# 2023 Libera Awards

The 2023 Libera Awards were held on June 15, 2023, to recognize the best in independent music of 2022 presented by the American Association of Independent Music. The ceremony took place at the Town Hall in New York City and was broadcast on YouTube. American comedian Hannibal Buress hosted the ceremony.
The nominations were announced on March 22, 2023, with British duo Wet Leg leading the nominations with six, followed by Sudan Archives, Allison Russell, Fontaines D.C. and Soul Glo, all with three each. Four new categories were introduced: Best Remix, Best Short-Form Video, Best Singer-Songwriter Record and Best Soul/Funk Record. Additionally, three categories were renamed: Best World Record was renamed into Best Global Record, Best Americana Record into Best American Roots Album, and Best Folk/Bluegrass Album into Best Folk Album.
Wet Leg received the most awards with five wins, including Record of the Year for their self-titled album. Sudan Archives also received multiple awards with two wins, Best R&B Record and Best Breakthrough Artist/Release.

## Performers

| Artist(s) | Song(s) |
| Seratones | "Two of a Kind" |
| Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn | "Crimson" |
| Eshu Tune | "1-3 Pocket" "Veneers" |
| Margo Price | "Lydia" |
| Marshall Allen and The Sun Ra Arkestra | "If You Came from Nowhere Here" |
| Tamtam | "ISMAK" |
| Gaby Moreno | "Til Waking Light" |
| Shemekia Copeland | "Too Far to Be Gone" |
| Sudan Archives | "Selfish Soul" |
| Martha Reeves | "Heat Wave" |

