Lawrence Arabia takes home Silver Scroll award

Lawrence Arabia (aka James Milne) won with his song Apple Pie Bed. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Musician Lawrence Arabia has been awarded the Apra Silver Scroll award for the best New Zealand song of the year for

Apple Pie Bed

.

Lawrence Arabia, real name James Milne, co-wrote the song with the Phoenix Foundation's Luke Buda.

The song was voted the winner by New Zealand songwriters and composers who make up Apra's membership.

Apra, the Australasian Performing Right Association, administers rights to New Zealand artists' music and collects royalties on their behalf.

Apra NZ director, Anthony Healey said

Apple Pie Bed

was "beautiful pop music with an edge, songwriting genius".

The awards, now in their 44th year, were held in at Christchurch Town Hall last night -- the first time they had been held in the South Island.

Four hundred songs were entered for this year's awards.

The number was whittled down to 20 by a secret panel before five finalists were chosen by Apra members.

Dimmer's

Degrees of Existence

, Jess Chambers'

Island

, Phil Madsen's

Dancing on the Moon

and Midnight Youth's

The Letter

were the other finalists.

Midnight Youth won Most Performed Work in New Zealand for their song

The Letter

, and Neil Finn won Most Performed Work Overseas for i.

Hirini Melbourne and Richard Nunns were inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

The full list of winners were:

APRA Silver Scroll Award:

James Milne and Luke Buda (Lawrence Arabia) with

Apple Pie Bed

New Zealand Music Hall of Fame Induction:

Hirini Melbourne and Richard Nunns

SOUNZ Contemporary Award, recognising creative excellence by a classical composer:

Ross Harris with

Symphony III

APRA Maioha Award, celebrating contemporary Maori music:

Rewi Spraggon and Riki Bennett (Te Aratoi) with

Tapapakanga

Most Performed Work in New Zealand:

Jeremy Redmore, Simon Oscroft, Matthew Warman, Aidan Bartlett and Nick Campbell (Midnight Youth) with

The Letter

Most Performed Work Overseas:

Neil Finn with

Don't Dream It's Over

- NZPA