Che Fu dominates music awards with five Tuis

By RUSSELL BAILLIE Entertainment Editor

Che Fu was last night judged the reigning champ of New Zealand Music.

The singer-rapper took away the biggest haul of five NZ Music Awards - the Tuis - in an evening which went against the usual predictable traditions of the prize-giving.

In years past it's frequently been an act with a breakthrough debut album - usually a rock band - which has dominated the ceremony for the Tuis.

But a bumper crop of local releases in 2001 made this the most hotly contested awards in years.

While debutante Anika Moa won two Tuis, the big winners - Fu and Christchurch hybrid dance act Salmonella Dub - are both relative veterans of the Kiwi music scene.

An award ceremony regular when he was the voice of Supergroove in the mid 90s, Fu's five awards included album of the year for his second solo LP Navigator, single of the year and best video for his number one hit Fade Away, best male vocalist and he also took away the inaugural R&B/hip category.

Salmonella Dub won three awards - top group, international achievement and best engineering for their album Inside the Dub Plates. Having topped the charts last year with the album, their fourth, it was the independent left-field group's first major showing at the Tuis.

Moa capped a meteoric local rise with awards for the best female vocalist and songwriter of the year for her radio hit Youthful.

The best new act was Auckland pop-rock outfit goodshirt whose debut album Good also won the cover art award. It's been a big week for the band - their single Sophie finally climbed to the number one spot in the New Zealand charts.

Among the other awards, singer-songwriter Greg Johnson won the best compilation award for his retrospective collection The Best Yet. Better known for comedy these days, the Topp Twins won the country category for their album Grass Highway. And Sola Rosa - the recording moniker of Auckland producer-musician Andrew Spraggon - won the inaugural electronica award for album Solarised.

The full winners list

Single of the year: Che Fu - Fade Away

Album of the year: Che Fu - Navigator

Top male vocalist: Che Fu

Top female vocalist: Anika Moa

Songwriter of the year: Anika Moa - Youthful

Top group: Salmonella Dub

International achievement: Salmonella Dub

Top new act: Goodshirt

Compilation: Greg Johnson - The Best Yet

Top producer: Tom Bailey and Stellar - Magic Line

Top engineer: Dave Wernham, Tiki Taane & Paddy Free - Inside the Dub Plates

Best cover design: Kelvin Soh - Good

Best video: Che Fu - Fade Away

R&B/ Hip-hop: Che Fu - Navigator

Electronica: Sola Rosa - Solarised

Country: Topp Twins - Grass Highway

Jazz: C L Bob - Stereoscope

Classical: Jack Body - Pulse

Gospel: The Lads - Marvel

Folk: Bob McNeill - Covenant

Childrens: Fatcat & Fishface - Dog Breath

Mana Reo: Ruia and Ranea - Waiata of Bob Marley

Mana Maori: Rangiatea Concert Party - Rangiatea

Radio programmer: Brad King, The Rock Network