The 2022 APRA Silver Scroll was awarded to '35' written by Rob Ruha, Kaea Hills, Te Amorutu Broughton, Ainsley Tai, Dan Martin, Whenua Patuwai, performed by Ka Hao and Rob Ruha. Photo: Supplied
New Zealand's top songs for 2022 have been announced at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards, celebrating Aotearoa's songwriters and composers, with the song '35' by Rob Ruha and an East Coast youth choir taking the top gong.
About 500 people were at the ceremony, held tonight at Auckland's Spark Arena, and many more watched it online, the organisation said. This was the first full-scale event in three years, due to Covid-19 disruptions.
Members of APRA AMCOS, which takes care of musical royalties, were able to vote in the awards.
A different musical director takes care of the performances each year - this year it was Rob Ruha and Cilla Ruha.
In the past, performances have often honoured the final five nominees' songs, with Delaney Davidson previously covering BENEE's Glitter and metal band Alien Weaponry covering Troy Kingi's Mighty Invader in 2020.
The top song: '35' - a song named for a highway
The song which scooped the headline award, '35', was named for the section of State Highway that loops around Te Tairāwhiti, the East Coast.
The released version was performed by Tairāwhiti youth choir Ka Hao with Rob Ruha, and was written by Rob Ruha, Kaea Hills, Te Amorutu Broughton, Ainsley Tai, Dan Martin, Whenua Patuwai.
"The feel-good local anthem gained international recognition late last year after going viral on TikTok, proudly putting Māoritanga and the East Coast on the map," the APRA statement said.
"The coming together of Rob Ruha and Ka Hao is seamless, as a project to promote and revitalise te reo Māori, the group's name refers to the proverb ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi (as the old fishing net is worn, a new one is made), referring to youth growing up and entering adulthood."
The song was performed for the ceremony by singers Stan Walker and Hamo Dell.
Maioha Award for a te reo Māori waiata
Aja Ropata, Byllie-Jean Zeta and Chris Wethey won the Maioha Award for an exceptional waiata in te reo, for their song 'Te Iho'.
"'Te Iho' praises the essence of powerful wāhine Māori, using poetic language to express the importance of women. [It] is a potent waiata about whakapapa and the DNA passed down from atua wāhine," APRA said.
SOUNZ Award winner inspired in Paris
Reuben Jelleyman picked up the SOUNZ Contemporary Award for his orchestral work 'Catalogue', after he was nominated for the award twice in previous years.
Reuben Jelleyman Photo: Supplied
The piece is "a chaotic collision of Jelleyman's musical exploration" while studying at the Conservatoire national Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris, and was written for performance ensemble Multilatérale, APRA said.
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi in a scene from The Panthers Photo: scene from The Panthers
Compositions used in film and television
The award for original music used in a film went to Dana Lund and Horomona Horo for their score for Whina, a story unfolding the legacy left by Dame Whina Cooper.
And the award for music used in a series went to Jonathan Crayford, Joel Tashkoff, Troy Kingi and Stephen Atutolu for the soundtrack to The Panthers, which features many well-known Pasifika performers, and explores the history of the Polynesian Panthers and the Dawn Raids.
Here's the list of the finalists:
2022 APRA Silver Scroll award finalists
- WINNER: '35' written by Rob Ruha, Kaea Hills, Te Amorutu Broughton, Ainsley Tai, Dan Martin, Whenua Patuwai, performed by Ka Hao and Rob Ruha
- 'Beyond the Stars' written by Tami Neilson and Delaney Davidson performed by Tami Neilson and Willie Nelson (Native Tongue Music Publishing)
- 'Girl At Night' written by Natalie Hutton, Minnie Robberds, Joel Becker, Angus Murray, performed by There's A Tuesday (Native Tongue Music Publishing)
- 'He Ōrite' written by Troy Kingi*, Iraia Whakamoe, Ryan Prebble, James Coyle, performed by Troy Kingi and The Nudge (*LOOP Publishing Limited/Kobalt Music Publishing)
- 'My Boy' written and performed by Marlon Williams (Native Tongue Music Publishing)
APRA Maioha Award finalists, celebrating exceptional waiata featuring te reo Māori
- WINNER: 'Te Iho' written by Aja Ropata, Byllie-Jean Zeta, Chris Wethey, performed by AJA & Byllie-Jean
- 'E Hine Ē' written by Em-Haley Walker, performed by TE KAAHU
- 'Rangatira/Owner' written and performed by Ria Hall translated by Teraania Ormsby (published by LOOP Publishing Limited/Kobalt Music Publishing)
SOUNZ Contemporary Award finalists, celebrating excellence in contemporary composition
- WINNER: 'Catalogue' by Reuben Jelleyman
- 'more full of flames' and voices by Neville Hall
- 'Manaaki' by Phil Brownlee, Liane Taikao (Ariana Tikao)
APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award finalists
- WINNER: Dana Lund and Horomona Horo for Whina
- Karl Steven for The Justice of Bunny King
- Conrad Wedde, Samuel Scott, Luke Buda (Moniker) for Night Raiders
APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award finalists
- WINNER: Jonathan Crayford, Joel Tashkoff, Troy Kingi, Stephen Atutolu for The Panthers
- Conrad Wedde, Samuel Scott, Luke Buda (Moniker) for Wellington Paranormal
- Claire Cowan for One Lane Bridge
2022 NZ Music Hall of Fame Inductees: Te Kumeroa "Ngoingoi" Pēwhairangi QSM, Tuini Moetū Haangū Ngāwai