Online exclusive
Listener Arts & Entertainment Editor Russell Baillie on the Taite Prize ceremony at Auckland’s Q Theatre.
The 2024 Taite Music Prize became an almost all-women affair with nearly all the winners in its five categories going to female creatives from across the generations.
That included the winner of the Taite itself, Vera Ellen, who took away the award for best album for her fourth, Ideal Home Noise, a set of songs on which the Wellington songwriter contemplated depression and suicidal ideations. That was something she addressed in a heartfelt, long but lyrical acceptance speech after her name was announced as the winner of the $12,500 prize.
“Ideal Home Music saved me from a difficult time in my life, as music seems to do for me over and over again. There’s something about the resilient human spirit that just wants to create beauty from darkness. And when I was honest and put a spotlight on the things that frightened me the most … all of you who danced at my shows, cried in the bedrooms and shared with me your vulnerabilities and that’s what gets me out of bed every single day and I’m so eternally grateful.”
Ellen was one of ten nominees for the prize founded in 2010 and named for late television journalist Dylan Taite, and which is panel-judged solely on artistic merit.
Ellen was joined on stage by the album’s producer Ben Lemi, a jack-of-all-trades Wellington musician whose background includes stints in TrinityRoots and French for Rabbits.
“Ben Lemi was the north star of this record … he is an absolute pillar for me and I’m so grateful to have found a friend like him.”
Ellen was one of a chorus of speakers at the ceremony pleading for support for local artists.
“We need to respect the mana of our musicians here by making sure people are getting paid and at least fed and taken care of.”
Earlier, the winners of both the 2024 Auckland Live Best Independent Debut winner and Independent Spirit Award gave the evening a hip-hop flavour.
South African-born, Invercargill-raised rapper Jujulipps (Hannah Kazadi) won the debut prize for her exuberant EP Get That Shot. In her effusive acceptance speech, the one-time law student saw the award as validation of her decision to commit to a music career.
The Independent Spirit Award – a recognition of unsung heroes in the local indie music industry – went to Teremoana Rapley, a past member of Upper Hutt Posse, Moana and the Moa Hunters, for her contributions to music and advocacy for Pacific artists.
“She’s inspired a whole generation of artists, she’s built worlds, her music is a testament to Pasifika storytelling,” said the award’s presenter DJ-producer Brown Boy Magik, whose own debut album featured Rapley.
The unofficial biggest winner of the night was the veteran independent label Flying Nun. It not only released the album by Ellen, who has worked in the company’s Cuba Street shop, but the Independent Music NZ award went to the label’s 1991 compilation of EPs by all-women mid 1980s Dunedin band Look Blue Go Purple.
Three of the band’s original quintet were on hand to accept the prize – their short acceptance speeches given between happy tears – and two of those were later dancing in the aisles as a supergroup of Princess Chelsea and Lawrence Arabia performed LBGP’s Circumspect Penelope.
Flying Nun also released some of the records by King Loser, the band which was the subject of a 2023 feature documentary by Andrew Moore and Cushla Dillon which won the evening’s NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award. Given the film’s lack of public funding, there was possibly some irony in the $2500 prize’s sponsorship.
Said Moore: “It took us seven years to make this film ... there were lots of ups and downs, but we kept plugging away at it … we’ve been through complete chaos making this, but we got there. What kept us going is New Zealand music and how much we love it – it’s kept me going this whole time.”
