You'd have to be mystic to know

Awards ceremonies usually offer a surprise, but the biggest surprise at tonight's New Zealand music awards, the Tuis, would be if young Auckland band Nesian Mystik don't get up to the mike for some thank-yous and shout-outs.

The five-piece have been nominated in eight categories including the big ones: album of the year, single of the year, and best group.

This past month they have been on their first national tour and, in Dunedin this past weekend, getting the crowds pumping so much they have crashed through the floor. Interesting result for a band whose record label is Bounce.

The multicultural outfit are riding the success of their debut album, Polysaturated, and its runaway single It's On, both of which are finalists in the categories for biggest-selling album and single.

Those two awards can be done by looking at the sales figures, but the others at tonight's ceremonies in the Aotea Centre were chosen by an expanded roster of judges, so anything could happen.

Bic Runga looks like a front-runner again, however - five nominations on the strength of her second album, Beautiful Collision, for which she has already won producer of the year award - and Cambridge's Datsuns have dominated the straight-ahead rock bands with three nominations.

Someone from their record company should have a short acceptance speech planned. There is only one unnamed finalist in the category for the international achievement, and these boys did make the cover of NME, and then some.

But in other categories nothing is a given, and name players such as Anika Moa, Goldenhorse, Che Fu and goodshirt have made it on to various shortlists.

Then there are the newer names: Carly Binding (formerly of TrueBliss) is a first-time starter in the best solo artist category alongside Runga and Moa (no guys do the solo thing with as much confidence apparently).

The rowdy and popular Blindspott crash into the breakthrough artists' category on the strength of their self-titled debut album which has already won Clint Murphy and Dave Rhodes the best engineer award.

The newer categories throw up some interesting face-offs: P-Money, Nesian Mystik and Deceptikonz in the urban album division; Rhombus, Salmonella Dub and Subware in the dance category; and in perhaps the most unpredictable selection of all, the new roots music album section has Te Vaka's Pacifikan pop on Nukukehe alongside Trinity Roots' Maoritanga folk-dub ambience on True and Darren Watson's earthy King Size.

Yes, despite the dominance of some names, there is still a healthy diversity, which means we could be in for some surprises.

The results of tonight's events will be published in these pages tomorrow, and TV3 will broadcast a one-hour highlights show on Friday at 7.30pm.

But no such show is without some round table conversations by those who fancy they know a thing or two about the New Zealand music scene.

So here Herald entertainment writers make their picks of who they think should win at tonight's awards.

The nominations


RUSSELL BAILLIE


Album of the Year: Goldenhorse - Riverhead.

Single of the Year: Nesian Mystik - It's On.

Best Group: The Datsuns.

Best Solo Artist: Bic Runga.

Best Male Vocalist: Te Awanui Pine Reeder (Nesian Mystik).

Best Female Vocalist: Bic Runga.

Breakthrough Artist of the Year: The Datsuns.

Songwriter of the Year: goodshirt - Sophie.

Best Urban Album: P-Money - Big Things.

Best Dance Album: Subware - Subware.

Best Roots Music Album: Trinity Roots - True.

Best Jazz Album: Twinset - It's a Summer Feeling.


REBECCA BARRY


Album of the Year: Goldenhorse Riverhead.

Single of the Year: It's On Nesian Mystik.

Best Group: The Datsuns.

Best Solo Artist: Bic Runga.

Best Male Vocalist: Jon Toogood (Pacifier).

Best Female Vocalist: Kirsten Morelle (Goldenhorse) Riverhead.

Breakthrough Artist of the Year:The Datsuns.

Songwriter of the Year: Nesian Mystik It's On.

Best Urban Album: P-Money Big Things.

Best Dance Album: Rhombus Bass Player.

Best Roots Music Album: Trinity Roots True.

Mana Maori Album: Brother J - Be Bop a Nui


GRAHAM REID


Album of the Year: Goldenhorse - Riverhead.

Single of the Year: Nesian Mystik - It's On.

Best Group: The Datsuns.

Best Solo Artist: Bic Runga .

Best Male Vocalist: Che Fu.

Best Female Vocalist: Kirsten Morelle (Goldenhorse).

Breakthrough Artist of the Year: The Datsuns.

Songwriter of the Year: goodshirt - Sophie.

Best Urban Album: P-Money - Big Things.

Best Dance Album: Salmonella Dub - Outside the Dub Plates.

Best Roots Music Album: Te Vaka - Nukukehe.

Best Jazz Album: Kevin Clark - Once Upon a Song I Flew.

Mana Reo Album: Ngahiwi Apanui - E Tau Nei.

Mana Maori Album: Upper Hutt Posse - Te Reo Maori Remixes.

Pacific Island Album: Jamoa Jam - Tama Mai Le Pasifika