2017 Taite Music Prize finalists announced

Aarandhna is a Taite Music Prize finalist for her fourth studio album Brown Girl. Photo / nzherald

Independent Music New Zealand have announced the finalists for this year's Taite Music Prize.

In its eighth year, the Taite Music Prize honours the best New Zealand album released in the past year. The winner receives a cash prize of $10,000, recording time at Red Bull Studios Auckland, and a year's supply of Red Bull product.

This year's finalists are;

Aaradhna - Brown Girl
Hopetoun Brown - Look So Good
Lawrence Arabia - Absolute Truth
Leisure - LEISURE
Lontalius - I'll Forget 17
Pacific Heights - The Stillness
Shayne P Carter - Offsider
Street Chant - Hauora

The 2017 shortlist features a mixture of new and old faces - Lontalius, Hopetoun Brown and Leisure each have their debut albums in the running.

2012 finalist Aaradhna returns with her fourth studio album Brown Girl, while 2010 winner Lawrence Arabia is back with Absolute Truth. 2011 finalists Street Chant also return with their sophomore album Hauora.

The Taite Music Prize will be awarded at a presentation at the Civic's Wintergarden in Auckland on April 18.

Lorde previously won the prize in 2014 for her debut album Pure Heroine, but offered up her prize money and studio time to the other six finalists.