Rob Ruha won four awards, Ria Hall was named Best Female Artist, Alien Weaponry took out Best Music Video, Troy Kingi won Best Pop Album, and Seth Haapu won Best Songwriter at the 11th Annual Waiata Māori Music Awards in Hastings.
Clockwise from left: Rob Ruha, Ria Hall, Alien Weaponry and Seth Haapu Photo: Supplied
Internationally acclaimed haka soul musician Rob Ruha has won four awards at this year’s Waiata Māori Music Awards including Best Male Artist, Best Māori Traditional Album for Survivance, Best Urban Artist and Best Song for ‘Kalega’.
Alex Behan talks to Rob Ruha about his wins:
READ: Rob Ruha on creating the te reo Māori version of Disney hit Moana
Trailblazing singer-songwriter Ria Hall was named Best Female Artist; Troy Kingi took out Best Pop Album for Shake That Skinny Ass All the Way To Zygertron; teenage thrash metallers Alien Weaponry won Best Music Video for ‘Kai Tangata’; singer/songwriter Seth Haapu won Best Songwriter for his track ‘New Wave’; and Tomorrow People were awarded Best Roots, Reggae for their album BBQ Reggae, which went number one earlier this year, knocking Ed Sheeran off the top of the Kiwi album charts.
For the second year in a row, Six60 took out Radio Airplay Song of the Year for single ‘Don’t Give It Up’ and Māori pop sensation Maimoa were awarded Radio Airplay Song of the Year in Te Reo Māori for their pop hit ‘Wairua’.
The awards were held at a ceremony in Hastings on Friday night.
Two Emerging Artists were acknowledged at the awards this year: singer and rapper Ngatai Waretini won Emerging Artist award in the Under 25 category and Arona Maui was recognised in the Over 25 category.
Full list of 2018 Waiata Māori Music Awards winners:
Best Māori Traditional Album | Kōpae Mōteatea Hira
Rob Ruha – Survivance
Best Māori Pop Album | Kaipūoru Māori Autaia
Troy Kingi - Shake That Skinny Ass All the Way to Zygertron
Radio Airplay Song of the Year by a Māori Artist in Te Reo Māori Award | Kōpae-Irirangi Kaipūoru Reo Māori o te Tau
Maimoa – ‘Wairua’
Radio Airplay Song of the Year by a Māori Artist | Kōpae-Irirangi Kaipūoru Māori o te Tau
Six60 – ‘Don't Give It Up’
Best Music Video by a Māori Artist | Ataata Māori Hira o te Tau
Alien Weaponry – ‘Kai Tangata’
Best Māori Urban Artist or Artists | Kaipūoru Māori-Noho-Taone Autaia
Rob Ruha
Best Roots, Reggae | Kōpaeroa Autaia Roots, Reggae
Tomorrow People – BBQ Reggae
Best Māori Songwriter | Kaitito Waiata- Māori Autaia
Seth Haapu – ‘New Wave’
Best Māori Male Solo Artist | Manu Tīoriori Tāne Autaia
Rob Ruha
Best Māori Female Solo Artist | Manu Tīoriori Wahine Autaia
Ria Hall
Best Song by a Māori Artist | Waiata Māori Hira
Rob Ruha – ‘Kalega’
Keeper of Tradition | Kaitiaki Tikanga Pūoru
Derek Lardelli
Dame Georgina Kingi
Lifetime Contribution to Māori Music | Mauriora o Te Ao Pūoru Māori
Monty Cowan
Music Industry Award | Ahumahi Pūoru
Carl Perkins
Music Composers Award (Historical) | Te Puna o te ki o nehe
Ngatai Huata
