Sinead Corcoran and Ricardo Simich greet nominees on the toned-down red carpet at this year's Aotearoa Music Awards.
At last year's awards, Auckland's pop sensation Benee scooped the win in all four categories she was nominated in. Tonight she did the double by replicating that incredible feat at the newly rebranded Aotearoa Music Awards which were held at Spark Arena.
The singer/songwriter collected the Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year Tui for Superlonely, her song which went viral on social media site TikTok during the first lockdown to become an international hit for the Grey Lynn resident.
Benee, real name Stella Bennett, also collected the awards for Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa | Best Solo Artist, Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa | Best Pop Artist and the International Achievement award.
It's been a massive year for the 20-year-old. Last month her catchy song Glitter won the APRA Silver Scroll award and on Friday she released her long-awaited debut album 'Hey u x', which features collaborations with artists such as Lily Allen and Grimes.
Indie-pop band The Beths were also winners in multiple categories. They improved on last year's haul of two awards to walk away this evening with three, including the coveted Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year award, which they claimed for their second album Jump Rope Gazers.
For the second year in a row they also won awards for Te Roopu Toa | Best Group and Te Kaipuoro Manohi Toa | Best Alternative Artist.
Indie-pop band The Beths won three awards at the AMAs.
Crowd favourites Six60 scored a hat-trick, winning Te Toa Hoko Teitei | Highest Selling Artist for the third consecutive year.
South Auckland teenager Jawsh 685 rightly scored Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year award for his hit Laxed – Siren Beat which peaked at No 1 in 17 countries after American R&B singer Jason Derulo sampled it for his song Savage Love.
The producer, real name Joshua Nanai, made history as the first Pasifika person and the third New Zealander ever to reach No 1 in the UK Singles Chart. This feat saw him also being awarded an International Achievement award tonight.
Jawsh 685 won Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the AMAs.
Hip-hop duo Church & AP, real names Elijah Manu and Albert Purcell, won Te Kaipuoro Hipihope Toa | Best Hip Hop Artist to continue their winning streak after winning the Tui for Best Pacific Group at the Pacific Music Awards in October.
Elsewhere, Drax Project won Te Rikoata Marakerake o te Tau | Radio Airplay Record of the Year for their song Catching Feelings, which features Six60. L.A.B won Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Roots Artist, Haz & Miloux won Te Kaipuro Awe Toa | Best Soul/RnB Artist, and Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa | Best Rock Artist went to City of Souls.
Other winners include Lee Mvtthews (Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Electronic Artist), Maimoa (Te Māngai Pāho Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa | Best Māori Artist), and Andrew Beer & Sarah Watkins (Te Kaipuro Inamata Toa | Best Classical Artist).
The NZ Music Hall of Fame filled up a lot this year with multiple artists being added. The latest inductees were Johnny Cooper, Max Merritt, Peter Posa, Dinah Lee, The Chicks and Larry's Rebels.
