The 2025 Libera Awards — hosted by Billboard’s Delisa Shannon and presented by Merlin — kicked off the annual Indie Week with a celebration of independent music’s top talents. Held by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), the event recognized artists who exemplify the creativity, resilience, and spirit of the indie scene.
Singer-songwriters MJ Lenderman and Jessica Pratt, along with late hip-hop legend MF DOOM, emerged as major winners. Lenderman earned Best American Roots Record and Breakthrough Artist, while Pratt took home Best Folk Record, Best Singer-Songwriter Record, and Record of the Year for her album Here in the Pitch. MF DOOM won Best Reissue, Best Remix, and Creative Packaging for the 20th anniversary edition of MM..FOOD.
Live performances included Swamp Dogg, Serpentwithfeet, Ekko Astral, and Reyna Tropical.
A2IM’s outgoing chief Richard James Burgess called the event “a powerful reminder of what makes our community extraordinary,” praising the innovation and authenticity of this year’s honorees.
Other notable winners include:
- Best Alternative Rock: Kim Gordon – The Collective
- Best Country: Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood
- Best Pop: Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk
- Best Hip-Hop/Rap: Shygirl ft. Saweetie – Immaculate
- Best Rock: Fontaines D.C. – Romance
- Best Soul/Funk: Thee Sacred Souls – Got a Story to Tell
- Impact Award: Shaboozey – Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going
- Label of the Year (Large): Partisan Records
- Self-Released Record of the Year: RAYE – Genesis.
The event also honored industry leaders like Bandcamp (Independent Champion) and Redeye (Distributor of the Year), while Warp Publishing won Publisher of the Year.
The full winners list highlights the depth and diversity of the global indie music scene in 2025.
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