Indie Week and Libera Awards is hosted annually by this trade org, while recently they held their board election process and welcomed Martin Mills of Beggars Group; Darius Van Arman from Secretly Group; Heather Johnson CEO of Ninety9lives, Louis Posen president of Hopeless Records and Zena White managing director at Partisan Records are among their new board members. Martin Mills A2IM (American Association of Independent Music) is the trade organisation representing independent record labels and their artists, advocating to increase growth, awareness, opportunities for independent music through advocacy, education and community support. A2IM runs events such as Indie Week in NYC and Libera Awards ceremonies annually. Martin Mills was recently appointed to A2IM's board of directors. As founder and Chairman of Beggars Group (which includes 4AD, Matador Records, XL Recordings and Young Turks), as well as having previously served on BPI Council (UK's record industry governing body) he also helped form Merlin; an industrywide collective rights management body designed to cater for small and medium sized independent music companies. Before embarking on his music career, Mills was an accomplished photographer. He was regularly hired by music publishers and sports publications as well as film studios and television networks to photograph musicians, sports figures, film crews, television crews and their work on set. Through close relationship building he managed to put subjects at ease and capture some stunningly natural portraits. A2IM required its board members to possess an exceptional combination of skills when searching for new members: experience in driving business in the indie space; firsthand knowledge of indie label needs and current rights debates; familiarity with digital partners as well as artist community members - such as Burgess. His impressive range of credentials made him stand out, making him an invaluable addition to A2IM as they continue their support of indie success through Libera Awards celebrations and beyond. Other members joining this year are Mariah Czap from Yep Roc; Victor Zaraya from Concord; Heather Johnson from Ninety9lives - join this year! Darius Van Arman A2IM (American Association of Independent Music) is a not-for-profit trade organization representing over 600 independent record labels as one unified voice in the marketplace, media, Capitol Hill and globally. A2IM's mission is to protect independent musical contributions while supporting an essential segment of America's creative economy. Darius Van Arman juggles numerous tasks. He co-owns Secretly Group Records - home of Grammy winners Bon Iver and Slowdive as well as other indie artists--while also running his own label, Jagjaguwar. Furthermore, Darius serves on boards for Merlin Sound Exchange A2IM A2IM in Congress on matters pertaining to music licensing issues as a board member; additionally co-owns Secretly Distribution Fort William Artist Management. Van Arman is known for being an all-around type, so it should come as no surprise that he has his hand in so many projects. His independent spirit first surfaced while attending UVA where he pursued math major studies while simultaneously working at UVA Radio Station/local alt paper, Plan 9 Records, and booking shows at The Tokyo Rose - an underground venue beneath a sushi restaurant where luminaries such as Neutral Milk Hotel/Sleater-Kinney/Will Oldham performed. David continues to embody that same do-it-all spirit to this day, championing independent artists and producing culturally significant music. It has always been his goal to ensure the independent sector has its voice heard; currently serving on Merlin and SoundExchange boards of directors as well as being on Worldwide Independent Network's founding council, co-authoring their Fair Digital Deals Declarations as part of this mission. Nabil Ayers Zena White, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Partisan Records; President and CEO of Beggars Group Nabil Ayers; Hays Rudolph, General Counsel/Vice President/Business and Legal Affairs at Secretly; and Tony Alexander (President/CEO Made in Memphis Entertainment (MIME). are some of the newest faces to join the American Association of Independent Music's board. This trade body oversees governance for non-profit organization; represents membership at large; sets priorities/directions accordingly and sets its priorities/direction accordingly. Nabil Ayers' memoir My Life in the Sunshine provides an intimate view into his upbringing as it was shaped by the agreement his mother struck with jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers to have their child before she turned 20. Her motivation for starting a family without expecting romantic commitment stemmed from wanting to provide him with the security, love, and attention she lacked herself growing up as a child herself. Ayers explores his musical inheritance from his father with photographic intensity. His musical obsession and legacy serve as constant reminders in his daily life. Ayers has written extensively on music and race for publications like The New York Times, NPR, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and GQ. Aside from writing articles, Ayers is also an accomplished drummer, recording artist and music industry entrepreneur. Serving as President of Beggars Group US he has spearheaded campaigns for artists like The National, Big Thief, Grimes St Vincent Future Islands as well as Pixies Doolittle Reissue campaign and Cate Le Bon's Long Winters Reissue campaigns as President as well. Ayers has produced music from musicians including PJ Harvey The Killers and Cate Le Bon. Hays Rudolph The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) is a not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to strengthening independent music companies owned by individuals or independent labels. Comprised of nearly 700 small and mid-sized American labels, A2IM's membership aims to represent their interests both in the marketplace, media coverage and on Capitol Hill. A2IM's board of directors oversees its governance and sets priorities and directions for its nonprofit organization. Members serve three-year terms per company; second terms must wait one year before being run for. Rudolph is sometimes misidentified due to a miscalculation of his birth date. Born in Greensboro, North Carolina but frequently moving due to army service as an "army brat", he attended high school in Germany before studying theater at Kaiserslautern Performing Arts Center where he performed as both actor and stage manager. Hays has led Secretly Group's growth into one of the premier independent record groups worldwide. He has signed and nurtured artists like MUNA, Mitski and Sharon Van Etten while simultaneously launching two new brands under its wing: All Flowers Group and drink sum wtr. Hays holds the dual positions of general counsel and senior vice president of business and legal affairs for the label, leading a team to manage artists' social media and marketing initiatives for social media and marketing purposes. In addition, he works closely with songwriters, managers, agents, co-founder of Nashville office of international talent booking agency The Gigs as co-founder as well as membership in Nashville Chamber of Commerce as former director for American Society for the Arts. Tony Alexander Tony Alexander is an entrepreneur, lawyer, teacher and philosopher. He holds master's degrees in microbiology, law and is almost done writing his dissertation for his doctorate in philosophy; in addition he holds a medical technology patent. Baker Donelson of Memphis employs him as partner. Additionally he serves as adjunct professor in food and drug law as well as intellectual property law at University of Memphis Law School; additionally he sits on several boards including: Consortium MMT Akron Tomorrow Playhouse Square Foundation as well as vice chairmanship for Greater Akron Chamber. A2IM is a trade organization dedicated to representing independent music labels and their interests in the marketplace, media, Capitol Hill and global music communities. Members include some of the most notable independent record labels including ATO Records, Epitaph Records, Yep Roc Records and Beggars Group; additionally they organize Indie Week and Libera Awards events annually. The trade organization's new board of directors includes Marie Clausen from Ninja Tune, Mariah Czap from Yep Roc, Steven Hill from Warp Records, Heather Johnson from Ninety9lives and Darius Van Arman of Secretly Label Group; its executive committee features Louis Posen from Hopeless Records and Victor Zaraya of Concord Records. A2IM represents over 270 member labels and promotes independent music through advocacy, education and community services. A2IM works towards levelling out playing fields for small- to mid-sized independents that form the core of this industry; providing members with various services and benefits like connecting them through yearly events as well as legal and financial counsel services.