transgressive/[PIAS])
Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg (4AD)
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Georgia Blue (Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers)
Low - HEY WHAT (Sub Pop)
Snail Mail - Valentine (Matador Records)

Self-Released Record of the Year

Cautious Clay - Deadpan Love (Cautious Clay)
Emma-Jean Thackray - Yellow (Movementt)
Jackson Wooten - A New Child (The Assembly LLC)
Rebecca Black - Rebecca Black Was Here (Rebecca Black)
Sinéad Harnett - Ready Is Always Too Late (Thairish Limited)
Wiki - Half God (Wikset Enterprise)

Video of the Year, Presented by YouTube Music

Danny Elfman - "True" (Epitaph Records)
IDLES - "CAR CRASH" (Partisan Records)
Japanese Breakfast - "Savage Good Boy" (Dead Oceans)
Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen - "Like I Used To" (Jagjaguwar)
Wet Leg - "Chaise Longue" (Domino Recording Co.)
Yves Tumor - "Jackie" (Warp Records)

Watch the 2022 Libera Awards