Guitars, indie top-song picks

North Shore rock band <i>Midnight Youth</i> have been named among the finalists for their top-10 hit <i>The Letter</i>, from their debut album <i>The Brave Don't Run</i>. Photo / Supplied

In a line-up that favours guitars over hip-hop and indie obscurity over hits, the nominations for New Zealand's song of the year have been announced.

The Apra Silver Scroll - the award voted by the 7000-plus songwriting members of the Australasian Performing Right Association - has named its five finalists for this year's accolade.

Last year OpShop won with the song One Day.

The nominees are:

Dunedin rock veteran Shayne Carter for Degrees of Existence, the title track from his band Dimmer's latest album.

Wellington-based singer-songwriter Jess Chambers for Island, a lilting acoustic song, partly in Maori, which was used by the Green Party in its election campaign.

James Milne and Luke Buda for the sunny retro guitar pop of Apple Pie Bed, performed by Milne as Lawrence of Arabia.

The five members of Midnight Youth for the North Shore rock band's top-10 hit The Letter, from their debut album The Brave Don't Run.

Auckland singer-songwriter Phil Madsen for his reggae-ish pop-rock Dancing On the Moon, from his forthcoming debut album Mr Yellow Tree.

The five songs were picked from an earlier shortlist of 20, which include hits by Evermore, P-Money and Nesian Mystik but overlooked the year's biggest local single, Smashproof's hip-hop hit Brother.

The awards, to be presented in Christchurch on September 17, will also recognise local classical composers and writers of contemporary Maori song.