The 2023 APRA Silver Scroll Kaitito Kaiaka award nominees. Photo: Supplied
Finalists for the country's top awards recognising songwriters and composers have been announced.
The APRA Silver Scroll Award Kaitito Kaiaka celebrates New Zealand's songwriters and composers, while the APRA Maioha Award recognises songwriters who are telling their stories in te reo Māori.
APRA NZ's writer director and former Silver Scroll winner Bic Runga said the shortlist of APRA Silver Scroll and Maioha Award nominees grows increasingly competitive each year.
"Voting for Aotearoa's best songs is a difficult task for APRA members - a song's power is subjective, its magic impossible to measure. But there's no doubting the aroha, lyricism, and musical skill that has gone into each one of these high-quality works."
Runga said this year's awards provided a "shortlist of masterpieces and future classics" which showed New Zealand songwriting was in good health.
APRA members will now vote for their Top 5 Silver Scroll songs and Top 3 Maioha waiata.
The winners will be announced at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards on 4 October at Spark Arena in Auckland.
The finalists
The Silver Scroll Award top 20 list:
- 'Aroā', written by Emily Rice, Charles Looker, Te Kuru Dewes; performed by Aro
- 'Can't Fake It', written by Jessica Bourke, Maarten Bokma, Max Oude Weernink, Bart Possemis; performed by JessB
- 'Desert Dove', written and; performed by Holly Arrowsmith
- 'Don't Go Back', written by Marlon Williams, Mark Perkins; performed by Marlon Williams
- 'Expert In A Dying Field', written by Elizabeth Stokes, Jonathan Pearce, Benjamin Sinclair, Tristan Deck; performed by The Beths
- 'Foolish Thinking', written by Kimbra Johnson, Ryan Lott; performed by Kimbra ft. Ryan Lott
- 'Friday Night @ The Liquor Store', written by Tom Scott, Christopher James; performed by Avantdale Bowling Club
- 'Green Honda', written by Stella Bennet, Luka Kloser, Elvira Anderfjard; performed by BENEE
- 'i Just Can't Wait', written by Sean James Donnelly; performed by SJD
- 'Kingmaker', written and; performed by Tami Neilson
- 'Layla', written by Ruban Nielson, Kody Nielson; performed by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
- 'Live Wires', written by Shannon Fowler; performed by Tom Lark
- 'My Baby's Like A Hurricane', written by Whaanga arahi Main-Baillie; performed by Arahi
- 'Smooth It Over', written by Ash Wallace, Gabriel Everett, Sophie Mashlan, Anton Rundberg, Julia Karlsson; performed by Foley
- 'Something', written by Oscar Mein, Henry Francis, Conor Feehly, Max Holmes, Tom Healy; performed by Soaked Oats
- 'Take My Hands'At Night', written and; performed by Ebony Lamb
- 'Te Atarau', written by Mohi Allen, Daniel Martin, Rukuwai Allen; performed by Mohi
- 'The Crab / Waterbaby', written by Hollie Fullbrook; performed by Tiny Ruins
- 'Travel With Me', written by Deva Mahal, Marika Hodgson; performed by Deva Mahal
- 'You Are', written by Naomi Ludlow; performed by Ny Oh
The APRA Maioha Award Top 5:
- Don't Rush written by Te Kuru Dewes, Anna Coddington, Jordyn Rapana, Daniel Martin,; performed by Te Kuru Dewes, Anna Coddington, Jordyn with a Why
- E tama written by Hamiora Tuari, Ani Piki Tuari, Tame Tuari, Tatana Tuari and Matt Sadgrove; performed by Tuari Brothers
- Me Pēhea Rā written by Mohi Allen, Hēmi Kelly, Amy Boroevich, Noema Te Hau III; performed by MOHI
- Nui te Aroha written by Eugene Temara; performed by O.R.A
- Raumati written by Jordyn Rapana translated by Te Kuru Dewes,; performed by Jordyn with a Why