Oh, snap! Music gongs go mobile

Reporter·NZME.·

23 Oct, 2015 04:00 PM2 mins to read

Both Lorde and Marlon Williams are finalists for Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards. Photo AP

Can't make the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards? No problem. All you need is a smartphone to watch this year's awards.

Hundreds of video snippets of the November 19 event will be broadcast through Snapchat channel @vodafonenz. Snapchat is a video and messaging app that has been downloaded at least 1.7 million times by New Zealanders.

The 10-second-long videos will feature bands as well as stars and revellers in the crowd. They will be made into a continuous "story" by Mish Guru, a New Zealand start-up Snapchat marketing company.

People not in attendance will also be able to post video snippets. Some messages of congratulations to stars will be played back during the live broadcast of the event on TV3.

While it's a first for the awards, it follows a trend of events being filmed for Snapchat. American music festival Coachella had a few hundred thousand people in attendance, but another 40 million people around the globe tuned in and watched via Snapchat.

The trend is in line with how young people engage with media, says Matt Williams, Vodafone's consumer director.

"There's no doubt young people are changing the way they engage with traditional media," he said.

"You'll often find them watching TV while continuing to use their phone. They want to be highly connected."

Roy Morgan research this year found 81 per cent of New Zealand youth aged 16 to 24 have a smartphone.

Both Lorde and Marlon Williams are finalists for Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards. Photo / Nick Reed

Meanwhile, AC Nielsen research found that 65 per cent of youth use smartphones, tablets and other devices while watching television.

Mr Williams said the awards' Snapchat stream would be a "truly interactive experience".

"This year, Vodafone's using Snapchat to give viewers a different perspective of the music awards, through a unique mash-up of moments and impressions - things you wouldn't even get to see on TV," he said.