CD Shop Awards
In March 2011, Yonezu and seven other musicians created Balloom, an independent music label for Internet musicians to widen their musical opportunities. His debut album released in 2012, "Diorama", debuted at number 6 and sold over 45,000 copies, becoming the biggest release on the label to date. The album was one of the winners of the 5th CD Shop Awards, an award voted on by music store personnel. Yonezu was picked up as a major label artist under Universal Sigma, and debuted in May 2013 with the single "Santa Maria." He made the shift in order to work with musicians doing similar things as him.