Apra Silver Scroll Award: Marlon Williams, Tom Scott and Unknown Mortal Orchestra among finalists

Marlon Williams has been announced as a top-five finalist for the Apra Silver Scroll Award.

The final five Kiwi artists vying for the prestigious Silver Scroll Award have been revealed.

For 58 years, the Apra Silver Scroll Award/Kaitito Kaiaka, which recognises achievements in songwriting, has been one of the most coveted awards in Aotearoa’s music industry.

And this year’s finalists are among some of the most iconic musicians in New Zealand.

The peer-voted award has recognised Marlon Williams as a top-five artist for the fourth time with his sultry track Don’t Go Back, which was co-written with Mark Perkins.

Williams first won the Apra Silver Scroll in 2018 for his popular hit Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore, and it seems his new romantic-inspired tune from his seventh album, My Boy, is a dance- and award-provoking track.

Also, for the fourth time, the tight quartet The Beths, led by frontwoman Elizabeth Stokes, have returned to the top five for their song Expert In A Dying Field.

The 2014 Auckland-founded band’s emotional tune utilises the skills of every member including Stokes, guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair and drummer Tristan Deck, and follows the emotional moments after a break-up.

The top five finalists for the Apra Silver Scroll Award have been revealed.

Friday Night @ The Liquor Store, written by Tom Scott and Christopher James and taken from their second album, Trees, has also landed a spot in the top five.

As one of the most compelling storytellers in New Zealand hip hop, 39-year-old Scott first hit the music scene in the late 2000s, releasing music with his band Home Brew. He then became a member of At Peace, the Average Rap Band and finally the Avantdale Bowling Club.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra fans will be pleased to know the band have earned a spot in the prestigious top-five finalist category for their front-running single, Layla, written by Ruban Nielson and Kody Nielson.

The Auckland-founded psychedelic rock band first formed in 2009 with the track Ffunny Ffriends [sic] before releasing their self-titled album in 2011. Now based in Portland, Oregon, in the US, this will be the band’s second opportunity to win an Apra Silver Scroll after their first nomination in 2015.

Previously, the Neilson brothers were founding members of Kiwi art-punk rockers The Mint Chicks.

Hollie Fullbrook’s beautifully crafted song The Crab / Waterbaby, performed by Tiny Ruins, is the final top-five nominee and marks her third time at the top of the list.

Fullbrook and her Auckland-based band, made up of Tom Healy, Cass Basil and Alex Freer, have been beloved by both fans and critics for more than a decade. Having recently released their fourth album Ceremony, the band’s song has landed a spot on the list for its eloquent lyrical craft and explorative musicianship.

Music legend Don McGlashan will be honoured at the award show as a New Zealand Music Hall of Dame inductee.

Serving as music directors for the night, Steph Brown and Fen Ikner, aka Lips, are responsible for cover performances throughout the ceremony.

Alongside the Apra Silver Scroll award, other awards will also be presented, including the Apra Maioha Award, celebrating waiata featuring te reo Māori, the Sounz Contemporary Award, the Apra Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award and the Apra Best Original Music in a Series Award.

The awards will also honour 2023 New Zealand Music Hall of Fame inductee Don McGlashan.

The awards will be presented on Wednesday October 4, at Auckland’s Spark Arena.