Ladyhawke billing ruffles Oz feathers

Ladyhawke. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

Multi award-winning New Zealand singer Ladyhawke has ruffled feathers across the Tasman after being granted a solo performance slot on Australia's major music awards night.

Ladyhawke - aka Pip Brown - was last week nominated for five Australian Aria awards and is scheduled to perform live on November 26.

But management for her Australian rivals for the best female artist award - Sarah Blasko, Kate Miller-Heidke and Lisa Mitchell - appear miffed they will only "grace the stage in succession for a one-off performance".

And Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported industry commentators had called on organisers for evidence that Ladyhawke was eligible for the Arias, as Kiwis including Evermore and Neil Finn were ruled out in previous years.

Paul Piticco, who heads Blasko's label Dew Process, said that the Aria board needed to revisit the awards criteria for future awards.

Raised in Masterton and based in the UK, Ladyhawke dominated the New Zealand Music Awards this month by winning six gongs including album and single of the year.

Her label Modular insisted she satisfied the criteria that you must be an Australian citizen or have "gained or applied for permanent residency in Australia and resided in Australia for six months during the eligibility period".

- NZPA