A2IM: American Association of Independent Music

Posted in Events, Member Services, Members Only, News by A2IM

eMusic NYC information sessions and eMusic 101 –
a handy reference to the ways we can work together

As the only standalone music service focused on owning and collecting music, eMusic is well poised to be one of your preferred retail partners. With CMJ approaching we’d like to take the opportunity to invite our label partners to a discussion of the plans for eMusic in 2013 and beyond. (more…)

Posted in News by A2IM

If you weren’t able to attend the A2IM Libera Awards in June or even if you did attend, we hope you’ll enjoy seeing the whole show.  Here is the video shot from the sound booth at Le Poisson Rouge on June 21, 2012.

Posted in News by A2IM

Here is a great pic of “The Dø” with their 2012 Libby Award, which they received for the “Up & Comer Award” presented by eMusic. Congratulations to the Band and their Label, A2IM Member, Six Degrees Records.

Posted in News by A2IM

The First Annual A2IM Libera Award Show “The Libbies” was a smashing success! The show, which was held in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge on June 21, 2012, was hosted by John Ross Bowie (Big Bang Theory). A2IM congratulates all of the night’s nominees and winners and extends a big thanks to our sponsors: official.fm, Pandora, eMusic & The Orchard. In July, a video of the Libera Award show will be available to watch on A2IM.org.

The 2012 Libby Winners

Below is a sampling of the press which we received.

A2IM’s official press release can be read HERE.

Our sponsor’s press releases: official.fm’s press release | eMusic’s press release

Wall Street Journal “Rocking It, Indie Style” June 26, 2012 by Raphael Rosen

Wall Street Journal Speakeasy

Billboard.biz: June 22, 2012

Billboard.biz: June 21, 2012

Grammy.org

Getty Images: Official Photos

Pictures on Flickr by John Lambremont (Kill Rock Stars). Thanks John!!

Check Out The  Libera Awards 2012  *Sizzle Reel* by josh steinbauer

A2IM-sizzle-reel from josh steinbauer on Vimeo.

Check out the Video of The Full Show recorded from the sound booth at Le Poisson Rouge

Thanks Again To Our Sponsors

Posted in Press Releases by A2IM

A2IM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 22, 2012

Merge, Daptone, Bon Iver Notch Inaugural Libera Wins

The remarkable scope of the independent music world was on display tonight (6/21) at
A2IM’s inaugural Libera Awards (”The Libbies”) at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC, celebrating
the range of the thriving indie world: diverse genres, labels big and small and from
around the globe. Created by and for the independent label community, the Libera
Awards – named for the Latin word for freedom – capped off A2IM’s 7th Anniversary Indie Week.

Jagjaguwar and Daptone Records led the field with two Libbie wins apiece, while other
winners included Spotify, Arcade Fire (Merge Records), and Glassnote Records. Bon Iver
(Jagjaguwar) grabbed a win for Independent Album of the Year while Daptone took
home Independent Label of Year (6 or more employees).

“Congratulations to all Libera Award nominees and awards winners,” said A2IM Vice
President Jim Mahoney. “A2IM couldn’t be prouder of the great accomplishments of
independent labels and artists in every genre and we’re very pleased that the A2IM
Libbies allow the indie community to celebrate itself.”

Among the 250+ attendees packed into the club was Martin Mills, the Beggars Group
Founder/CEO, who was awarded the inaugural A2IM Libera Awards Lifetime
Achievement Award. Seymour Stein presented the award to Mills with a heartfelt
speech, and the assembled indie music VIPs warmly welcomed Stein back into the
independent community with his relaunched Blue Horizon Records label (with partner
Richard Gottehrer).

During the event, download-and-discovery service eMusic announced the winners for the A2IM Libera Awards Up & Comer Award. As determined by eMusic’s community of
members, the winner was the post-punk, soul group JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound
(Bloodshot Records), while the winner voted by the A2IM membership was The Dø (Six
Degrees Records).

2012 Libera Winners:

21st Century Award – celebrating the service or platform most beneficial to independent
labels & artists:

Spotify

Best Independent Sync Placement – the most creative or most impactful use of
independent music in a film/tv/ad campaign:

Glassnote Records (GIVERS’ song “Saw You First” in Kindle Fire product launch)

Creative Packaging Award – celebrating the best or most creative packaging – including
bundled packages, premium offerings or artwork/design packaging – from an independent label or artist:

Ninja Tune for Amon Tobin (ISAM limited edition “Control Over Nature” CD/Book)

Independent Album of the Year presented by Official.fm:

Bon Iver – ‘Bon Iver’ (Jagjaguwar)

Independent Video of the Year:

Arcade Fire’s “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” (Merge Records)

Independent Label of the Year (5 full time employees or fewer):

Daptone Records

Independent Label of the Year (6 or more employees):

Jagjaguwar

Lifetime Achievement Award:

Martin Mills, Beggars Group Founder/CEO

Light Bulb Award for Most Creative Marketing Campaign/Idea:

Epitaph/Anti- Records (Tom Waits Invite-Only Listening Party)

Music Supervisor – celebrating the music supervisor/licensing person who was especially
supportive of independent music labels and artists:

PJ Bloom (Neophonic)

Road Warrior of the Year – celebrating the independent label band/artist that was the
most fan-engaged/worked hardest at their job in the last 12 months:

Charles Bradley (Daptone Records)

Up & Comer Award presented by eMusic – celebrating the next independent label
superstar artist:

The Dø (Six Degrees Records) [A2IM member vote]

JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound (Bloodshot Records) [eMusic member vote]

A2IM thanks Official.fm, Pandora, eMusic, and The Orchard for their sponsorship of the
2012 Libera Awards.

http://a2im.org/

http://shorefire.com/clients/A2IM/

About A2IM:

A2IM is a not-for-profit trade organization serving the Independent music community as
a unified voice representing a sector that comprises over 30% of the music industry’s
market share in the United States (and almost 40% of SoundScan digital sales). The
organization represents the Independents’ interests in the marketplace, in the media, on
Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. A2IM is headquartered in New
York City.

