L.A.B is the big winner at the Aotearoa Music Awards (AMA), taking out the Album of the Year and other awards, while TEEKS won three Tūī, including Best Solo Artist.
L.A.B at the 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards Photo: SUPPLIED/ Stijl
The 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards were hosted by Hayley Sproull and Stan Walker and were broadcast live on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ OnDemand, featuring performances by Harper Finn, L.A.B, Team Dynamite, TEEKS, Te Nūtube, Troy Kingi, Goldsmith Baynes, and Stan Walker.
L.A.B won four awards, including Recorded Music NZ Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of The Year for their fourth album L.A.B. IV, TVNZ 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.
Singer/songwriter TEEKS won three Tūī - Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa | Best Solo Artist, Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa | Best Soul/RnB Artist and Te Māngai Pāho Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa | Best Māori Artist.
Cousins Te Haakura Ihimaera-Manley, 9 and Atareta Milne, 11 Photo: SUPPLIED/ Stijl
Cousins Atareta Milne (11) and Te Haakura Ihimaera-Manley (9) were awarded with the humm Te Kōwhiri to te Nuinga | People's Choice Award and Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo Award. They were two of the youngest ever artists to receive awards.
The wāhine taitamariki are the stars of Māori Television series Te Nūtube and were celebrated for their single PEKE.
Harper Finn walked away with his first Tūī as this year's recipient of Spotify Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year for his single Dance Away These Days.
BENEE took home the Tūī for The Edge Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa | Best Pop Artist, bringing her total Tūī collection to nine.
Six60 was announced as the Te Toa Hoko Teitei | Highest Selling Artist for 2021, and also won NZ On Air Te Rikoata Marakerake o te Tau | Radio Airplay Record of the Year for their single Fade Away.
Other 2021 winners included Dead Favours who won Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa | Best Rock Artist and Team Dynamite who won Te Kaipuoro Hipihope Toa | Best Hip Hop Artist. Te Kaipuoro Manohi Toa | Best Alternative Artist went to Na Noise, and Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Electronic Artist went to Paige Julia, while Claire Cowan is the 2021 Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa | Best Classical Artist.
L.A.B won Single of the Year for Why Oh Why
Annie Crummer, Debbie Harwood, Dianne Swann, Margaret Urlich and Kim Willoughby are the latest inductees to the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame | Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa.
Recorded Music New Zealand Kaiwhakahaere o Ngā Tohu Puoro Sarah Owen congratulated this year's recipients.
"It is always a privilege to celebrate some of our most talented and creative musicians. This year's event felt extra special, as we acknowledge how lucky we are to have been able to run a live show with the challenges of Covid-19," said Owen.
"I want to commend all Aotearoa musicians for creating such incredible work, somehow making magic through such a difficult year. As always, I'm in awe of ngā hapori puoro talent."
Artisan Awards
The sixth annual Artisan Award winners were also announced tonight, celebrating the Kiwi talent that is behind some of our most recognised musicians.
The Massey University Te Kaiwhakaputa Toa | Best Producer award was won by Delaney Davidson and Jol Mulholland for their work on Troy Kingi's album Black Sea Golden Ladder. Jol Mulholland was also awarded Te Kaipukaha Toa | Best Engineer for his work on the same album.
Other Tūī included NZ On Air Te Kiko Puoro Ataata Toa | Best Music Video Content which was won by Alexander Gander for Georgia Lines' video No One Knows, and Te Toi Ataata Pukaemi Toa | Best Album Artwork won by Amanda Cheng for the album Clot by Wax Chattels.
The Kaiārahi Puoro o te Tau | Music Teacher of the Year award was won by 3x finalist Jane Egan, head of music at Gisborne Girls High School.
The awards and some of the live performances will be available on TVNZ OnDemand.
Cousins Atareta Milne (11) and Te Haakura Ihimaera-Manley won the People's Choice Award for their song PEKE