Alice Bag, Shabazz Palaces to Perform at A2IM’s Libera Awards
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On June 18, 2020, the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) will continue its annual tradition of honoring independent artists at the Libera Awards, to be held at New York’s Ziegfeld Ballroom. The 2020 awards show comes as A2IM celebrates 15 years of working to support and strengthen the independent music industry.
The awards always have stellar performers and this year will be no exception: Latina punk pioneer Alice Bag, who will also be receiving the Independent Icon Award, and Seattle hip-hop group Shabazz Palaces, whose fifth album “The Don of Diamond Dreams” will be available on April 17 on Sub Pop.
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The pair join previously announced performers John Prine and Alejandro Escovedo, both of whom will receive the Independent Icon Award.
The evening again will be hosted by acclaimed actor, comedian, and author Chris Gethard, known for “The Chris Gethard Show,” his “Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People” podcast, and his 2018 book, “Lose Well.”
Singer/songwriter, musician, author and feminist Bag kicked off her career as the lead singer of the Bags, one of the first bands to form during the initial wave of punk that swept Los Angeles in the mid-70s. Since then, she has performed in several groundbreaking bands, released two critically-acclaimed solo albums, and authored several books. Bag will kick off a national spring tour on March 6 in Vancouver, joining her Bikini Kill on several dates. Her third solo album, “Sister Dynamite,” is due April 24 on In the Red Records.
“The 2020 Libera Awards serve as a dual celebration for A2IM: one that applauds the extraordinary talent of so many artists, labels, and independent champions, as well as the commemoration of 15 years of A2IM and all that we’ve worked to accomplish,” said A2IM CEO Richard James Burgess. “We are proud of the increased visibility of independent music in the overall market and are energized and excited to head into the next fifteen years of events, advocacy, and work in this remarkable community.”
Each year, the Libera Awards serve as the culmination of A2IM’s Indie Week, an international conference that brings together leaders and visionaries from the independent music world for four days of keynotes, workshops, and panels. This year’s Indie Week will take place June 15th through the 18th at New York Law School.
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