The awards' mainstay and former winner Fraser is in line for single of the year (Something In the Water), best female solo artist and her third long-player, Flags, is a best pop and album of the year contender.
The singer-songwriter will be hoping it's third time lucky since she has never won best album despite two nominations.
Ladi6 will square off with Fraser in all those categories except pop, with the soul diva's album The Liberation of... up against rappers David Dallas and PNC in best urban/hip-hop album instead.
Also announced were the NZ Herald Legacy Award winners, 70s and 80s pop-rock bad boys Dragon.
Though the awards being held a month later than usual because of the Rugby World Cup, which might make some of the finalists seem a little long in the tooth, it is one of the most diverse and interesting lists in recent years.
The addition of the best alternative album category, and the likes of metal band Beastwars and fiery rock duo Cairo Knife Fight making it into the best rock album category, give the awards a broader reach.
In the alternative section alongside TNAF are last year's Critics' Choice prize winners Street Chant for Means and noisy trio Die!Die!Die! for the excellent Form.
Elsewhere folk pop troubadour Avalanche City, David Dallas, and Tiki Taane have received three nods and off the back of their people's favourite hit Rise Up 2.0, Six60 get two spots along with stalwarts Shihad and singer-songwriter Julia Deans for her debut solo album, Modern Fables.
The finalists for best video are Punching In A Dream (TNAF) and Broken Machine (Zowie), both by Special Problems, and Faye McNeil for Ladi6's Like Water.
The winners of the technical awards were also revealed, with best producer going to TNAF's Thom Powers and Aaron Short for Passive Me, Aggressive You; the pair (along with Olly Harmer) also won best engineer.
Best album cover went to Nick Keller and his fiery fantasy-inspired design for Beastwars' debut.
Meanwhile, the three acts playing the showcase concert to decide the Critics' Choice Prize at the King's Arms on October 6 are rising pop star Kimbra, Aucklanders Popstrangers, and Christchurch band the Unfaithful Ways.
*TimeOut has not included Best Music Video or People's Choice Award in an artist's tally.
Full list of finalists for the 2011 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards
Russian Standard Vodka Album of The Year
The Naked and Famous Passive Me Aggressive You
Ladi6 The Liberation Of...
Brooke Fraser Flags
Avalanche City Our New Life Above the Ground
David Dallas The Rose Tint
Vodafone Single of The Year
The Naked and Famous Young Blood
Avalanche City Love Love Love
Ladi6 Like Water
Brooke Fraser Something in the Water
Six60 Rise Up 2.0
FOUR Best Group
The Naked and Famous Passive Me Aggressive You
Shihad Ignite
Kids of 88 Sugarpills
Best Male Solo Artist
Tiki Taane In the World of Light
David Dallas The Rose Tint
Stan Walker From The Inside Out
Best Female Solo Artist
Brooke Fraser Flags
Ladi6 The Liberation Of...
Julia Deans Modern Fables
Pacific Blue Breakthrough Artist of The Year
The Naked and Famous Passive Me Aggressive You
Six60 Rise Up 2.0
Avalanche City Our New Life Above the Ground
PPNZ Best Rock Album
Shihad Ignite
Cairo Knife Fight Cairo Knife Fight
Beastwars Beastwars
The Edge Best Pop Album
Brooke Fraser Flags
Kids of 88 Sugarpills
Julia Deans Modern Fables
Best Alternative Album
The Naked and Famous Passive Me Aggressive You
Street Chant Means
Die! Die! Die! Form
Serato Best Urban / Hip Hop Album
Ladi6 The Liberation Of...
David Dallas The Rose Tint
PNC Man on Wire
Best Roots Album
TrinityRoots Music is Choice
House of Shem Island Vibration
Katchafire On the Road Again
NZ On Air Best Music Video
Special Problems Punching In A Dream (The Naked and Famous)
Special Problems Broken Machine (Zowie)
Faye McNeil Like Water (Ladi6)
Best Electronica Album
Tiki Taane In the World of Light
State of Mind Nil By Ear
Concord Dawn The Enemy Within
Best Maori Album
Tiki Taane In the World of Light
Miss Black Black Light
Wai Ora
Best Gospel / Christian Album
Parachute Band Love Without Measure
The Ember Days Finger Painting EP
Juliagrace Beautiful Survivor
Best Classical Album
John Psathas Helix
Flight Flight
New Zealand String Quartet Notes from a Journey
Vodafone People's Choice Award
Ladi6
Brooke Fraser
Six60
Stan Walker
The Naked and Famous
New Zealand Herald Legacy Award
Dragon
Vodafone Highest Selling NZ Single, Highest Selling NZ Album, NZ On Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year and the International Achievement awards will be awarded at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards ceremony at Auckland's Vector Arena on November 3.
-TimeOut
