Return of the host

Dai Henwood will again host the NZ Music Awards this year. Photo / Janna Dixon

The first of the New Zealand Music Awards finalists will be announced next week, marking another year's worth of party planning as the organisers gear up for this year's awards.

Scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 8, the awards will be held at Vector Arena for the second year running.

More than 5000 people attended the event last year, making it the biggest audience ever, and it was watched by more than 650,000 via televised broadcasts.

Sticking to that winning formula, comedian Dai Henwood will host the show for a second time.

Next week the technical awards finalists will be announced - best producer, best engineer and best cover art - before the full list of finalists is announced on September 2.

Several top bands are in contention for this year's prizes, with new albums released over the past 12 months. 2007's award champions the Mint Chicks are sure to see the podium again, along with hip-hop heavyweight Savage and the international sensation Ladyhawke.

To be there on the night, grab your earlybird tickets from Ticketmaster from August 10.

Tickets are $37, with prices set to rise in September.