The 2021 Apra Silver Scrolls can finally be celebrated this year. Photo / Supplied
The 2021 Apra Silver Scrolls can finally be celebrated this year. Photo / Supplied
Music legend Troy Kingi was the winner on songwriting's biggest night in Aotearoa.
The 2021 APRA Silver Scroll Awards were postponed three times last year due to Covid-19, but the winners can finally be celebrated in 2022.
Amid the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, the ceremony was moved to an online format this year.
Kingi (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) took out the supreme award on the night, the 2021 Apra Silver Scroll Award (Kaitito Kaiaka) for his funk-laden song All Your Ships Have Sailed from his record The Ghost of Freddie Cesar.
It's the fourth album in his 10 10 10 series, making 10 albums in 10 years over 10 different genres.
The record was inspired by his memories of his father, who disappeared in 2005. Kingi found a cassette tape among his father's belongings with the name Freddie Cesar written on it - the name of an African-American funk artist. He then used this as inspiration to bring a character based on his missing father to life.
"Freddie Cesar gave me the memory blueprints or the spiritual blueprints for these waiata," he explained.
"And this particular one, I don't 100 per cent know what it's about, but I feel like it's about seeing your dreams pass you by, and not being able to retrieve them, but remembering you still have love for your whānau and love for your children and that's enough purpose."
Kingi said he was "humbled and honoured" to receive the award.
Troy Kingi took out the supreme award on the night. Photo / Supplied
"Thank you to Apra and the wider community for allowing it so, for deciding I was worthy of this award. Much gratitude."
It's the third time he's been a finalist for the award, and the win sees him join the likes of Bic Runga, Marlon Williams, Scribe, and Dave Dobbyn.
Meanwhile, Maisey Rika (Te Whānau-a-Apanui) and Seth Haapu (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi) took out the Maioha Award for their waiata Waitī Waitā from Rika's Matariki-inspired album Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimatea.
David Donaldson, Janet Roddick, and Steve Roche were awarded the 2021 SOUNZ Contemporary Award (Te Tohu Auaha) for their 10-track album The Bewilderness, featuring vocals, cello and percussion.
The Apra Best Original Music in a Film (Tohu Pūmanawa) went to Arli Liberman for his composition for Sam Kelly's film Savage, inspired by true stories of Aotearoa's street gangs.
And Kiwi-Swedish composer Karl Steven was awarded the Apra Best Original Music in a Series (Tohu Paerangi) for Black Hands, a dramatised television series about David Bain and his family.
