Finalist for the 2018 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards have just been announced with Alien Weaponry, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Troy Kingi and Marlon Williams among the contenders.
RNZ will have extensive online coverage of the ceremony from 6pm, Thursday, November 15th here on the RNZ website, and on RNZ Music Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Clockwise from top left: JessB, Tami Neilson, Marlon Williams, Ruban Nielson, Alien Weaponry, Julia Deans Photo: Supplied / RNZ
Northland thrash-metallers Alien Weaponry are up for four awards this year: Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Māori Artist and Best Rock Artist. Their combination of classic thrash and te reo Māori offers a uniquely New Zealand metal experience.
Psychedelic rock group Unknown Mortal Orchestra are also up for four awards: Album of the Year for 2018’s Sex & Food, Best Group, Best Alternative Artist, and Single of the Year for ‘Hunnybee’, which is also in the Top 5 for this year’s Silver Scroll.
Three-time NZ Music Award winner Marlon Williams is a finalist again this year, in the running for Album of the Year for his 2018 release Make Way For Love, as well as Best Solo Artist and Best Alternative Artist. Julia Deans and Tami Neilson are also both finalists for Best Solo Artist and Album of the Year - for We Light Fire and Sassafrass! respectively.
Northland psych funk genius Troy Kingi is nominated for Best Soul / R&B Artist, as well as in the Best Māori Artist category, which is in its second year, with fellow Northlander Teeks having won it in 2017.
Six60, who’ve recently become the first New Zeland band to sell out Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium, already have nine Tuis to their name and are this year nominated for Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Pop Artist and Single of the Year for ‘Don’t Give It Up’.
Wellington’s Drax Project have gone from busking in Cuba Street to opening for Ed Sheeran and touring Europe with Cuban popstar Camila Cabello. The group are up for four awards: Single of the Year for ‘Woke Up Late’, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Best Group and Best Pop Artist.
Newcomer Robinson is up for Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Single of the Year for the pop anthem ‘Nothing To Regret’, and Sons of Zion are up for Best Roots Artist and Single of the Year for ‘Drift Away’.
Aotearoa’s latest hip-hop heavyweight JessB has also received a finalist nod for Best Hip Hop Artist alongside Kings and Onehunga’s own SWIDT, who won two awards last year including Best Hip Hop Artist. JessB is also in the running for Breakthrough Artist of the Year.
The finalists for Best Electronic Artist this year are Boycrush, Arma Del Amor, and Chores.
Other finalists include Kimbra (Best Solo Artist, Best Pop Artist), Katchafire (Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Artist, Best Roots Artist), Mitch James (Vodafone Single of the Year), L.A.B. (Breakthrough Artist of the Year), Cairo Knife Fight (Best Rock Artist), Skinny Hobos (Best Rock Artist), Wax Chattels (Best Alternative Artist), Tomorrow People (Best Roots Artist), Israel Starr (Best Soul / R&B Artist), and Vince Harder (Best Soul / R&B Artist).
For the first time, all finalists are eligible for the Vodafone People’s Choice Award, which is announced at the 2018 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards on 15 November. Voting for the Vodafone People’s Choice Award will be opening soon to the public.
Winners will be announced at a ceremony at Auckland’ Spark Arena on Thursday, November 15.
Full list of finalists:
Album of the Year
- Alien Weaponry – Tū
- Julia Deans – We Light Fire
- Marlon Williams – Make Way For Love
- Six60 – Six60
- Tami Neilson – Sassafrass!
- Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex & Food
Single of the Year
- Drax Project – ‘Woke Up Late’
- Mitch James – ‘21’
- Robinson – ‘Nothing To Regret’
- Six60 – ‘Don't Give It Up’
- Sons Of Zion – ‘Drift Away’
- Unknown Mortal Orchestra – ‘Hunnybee’
Best Group
- Alien Weaponry – Tū
- Drax Project - Noon
- Six60 - Six60
- Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex & Food
Best Solo Artist
- Julia Deans – We Light Fire
- Kimbra – Primal Heart
- Marlon Williams – Make Way For Love
- Tami Neilson – Sassafrass!
Breakthrough Artist of the Year
- Drax Project
- JessB
- L.A.B.
- Robinson
Best Māori Artist
- Alien Weaponry
- Katchafire
- Troy Kingi
Best Pop Artist
- Drax Project
- Kimbra
- Six60
Best Alternative Artist
- Marlon Williams
- Unknown Mortal Orchestra
- Wax Chattels
Best Soul/RnB Artist
- Israel Starr
- Troy Kingi
- Vince Harder
Best Hip Hop Artist
- JessB
- Kings
- SWIDT
Best Roots Artist
- Katchafire
- Sons of Zion
- Tomorrow People
Best Electronic Artist
- Arma Del Amor
- Boycrush
- Chores
Best Rock Artist
- Alien Weaponry
- Cairo Knife Fight
- Skinny Hobos
Best Worship Artist
- EFKS Te Atatu Junior Youth Choir
- Equippers Revolution
- Kane Adams
Best Classical Artist
- Eve de Castro Robinson
- Henry Wong Doe
- Michael Houstoun