## Winners and nominees

The nominees were announced on March 22, 2023. Winners are listed first and in bold.
| Record of the Year | Self-Released Record of the Year |
| 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 | Two Sisters – Sarah Davachi "Cool Kids (Our Version)" – Echosmith Jersey Girl – Jessie Baylin Rita Wilson Now & Forever: Duets – Rita Wilson When the Lights Go – Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs |
| A2IM Humanitarian Award | Best Alternative Rock Record |
| Killer Mike Allison Russell Björk Hopeless Records Margo Price Tegan and Sara | Wet Leg – Wet Leg Blue Rev – Alvvays Stumpwork – Dry Cleaning Laurel Hell – Mitski Painless – Nilüfer Yanya |
| Best American Roots Record | Best Blues Record |
| Big Time – Angel Olsen Fortune Favors the Bold – 49 Winchester El Mirador – Calexico The Man from Waco – Charley Crockett This Is a Photograph – Kevin Morby Denim & Diamonds – Nikki Lane | Done Come Too Far – Shemekia Copeland Bloodline Maintenance – Ben Harper Outdated Emotion – Delbert McClinton Set Sail – North Mississippi Allstars I Need a Job...So I Can Buy More Auto-Tune – Swamp Dogg |
| Best Classical Record | Best Country Record |
| Pigments – Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn We Will Live On – Deru memorie – doeke Invisible Forces – James Heather At the Crest – Jonas Colstrup Lost & Found – Sean Shibe | I Walked with You a Ways – Plains "Cypress Hills and the Big Country" – Colter Wall Run, Rose, Run – Dolly Parton Neon Blue – Joshua Hedley Blackberry Rose – Lavender Country "Change of Heart" – Margo Price Jerry Jeff – Steve Earle and The Dukes |
| Best Dance Record | Best Electronic Record |
| "Water" – Bicep "Good Times/Problemz" – Jungle "Happy Ending" – Kelela "Can't Stop Thinking About" – Logic1000 "Strong" – Romy featuring Fred Again "DJ Kicks" – Theo Parrish | The Last Goodbye – Odesza Fragments – Bonobo Topical Dancer – Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul I Love You Jennifer B – Jockstrap Let's Turn It Into Sound – Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith Nymph – Shygirl No Rules Sandy – Sylvan Esso |
| Best Folk Record | Best Heavy Record |
| Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You – Big Thief Age of Apathy – Aoife O'Donovan Quitters – Christian Lee Hutson Pre Pleasure – Julia Jacklin Quiet the Room – Skullcrusher | Hellfire – black midi The Death of Peace of Mind – Bad Omens "Riptide" – Beartooth Gnosis – Russian Circles Trouble the Water – Show Me the Body Diaspora Problems – Soul Glo |
| Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record | Best Jazz Record |
| Louie – Kenny Beats RTJ Cu4tro – Run the Jewels Cheat Codes – Danger Mouse and Black Thought Melt My Eyez See Your Future – Denzel Curry Few Good Things – Saba As Above, So Below – Sampa the Great | "The Garden Path" – Kamasi Washington Where I'm Meant to Be – Ezra Collective Anyhow – Leland Whitty Living Sky – The Sun Ra Arkestra New Standars Vol. 1 – Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Nicholas Payton, and Matthew Stevens |
| Best Latin Record | Best Outlier Record |
| "Ya No Estoy Aquí" – Helado Negro Boleros Psicodélicos – Adrian Quesada IRE – Combo Chimbita Quietude – Eliane Elias If You Will – Flora Purim Estrela Acesa – Sessa Marchita – Silvana Estrada | Please Have a Seat – NNAMDÏ Time Skiffs – Animal Collective Matisyahu – Matisyahu Jazz Codes – Moor Mother COMETA – Nick Hakim Glitch Princess – yeule |
| Best Pop Record | Best Punk Record |
| Muna – MUNA Fossora – Björk Two Ribbons – Let's Eat Grandma Second Nature – Lucius Stay Proud of Me – NoSo Hold the Girl – Rina Sawayama Crybaby – Tegan and Sara | Growing Up – The Linda Lindas Back Home – Big Joanie Endure – Special Interest The Hum Goes on Forever – The Wonder Years Loggerhead – Wu-Lu |
| Best R&B Record | Best Re-Issue |
| Natural Brown Prom Queen – Sudan Archives Let Me Down Easy: Bettye LaVette in Memphis Sun Records 70th / Remastered 2022 – Bettye LaVette "Texas Sun" – Khruangbin and Leon Bridges S/T – Thee Sacred Souls Remember Your North Star – Yaya Bey | Fela with Ginger Baker Live! – Fela Kuti Bon Iver, 10th Anniversary Edition – Bon Iver In My Own Time, 50th Anniversary Edition – Karen Dalton Words & Music, May 1865 (Deluxe Edition) – Lou Reed Nancy & Lee – Nancy Sinatra Wild Creatures – Neko Case A Message from the People – Ray Charles |
| Best Rock Record | Best Singer-Songwriter Record |
| Skinty Fia – Fontaines D.C. When the Wind Forgets Your Name – Built to Spill Fear of the Dawn – Jack White Sometimes, Forever – Soccer Mommy Lucifer on the Sofa – Spoon | And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow – Weyes Blood Warm Chris – Aldous Harding "You're Not Alone" – Allison Russell featuring Brandi Carlile Weather Alive – Beth Orton Boat Songs – MJ Lenderman |
| Best Soul/Funk Record | Best Spiritual Record |
| Sentimental Fool – Lee Fields Live in Stockholm 1972 – Ray Charles Love & Algorhythms – Seratones The Alien Coast – St. Paul and The Broken Bones I Need a Job...So I Can Buy More Auto-Tune – Swamp Dogg | JAMIE – Montell Fish And Now Let's Turn to Page... – Brent Cobb Worship Anywhere: Live from Camp NewBreed – Israel & New Breed Church Clothes 4 – Lecrae Look Up! – The Harlem Gospel Travelers |
| Best Sync Usage | Best Global Record |
| "A Flower Called Nowhere" by Stereolab in Atlanta "Go Home" by Angel Olsen in Empire of Light film trailer "Water No Get Enemy" by Fela Kuti in Airbnb ad "Don't Lose Sight" by Lawrence in Microsoft ad "Drink Before the War" by Sinéad O'Connor in Euphoria | "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" – Rodrigo y Gabriela En Är För Mycket och Tusen Aldrig Nog – Dungen Electricity – Ibibio Sound Machine Let the Festivities Begin! – Los Bitchos Afrique Refait – Mdou Moctar Kel Tinariwen – Tinariwen Ali – Vieux Farka Touré and Khruangbin |
| Breakthrough Artist/Release | Creative Packaging |
| Sudan Archives Allison Russell Charlotte Sands Soul Glo The Linda Lindas | Ants from Up There – Black Country, New Road 2020 Collectors' Set – Jack White Words & Music, May 1965 (Deluxe Edition) – Lou Reed Laurel Hell – Mitski Circuital (Deluxe Edition) – My Morning Jacket Dopesmoker, Weedian High-Fi Edition – Sleep |
| Independent Champion | Label of the Year (Big) |
| Bandcamp Aaron Axelsen FUGA Redeye Secretly Distribution TuneCore | Partisan Records ATO Records Hopeless Records Merge Records New West Records Ninja Tune Sub Pop Records Third Man Records Warp Records |
| Label of the Year (Medium) | Label of the Year (Small) |
| Captured Tracks City Slang Daptone Records Glassnote Records Saddle Creek Yep Roc Records | Innovative Leisure Don Giovanni Records Fire Talk Oh Boy Records Topshelf Records |
| Best Live/Livestream Act | Best Remix |
| Low Live Bartees Strange – Live at the Getty Black Pumas – Colors Live at Abbey Road Studios Idles – Live on From the Basement King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard at Red Rocks Phoebe Bridgers – Glastonbury 2022 Wet Leg – US 2022 Tour | "Too Late Now" (Soulwax Remix) – Wet Leg "Do It to It" (Tiësto Mix) – ACRAZE + Tiësto "Wretched" (keiyaA Remix) – Bartees Strange "Cliché" (Soulwax Remix) – Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul "Nothing Is Safe" (Remx) – Clipping "Get Sun" (Georgia Anne Muldrow Remix) – Hiatus Kaiyote "Midnight Sun" (Sampha remix) – Nilüfer Yanya |
| Video of the Year | Best Short-Form Video |
| "Ur Mom" – Wet Leg "Hawk for the Dove" – Amanda Shires "Jackie Down the Line" – Fontaines D.C. "Thank You" – Jaywood "Parasites" – NoSo "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" – Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Mahal TikTok series – Toro y Moi "Scooter" – Belle and Sebastian Hellfire TikTok Promotion – Black Midi The Runner – Boy Harsher "Pistol" – Cigarettes After Sex Louie 001 Instagram vignette series – Kenny Beats |
| Marketing Genius | Special awards |
| Wet Leg – Wet Leg (Domino Recording Co.) Skinty Fia – Fontaines D.C. (Partisan Records) IMPERA – Ghost (Loma Vista Recordings) Natural Brown Prom Queen – Sudan Archives (Stones Throw Records) Cool It Down – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Secretly Canadian) | Independent Icon Award: Marshall Allen and The Sun Ra Arkestra Independent Icon Award: Martha Reeves |