Leaders honoured at awards

Maisey Rika (left) and Rob Ruha perform at the Waiata Maori Music Awards.

Te Arawa musicians played their part in paying tribute to a performing arts leader while whanau of the late Mauriora Kingi accepted his Keeper of Traditions Award at the Waiata Maori Music Awards in Hastings on Friday.

The ceremony opened with a special performance by Kahurangi Maori Dance Theatre, featuring Toni Huata, Maisey Rika (Ngati Awa-Te Arawa) and Rob Ruha (Te Arawa), recognising Tama Huata and his efforts to establish the annual music awards event.

There were also other guest performances during the night to make the awards ceremony a success.

The Waiata Maori Music Awards were held in Hastings on Friday.

The audience was treated to the acoustic sound of Hastings singer Katherine Winitana and then what was to be a solo performance by Rotorua singer Ruha turned into a star-studded line-up of singers, including Majic Paora, Rika, Troy Kingi and Tyna Keelan, performing together.

Strong solo performances came from Troy Kingi, Maaka Fiso, Ranea Aperahama and Tipene, all of which had the guests out of their seats and dancing to the best Maori music had to offer.

An impromptu performance by Rim D Paul and Eddie Low, after they accepted the Maori Music Industry Nominated Award on behalf of the Quin Tikis, was also a treat for those who had gathered for the eighth annual awards ceremony.

The Kahurangi dance theatre opened the awards in spectacular fashion with a tribute to Mr Huata, so it was fitting the final award at this year's ceremony - the Lifetime Contribution to Maori Music Award - went posthumously to him and was accepted on his behalf by his children, Ariki, Narelle and Ellison, as well as his wife, Tangi.

A young singer who first featured at the awards as a teenager won the event's top award for a female artist in 2015.

Majic Paora, from Kaipara, was named Best Maori Female Solo Artist, which the reggae-roots artist dedicated to her father, Ropata Paora.