The Tuari Brothers: Tatana, Tame and Haami Photo: Supplied
An inspiring waiata written by three brothers in te reo Māori is among finalists in the 2023 APRA Silver Scroll Awards.
Finalists in four sections - the Maioha Award, SOUNZ Contemporary Award, Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award, and Best Original Music in a Series Award - have been announced ahead of the awards night on Wednesday 4 October.
E Tama, written by Hamiora, Tame and Tatana Tuari, Ani Piki Tuari and Matt Sadgrove, is a finalist in the APRA Maioha Award, which recognises the art of contemporary Māori music and songwriters using the language of te ao Māori.
Other finalists for this award are neo soul artist MOHI, for Me Pēhea Rā, co-written and produced with Amy Boroevich (HINA), Noema Te Hau III and Hēmi Kelly, and Jordyn Rapana (Jordyn with a Why) for Raumati.
Victoria Kelly Photo: Garth Badger
Three first-time finalists are up for the SOUNZ Contemporary Award, which celebrates excellence in contemporary composition. They are: Ōtepoti Dunedin composer, conductor, and violinist Nathaniel Otley, whose composition 'Mycelium' is inspired by interconnected fungal networks; Aotearoa-born Samoan composer Joshua Pearson, whose No ro hunu ake composition is a politically charged choral ensemble piece highlighting the impact of climate change on the Moana Islands; and award-winning composer Victoria Kelly, whose Requiem is based on poetry by Bill Manhire, Sam Hunt and James K Baxter, among others.
The APRA Screen Music Awards recognise the importance of music in enriching local and international film and TV productions across a wide range of genres.
Mark Vanilau Photo: Supplied
For the Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award, first time nominee Mark Vanilau is recognised for his work on A Boy Called Piano - The Story of Fa'amoana John Luafutu. Vanilau composed and performed the score for the development season of the play, then created the original score for the award-winning feature documentary of the same name. Fellow first-time finalist Cam Ballantyne has been nominated for his work on Nude Tuesday, a film starring Jemaine Clement and Jackie van Beek. Multi-award-winning composer Karl Sölve Steven, who has previously won this award four times, returns as a finalist in 2023 for his work on The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*#$!
Finalists in the Best Original Music in a Series award are all previous APRA award winners: Tom McLeod is a finalist for his work on Netflix's British monarchy drama series Blood, Sex & Royalty; Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper is a finalist for her work on TVNZ series The Gone; and Claire Cowan is a finalist for her work on romantic comedy Under The Vines.
2023 APRA Maioha Award finalists:
- 'E Tama' written by Hamiora Tuari, Ani Piki Tuari, Tame Tuari, Tatana Tuari, Matt Sadgrove, performed by Tuari Brothers
- 'Me Pēhea Rā' written by Mohi Allen, Hēmi Kelly, Amy Boroevich, Noema Te Hau III, performed by MOHI
- 'Raumati' written by Jordyn Rapana translated by Te Kuru Dewes, performed by Jordyn with a Why
2023 SOUNZ Contemporary Award finalists:
2023 APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award | Tohu Pūmanawa finalists:
2023 APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award | Tohu Paerangi finalists:
- 'Mycelium' by Nathaniel Otley, for Bass Flute, Trumpet, Percussion, Electric Guitar, Keyboard, Violin, Cello, and Contrabass
- 'No ro hunu ake' by Joshua Pearson, for choral ensemble
- 'Requiem' by Victoria Kelly based on poetry by Bill Manhire, Sam Hunt, Ian Wedde, Chloe Honum & James K Baxter - for Soprano, Tenor, Choir and Orchestra
- Mark Vanilau for A Boy Called Piano - The Story of Fa'amoana John Luafutu
- Cam Ballantyne for Nude Tuesday
- Karl Sölve Steven for The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*#$!
- Tom McLeod for Blood, Sex, & Royalty
- Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper for The Gone
- Claire Cowan for Under The Vines