Geese and Oklou Lead the 2026 Libera Awards

The 2026 Libera Awards, held Monday at New York’s Gotham Hall, confirmed a pair of artists as current forces in the independent landscape. Geese took home Record of the Year, Breakthrough Artist, and Best Alternative Rock Record for Getting Killed (Partisan Records), while Oklou’s choke enough claimed Best Electronic Record, Best Pop Record, Best Remix, and Music Video of the Year.

Hosted by Delisa Shannon, the ceremony across 38 categories also honored Clipse for Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record with Let God Sort Em Out, Wednesday’s Bleeds for Best Rock Record, and Hayden Pedigo’s I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Away in American Roots. On the business side, Partisan landed Label of the Year (15+ employees), with Mexican Summer and True Panther winning mid-sized and small label honors. Secretly Distribution and Secretly Publishing took distributor and publisher awards, while Rough Trade NYC was named Best Independent Record Store.

Lifetime Achievement went to Nettwerk Music Group co-founders Terry McBride and Mark Jowett. Performances came from Mdou Moctar, Valerie June, Dawn Richard, and Porches’ Aaron Maine. A2IM CEO Ian Harrison framed the event as recognition of “the innovation, creativity and authenticity that are the lifeblood of our industry”—a sentiment that felt earned in a room where artist-run labels and self-released work were often the night’s real headliners.