Geese and Oklou each won four awards at the 2026 Libera Awards, which were held on Tuesday (June 8) at Gotham Hall in New York City.
Geese won record of the year, breakthrough artist, best alternative/rock record and the marketing genius award, all for their fourth studio album, Getting Killed. The Brooklyn-based rock band is considered a leading candidate for a Grammy nod for best new artist.
Oklou won best electronic record and best pop record, both for her debut album, choke enough, as well as best remix for “blade bird (Nick León Broward Mix)” and music video of the year for “viscus.” Oklou is a 33-year-old French singer who specializes in experimental pop.
The Geese and Oklou albums both placed on Billboard’s list of The 50 Best Albums of 2025: Staff Picks.
Clipse and Mavis Staples, who each won Grammys on Feb. 1, and Hayley Williams, who received multiple Grammy nominations this year, were also among those honored.
Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out, which was nominated for both album of the year and best rap album at the Grammys, won best hip-hop/rap record at the Liberas. Staples’ Sad and Beautiful World, which housed her pair of Grammy-winning tracks, “Godspeed” and “Beautiful Strangers,” won best soul/funk record. Williams’ Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, which was nominated for best alternative music album at the Grammys, won best self-released record of the year.
Wet Leg’s “mangetout,” a track from the band’s 2025 album Moisturizer that was featured in the smash miniseries Heated Rivalry, won the award for best synch usage.
The 15th annual Libera Awards, presented by Merlin, featured 38 categories honoring the best in independent music. Nominations were announced on March 18 by The Foundation for Independent Music (FIM), with support from A2IM (The American Association of Independent Music, Inc.).
Partisan Records, Mexican Summer and True Panther Records won the label of the year awards for companies of their size. (Details below.) Rough Trade NYC took home the inaugural Libera Award for best independent record store. This year’s lifetime achievement award honored Terry McBride and Mark Jowett, co-founders of Nettwerk Music Group. The Vancouver label, famous for breaking Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, Passenger and many others, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024.
Hosted by Delisa Shannon, Billboard’s short-form content director, the event featured performances from Mdou Moctar, Valerie June, Dawn Richard and Aaron Maine of Porches. The Libera Awards kicked off the Indie Week conference, which begins Tuesday (June 9) and runs through Thursday (June 11) at the InterContinental New York Times Square.
“The 2026 Libera Awards was an extraordinary night and a powerful reminder of what makes the independent music community so special,” Ian Harrison, CEO of A2IM said in a statement. “The Liberas are unique in celebrating not just the best in music across multiple genres, but also the people and companies who put their passion and creativity in supporting these tremendous artists. These nominees and winners embody the innovation, creativity, and authenticity that are the lifeblood of our industry. Congratulations to all who continue to shape the future of music on their own terms.”
The Foundation for Independent Music has been working closely with Tito’s Handmade Vodka to support up-and-coming voices in independent music as part of the Sounds Better with Tito’s artist program. Selected artists receive a financial grant. During the ceremony, Sounds Better with Tito’s presented this year’s breakthrough artist award, awarded to Geese, and announced the latest member of the program, Gelli Haha, who was a Libera Award nominee for both best dance record and breakthrough artist.
Here’s a full list of the nominees for the 2026 Libera Awards Presented by Merlin, with winners marked.
