Posted January 16, 2024 by Mike Goldstein
One of the most highly-anticipated music packaging-related awards competitions – the Clio Music Awards – is presented each year by an organization that knows a thing or two about who is doing great work in the world of promotion and packaging, that being the Clio Awards organization. Founded in 1959 to celebrate creative excellence in advertising, Clio honors the work and talent at the forefront of the industry in a variety of specialized fields, including: sports, fashion, music, entertainment, cannabis and health.
As I learned from Michael Kauffman, who is responsible for the Music categories at Clio, Clio launched the Clio Music program in 2014, but the first project awarded in Design/packaging was a Silver in 2015 to Walt Disney Records for the Star Wars: The Force Awakens 3D Hologram Vinyl. The overall design area under consideration includes work submitted across various (sub) categories. It’s been updated with new categories over the years, and work must be submitted in order for there to be the opportunity for a Clio to be awarded by the jury. There’s not specifically an “album cover art” category, but there are categories for packaging which includes cover design.
The company describes what makes this particular awards competition unique in this way – “As a leading authority on the diverse and ever-changing creative landscape, Clio celebrates creativity 365-days-a-year via its global ad database Ads of The World and its content platform Muse by Clio.
Built on Clio’s enduring reputation for recognizing the most creative and culturally relevant advertising and communications, Clio Music celebrates the visceral power of music to connect consumers and brands around the world. The program is dedicated to awarding the creative contributions of the marketers and communicators that push boundaries, permeate pop culture, and establish a new precedent for artist promotion, music marketing, design, brand collaborations, and the use of music in advertising and trailers.”
Notable Design/Packaging winners over recent years have included (recipient/musical act/title/year/award):
Turner Duckworth for Metallica – Metallica Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2017, Silver)
BMG for the Keith Richards – Talk Is Cheap – 30th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set (2019, this was the first Gold Clio awarded in this category)
The Orchard for Al Green – Al Green’s Exclusive Record Store Day Box Set (2019, Bronze)
Craft Recordings for John Coltrane – Coltrane 50 (2019, Bronze)
RCA Records for TOOL: Fear Inoculum “Deluxe Edition” and Fear Inoculum “Book Edition” (2020/2021, Gold)
Third Man Records for Jack White’s Taking Me Back (2022, Silver)
The main Clio Awards have been held in NYC every year, and when the Clio Music program was launched in 2014, music award winners were presented during the main Clio show. In 2020, as the program grew in awareness and number of entries, it was decided to present the Clio Music Awards as a distinct and separate awards show. The show was virtual for two program cycles due to the Covid-19 pandemic but, in May, 2022, the first in-person standalone Clio Music Awards were presented live in Nashville, TN. In 2024, the Clio Music program entered into a collaboration with the Billboard organization to present certain awards to winners at a ceremony in Los Angeles, CA, during the week leading up to the annual Grammy Awards. In a recent announcement ahead of those ceremonies, the Clio Music Award recipients in several were announced, with this year’s panel of judges finding a lot to like as not only was there a Gold Medal Award winner in the music-related Design category, but there were also four Silver Medal winning entries and five Bronze Medal winners, too:
The Gold Medal in the Design/Packaging category was given to the team at Crush Music – including designer Brian Moore and marketing head Gaby Fainsilber – for the truly unique record by Fall Out Boy called So Much (For) Stardust, delivered on a specially-crafted “CRYNYL” LP disc that is infused with real tears (!!) – https://clios.com/music/winner/design/fall-out-boy/crynyl-fall-out-boy-s-new-album-on-vinyl-filled-wi-509057
One of the Silver Medals was awarded to Creative Directors Bo Burnham and Quietly Studio’s Dan Calderwood for their work on Burnham’s Inside package (https://clios.com/music/winner/design/bo-burnham/inside-508726), with another Silver shared between the Detroit-based creative agency Doner and the LA-based firm Wolfgang LA for their work on Jon Batiste’s World Music Radio package – https://clios.com/music/winner/design/jon-batiste/world-music-radio-508588
Two other music-related Silver Medals were handed out, with the first going to a group from the renowned creative agency Wieden + Kennedy (both their Sao Paolo and NY teams were involved) for an inventive multi-purpose beer coaster for Anheuser Busch Inbev (one “that supports your Bud and underground artists”) – https://clios.com/music/winner/design/anheuser-busch-inbev/vinyl-coaster-505348 and the final Silver (in the Design/Sustainability category) going to the Austin, TX based firm Gold Rush Vinyl for their beautiful recycled vinyl product (titled “Recycled Vinyl Bouquets”, which are exactly what they say they are) – https://clios.com/music/winner/design/gold-rush-vinyl/recycled-vinyl-bouquets-509278
Bronze Medals went to the producers of the following products: Red Bull Records for Albert Hammond Jr’s Melodies on Hiatus Premium Vinyl – https://clios.com/music/winner/design/albert-hammond-jr/melodies-on-hiatus-premium-vinyl-508605; Empire – BLK ODYSSY – Diamonds & Freaks Vinyl – https://clios.com/music/winner/design/blk-odyssy/blk-odyssy-diamonds-freaks-vinyl-507125 ; Matt Ryan Tobin for his Smile Vinyl Soundtrack – https://clios.com/music/winner/design/smile/vinyl-soundtrack-503753; Hackmart for Wattstax – The Complete Concert Box Set – https://clios.com/music/winner/design/wattstax/wattstax-the-complete-concert-box-set-508283 and The Orchard for the Black Honey – A Fist Full of Peaches (Dart Board Edit) package – https://clios.com/music/winner/design/black-honey/-a-fist-full-of-peaches-dart-board-edit-503616
To see a complete list of winners in all music-related categories (Gold, Silver and Bronze), click on over to – https://clios.com/music/winners and to learn more about all of the fine work being done by the Clio Music team, please visit www.clios.com/music. This year’s panel of judges included a fascinating mix of talent from all corners of the music world, a number of whom you’ll recognize from their appearances on the ACHOF site over the years – https://clios.com/music/jury
I’m told that there is always the chance that an entry might be lifted from one of the sub-categories to the highly-coveted main Clio Awards, so if I learn of anything after the upcoming formal award ceremonies on 1/31/24, I’ll be sure to share that with you. In the meantime, let’s give these award-winning talents a big hand for their work!
Mike G
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