Nettwerk Music Group co-founders Terry McBride and Mark Jowett will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Libera Awards, to be held on Monday, June 8, at the historic Gotham Hall in New York City. The recognition celebrates their four-decade commitment to artist development, innovation and leadership within the global independent music sector.
The 15th annual Libera Awards (officially, The Libera Awards Presented By Merlin) are presented by the Foundation for Independent Music (FIM), with support from the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM).
“Terry and Mark have been true mavericks and innovators in the independent music sector the past 40 years,” Ian Harrison, CEO of A2IM, said in a statement. “Their tireless work supporting a diverse array of artists through their label, management, publishing and various non-profits has been an inspiration to generations of independent musicians and industry members. We are honored to recognize their extraordinary work with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Now in its 40th year, Nettwerk Music Group has become one of the world’s most influential independent music companies. As CEO, McBride has long been a champion of artist empowerment and digital innovation. Beyond Nettwerk, he co-founded the groundbreaking Lilith Fair, which raised more than $10 million for women’s charities, and has continued to expand his impact through ventures in wellness and industry advocacy.
Jowett, a founding partner of Nettwerk, has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s evolution into a global, multi-faceted organization spanning recorded music, artist management and publishing. His work has helped support artists including Sarah McLachlan, Coldplay, Avril Lavigne, Dido and Sum 41, while also contributing to the broader industry through leadership roles with organizations such as FACTOR, SOCAN and the Canadian Music Publishers Association.
The organizers also announced four performers for the show, three of whom are 2026 Libera Awards nominees. The announced performers are Nigerian Tuareg guitar innovator Mdou Moctax, nominated for best global record for Tears of Injustice (Matador Records); singer-songwriter Valerie June, nominated for best American roots record for Owls, Omens, and Oracles (Concord Records); Dawn Richard, a previous Libera Award winner, nominated for best R&B record for “A Flex” (Merge Records); and eclectic synth-pop artist PORCHES.
This year’s ceremony will feature 38 categories highlighting the best in independent music, including, for the first time, independent record store of the year. This year’s top artist nominees are Oklou, Geese, Clipse, Hayley Williams and Wednesday.
The event will once again be hosted by Delisa Shannon, Billboard’s short form content director. Tickets, which begin at $369.70, are on sale at the A2IM site.
The Libera Awards will once again kick off the Indie Week conference, which begins the following morning, Tuesday, June 9, and runs through Thursday, June 11, at the InterContinental New York Times Square.