As of July 4, 2012, the organization’s board of directors will be composed of the
following: Daptone Records General Manager Cathy Bauer; Sub Pop VP of Business
Affairs Eric Brown; Epitaph General Manager Dave Hansen; Yep Roc Records Co-Owner
Tor Hansen; Alligator Records Founder/CEO Bruce Iglauer; The Beggars Group
Founder/CEO Martin Mills; Glassnote Records General Manager Chris Scully; Naxos of
America CEO Jim Selby; Tommy Boy CEO/Founder Tom Silverman; Jagjaguwar/Dead
Oceans/Secretly Canadian Founder/Co-Owner Darius Van Arman; Razor & Tie COO Victor Zaraya.

For more information, or to become a member, please visit www.A2IM.org.
For press information on A2IM, please contact Elizabeth Lutz [elutz@shorefire.com],
David McTiernan [dmctiernan@shorefire.com], or Rebecca Shapiro
[rshapiro@shorefire.com] at Shore Fire Media, 718.522.7171.

Posted in News, Press Releases by A2IM

A2IM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 30, 2012

A2IM Honors Martin Mills, The Beggars Group Founder/CEO, with

Libera Awards Lifetime Achievement Award

The Big Bang Theory, Curb Your Enthusiasm’s John Ross Bowie to

Host June 21 Libby Awards Event

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) is proud to announce that the inaugural Libera Awards Lifetime Achievement Award will honor Martin Mills, Founder and CEO of The Beggars Group. Indies are exploding in today’s music world, becoming more of a dominant player than ever before, and Mills’ Beggars Group is an exemplar of the increasingly commanding indie presence. Mills will be presented with the award by Sire Records Co-Founder Seymour Stein at the event on June 21 at NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge.

Martin Mills founded the flagship label of The Beggars Group in 1976 and since then the group has become home to the world’s most respected and recognizable independent labels. XL Recordings, 4AD, Matador and Rough Trade are all part of the Beggars Group. From the first release on Beggars Banquet, a single by punk band The Lurkers, to Gary Numan’s hits, to the addition of 4AD and their distinctive identity and the joining of XL Recordings and Rough Trade, The Beggars Group has always been on the forefront of great music and original artists. Martin Mills has been an outspoken advocate for independent music, and with his direction, the labels have released albums by some of the world’s most interesting and innovative artists including Adele, The National, Thom Yorke, Vampire Weekend, Fucked Up, The xx, Scott Walker, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, Jarvis Cocker, Interpol, Grimes and many more.

Seymour Stein is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Sire Records, home to some of modern music’s most

iconic names, from Talking Heads and The Smiths to Wilco and My Bloody Valentine. Stein, together with Sire Records Co-Founder Richard Gottehrer, also recently reformed Blue Horizon Records, a label at The Orchard, an A2IM member.

~

The host of the Libera Awards (”The Libbies”) will be actor/comedian John Ross Bowie, who has appeared on such television shows at The Big Bang Theory, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Reno 911! He is a New York native, now living in Los Angeles and has been involved with The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater since 1998. ”I am thrilled to be hosting the Libbies, not just because I’m a huge independent music buff, but because there has never been a more exciting time to be an independent music buff,” said Bowie of his hosting duties. “The entire industry is shifting and independent labels and artists are empowered and are creating a new, corporate-free paradigm. Also, I’m told there will be snacks.”

The LIBBY Award statues, made from wood and wire, are designed and individually hand-sculpted by artist Zak Gere. The statue is not only a piece of art but a collector’s item. A2IM extends its thanks and appreciation to Gere.

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See the full list of independent labels, artists, and supporters that received final nominations for the A2IM Libby Awards HERE.

A2IM’s 2012 Libera Awards are sponsored by Official.FM, Pandora, eMusic and The Orchard.

About A2IM:

A2IM is a not-for-profit trade organization serving the Independent music community as a unified voice representing a sector that comprises over 30% of the music industry’s market share in the United States (and almost 40% of SoundScan digital album sales). The organization represents the Independents’ interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. A2IM is headquartered in New York City. The organization’s board of directors is composed of the following: Concord Music Group President Glen Barros; Sub Pop Records VP Business Affairs Eric Brown; tinyOGRE Entertainment COO Jim Cooperman; Epitaph General Manager Dave Hansen; Yep Roc Records co-owner Tor Hansen; Alligator Records Founder/CEO Bruce Iglauer; The Beggars Group Founder/CEO Martin Mills; Kill Rock Stars President Portia Sabin; Jim Selby, Naxos of America CEO, Tommy Boy CEO/Founder Tom Silverman; Razor & Tie COO Victor Zaraya. The A2IM President’s Advisory Committee is composed of the following: Big Machine Label Group General Manager Andrew Kautz, Mack Avenue President Denny Stilwell, and Jagjaguwar Founder/Co-Owner Darius Van Arman.