It's that time of year to celebrate, well, a YEAR in New Zealand music! The Aotearoa Music Awards have announced the 35 finalists across 15 categories, and it is a stunning line-up across the board.
First of all, we'd like to congratulate Flying Nun post-punk noise trio, Wax Chattels (pictured above) for their second AMA nomination for 'Best Alternative Artist', this time for their album Clot. They are up against fellow independents Na Noise (for Waiting For You) and Anthonie Tonnon (for Leave Love Out of This).
'Best Alternative Artist' is a category that Flying Nun artists are no stranger to; Aldous Harding, Mermaidens, Reb Fountain, Fazerdaze and Lawrence Arabia to name a few recent nominees.
Wax Chattels' Clot album cover designed and photographed by the band's own bass player, Amanda Cheng is also up for 'Best Album Artwork' at the AMA Artisan Awards.
No stranger to the music awards, Troy Kingi (pictured above) emerges as the frontrunner for the 2021 awards with six nominations.
With four Tūi already to his name, Troy Kingi celebrates being a finalist across Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for his fourth album The Ghost of Freddie Cesar and Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Sleep (Slumber)’.
He’s also a finalist for for Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa | Best Solo Artist, Te Māngai Pāho Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa | Best Māori Artist, Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa | Best Soul/RnB Artist, in addition to a nomination for Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo award with blues and roots trio The Nudge.
Following the release of his debut album in March, singer songwriter TEEKS (pictured below) has had a hugely successful year – including a sold out nationwide tour.
He’s a finalist for five awards this year including Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for Something to Feel, Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Remember Me’, Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa | Best Solo Artist, Te Māngai Pāho Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa | Best Māori Artist and Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa | Best Soul/RnB Artist. Teeks' Something To Feel album cover designed and photographed by Frances Carter is also up for 'Best Album Artwork' at the AMA Artisan Awards.
Fast becoming an iconic Kiwi band, L.A.B are back and finalists for four Tūi. This year they have stepped it up with a multitude of sold out shows, from Mt Smart Stadium in March to selling out their two arena shows in Hamilton and Wellington within one day.
They are finalists for Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for L.A.B. IV, Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Why Oh Why’, Te Roopu Toa | Best Group and Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Roots Artist.
Pop juggernaut BENEE (pictured above) took home all four Tūi from her 2020 Aotearoa Music Award nominations. This year she is a finalist once again for Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa | Best Solo Artist and Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa | Best Pop Artist, along with Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for her debut studio album Hey u x.
Lorde’s triumphant return is also celebrated this year, with her single ‘Solar Power’ nominated for Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year.
With one of the most famous surnames in Kiwi music, Harper Finn is forging his own path with his inventive, piano pop, and is this year nominated for Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Dance Away These Days’.
Pop duo Foley (pictured above) celebrate their first Tūi nominations across two categories, Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa | Best Pop Artist.
Mara TK has been nommed for two awards this year; Te Māngai Pāho Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa | Best Māori Artist and Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa | Best Soul/RnB Artist.
The finalists for the 2021 Mana Reo award are Rei, The Nudge & Troy Kingi, and Te Nūtube – the dynamic duo of Atareta Milne (11) and Te Haakura Ihimaera-Manley (9) who are nominated for ‘Peke’ - their waiata from Season 3 of their popular Māori Television children’s show.
Dead Favours, fronted by vocalist Jared Wrennall who previously was the drummer for Grammy Award-nominated punk band Steriogram, sees their first nomination for Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa | Best Rock Artist, alongside homegrown rockers Ekko Park and Mako Road.
Diggy Dupè, SWIDT (pictured above) and Team Dynamite celebrate their nomination for Te Kaipuoro Hipihope Toa | Best Hip Hop Artist.
Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Electronic Artist finalists include Paige Julia, Shapeshifter and Sola Rosa, and the finalists for Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa | Best Classical Artist are Claire Cowan, Justin DeHart and Tony Yan Tong Chen.
Six60 are finalists for Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘That’s All She Wrote’, while Niko Walters is nominated for Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year through his laid back, catchy storytelling single ‘Not My Neighbour’.
The other finalists for the prestigious Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year are Kiwi music royalty Crowded House for Dreamers are Waiting and The Phoenix Foundation for Friend Ship. Other 2021 Aotearoa Music Award finalists includes Shapeshifter (Te Roopu Toa | Best Group), Anna Coddington (Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa | Best Solo Artist), Muroki (Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year), , LA WOMEN (Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa | Best Pop Artist), Grove Roots and Tomorrow People (Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Roots Artist).
The recipients of the Te Toa Hoko Teitei, | Highest Selling Artist, NZ On Air Te Rikoata Marakerake o te Tau | Radio Airplay Record of the Year and Te Kōwhiri o te Nuinga | People’s Choice will be announced on the night at the 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards.
The 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards will be a live television event screened on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ OnDemand from the Aotea Centre. The event will take place in December and will be rescheduled to a date in early 2022 if Covid-19 restrictions prevent the ceremony from going ahead.
TVNZ Director of Content Cate Slater says, “The Aotearoa Music Awards are the biggest night in the NZ music calendar and we’re thrilled that they have a new home on TVNZ. Supporting the music industry and these incredible local artists is important to TVNZ, and we’re excited to help celebrate the very best of New Zealand music with a special live television event.”
AOTEAROA MUSIC AWARDS | NGĀ TOHU PUORO O AOTEAROA FINALISTS 2021
Recorded Music NZ Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year
BENEE – Hey u x
Crowded House – Dreamers are Waiting
L.A.B. – L.A.B. IV
The Phoenix Foundation – Friend Ship
TEEKS – Something to Feel
Troy Kingi – The Ghost of Freddie Cesar
Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year
Harper Finn – ‘Dance Away These Days’
L.A.B. – ‘Why Oh Why’
Lorde – ‘Solar Power’
Six60 – ‘All She Wrote’
TEEKS – ‘Remember Me’
Troy Kingi – ‘Sleep (Slumber)’
Te Roopu Toa | Best Group
Crowded House – Dreamers are Waiting
L.A.B. – L.A.B. IV
The Phoenix Foundation – Friend Ship
Shapeshifter – Rituals
Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa | Best Solo Artist
Anna Coddington – Beams
BENEE – Hey u x
TEEKS – Something to Feel
Troy Kingi – The Ghost of Freddie Cesar
Spotify Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Foley
Harper Finn
Muroki
Niko Walters
Te Māngai Pāho Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa | Best Māori Artist
Mara TK
Teeks
Troy Kingi
The Edge Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa | Best Pop Artist
BENEE
Foley
LA WOMEN
Te Kaipuoro Manohi Toa | Best Alternative Artist
Anthonie Tonnon
Na Noise
Wax Chattels
Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa | Best Soul/RnB Artist
Mara TK
Teeks
Troy Kingi
Te Kaipuoro Hipihope Toa | Best Hip Hop Artist
Diggy Dupè
SWIDT
Team Dynamite
Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Roots Artist
Grove Roots
L.A.B
Tomorrow People
Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo Award
Rei
Te Nūtube
The Nudge & Troy Kingi
Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Electronic Artist
Paige Julia
Shapeshifter
Sola Rosa
Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa | Best Rock Artist
Dead Favours
Ekko Park
Mako Road
Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa | Best Classical Artist
Claire Cowan
Justin DeHart
Tony Yan Tong Chen
