VIA PRESS RELEASE | The best in vinyl packaging will be recognized October 1, 2018, at the Making Vinyl Packaging Awards at the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit at Making Vinyl, the first B2B conference dedicated to the rebirth of the vinyl record manufacturing industry. In its second year, Making Vinyl will closely examine the circumstances leading up to the astounding comeback of a format deemed to be dead and forgotten less than 15 years ago is now regarded as physical media’s only shining star in the digital age.
The Making Vinyl Packaging Awards competition garnered 237 online submissions from both sides of the Atlantic, and were reviewed by a stellar jury of more than two-dozen award-winning judges in music design the U.S. and Europe the likes of Roger Dean (Yes) and several Grammy Packaging Award winners. The winners, who will be picked among the finalists below by a panel of judges at the New York offices of the prestigious design organization AIGA, will be announced at the awards ceremony on October 1 in Detroit.
Among the 12 categories are “They Said It Couldn’t Be Done,” recognizing innovation in vinyl packaging structural design; and “Best Record Store Day Vinyl,” recognizing the best limited-edition releases created for RSD 2018 in April and RSD Black Friday 2017. Record Store Day is a partner in Making Vinyl. “The awards competition recognizes the importance and critical role that compelling physical packaging plays in selling music,” says Bryan Ekus, president of Making Vinyl producer Colonial Purchasing Co-op, a raw material buying group of physical media manufacturers.
The first Making Vinyl conference was attended by nearly 300 industry professionals from 16 countries and was keynoted by vinyl evangelist Jack White, whose Third Man Pressing returns as a hometown sponsor of the event. Renowned art director/actor Craig Braun (Sticky Fingers, School’s Out, Tommy!) is returning to host the Making Vinyl Packaging Awards.
MAKING VINYL PACKAGING AWARDS FINALISTS
Best 45-rpm Single
Second Wind – Sock-Tight
“An Ambulance” b/w “Never Know” – Mike Krol
Libraries Rock! – Kishi Bashi / Blacknerdninja
Doe Paora – Ring the Alarm/ White Iris Release – Doe Paora – American Singer Songwriter
“What a Time to Be Alive (Acoustic)” b/w “Erasure (Acoustic)” – Superchunk
Best CD Box Set (at least 3 CDs)
The Goldberg Variations – The Complete Unreleased Recording Sessions June 1955 – Glenn Gould
Listen Without Prejudice – George Michael
Blistered Bags Of Fodder Swaying: Works 1980 – Controlled Bleeding
Radio Cineola: Trilogy – a Broadcast by THE THE – THE THE
Manchester North Of England: A Story Of Independent Music Greater Manchester 1977-1993 – Various Artists
Best Record Art (LP size)
August Burns Red – Phantom Anthem – Ryan Clark
Wax Mage – “Double Trouble” – Gmucs
Waffles, Triangles & Jesus – White
The Desaturating Seven – Primus
Deche – ‘Luxure en Vain’ – Gmucs
Best Vinyl Album Cover (Illustrated)
Act II: The Father of Death – The Protomen
The Worms Heart – The Shins
Every Country’s Sun – Mogwai
2064: Read Only Memories Vinyl Soundtrack – 2 Mello
Babelsberg – Gruff Rhys
Best Vinyl Album Cover (Photograph)
Cocoa Sugar – Young Fathers
Sleep Well Beast – The National
Heaven And Earth – Kamasi Washington
Milano – Daniele Luppi & Parquet Courts
Children of Paradise – Willie Nile
Best Vinyl Album Reissue
Eulogy for Evolution 2017 – Ólafur Arnalds
Isaac Hayes – Black Moses – Joseph McCarthy
What Another Man Spills – Lambchop
The Final Tour Bootleg Series – Miles Davis & John Coltrane
Devotion – Beach House
Best Vinyl Box Set (at least 3 records)
Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of “Weird Al” Yankovic – Weird Al” Yankovic
I’ll Be Your Girl– The Decemberists
1 + 1 = X – Erased Tapes Records Artists
Steven Universe Complete Volume 1 Soundtrack – Sugar
Cuphead 4xLP Deluxe Vinyl Soundtrack – Maddigan
Best Vinyl Gatefold
Act II: The Father of Death – The Protomen
Kaiho – Kauan
A Moment Apart – ODESZA
Smash Hit / PinOut 2xLP Vinyl Soundtracks – Holmquist
Loversity – Sam Lewis
Best Vinyl Picture Disc
She Taught Me How To Fly – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Goodbye Road EP – JOHNNYSWIM and Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors
140 Vinyl Soundtrack – Schmid
Cheech Y Chong Up In Smoke 40th Anniversary – Cheech Y Chong
Torn Down (Mixed Up Extra) – The Cure
Record Store Day – Vinyl
Stay Gold Collectors Jewel Box – Run The Jewels
Feast of Panthers – Ensign Broderick
Boxer Live In Brussels – The National
Anywhere II – Anywhere
Exotica – Sun Ra
The Alex Steinweiss Award (Best in Show)
I’ll Be Your Girl – The Decemberists
Sleep Well Beast – The National
Sad Clown Bad Year (#9-#12 Collection) – Atmosphere
Too Many Bad Habits – Johnny Nicholas
Act II: The Father of Death – The Protomen
They Said It Couldn’t Be Done – Vinyl
I’ll Be Your Girl – The Decemberists
Act II: The Father of Death – The Protomen
Portal (Soundtrack) – Apeture Science Psychoacoustics Laboratory
Plunge – Fever Ray
Steven Universe Complete Volume 1 Soundtrack – Sugar
