The Coolest Looks From The Aotearoa Music Awards 2024

The local music industry got a change to dress up this week, so did they?

Occasional dressing in New Zealand is always decidedly fluid (I’ve seen jeans and sneakers worn for black-tie dress codes) and when the event in question is a music industry affair, the brief gets even looser. There were tuxedos of both the traditional and Texan kind at the Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau last night, with the Aotearoa Music Awards returning after an 18-month hiatus, and aligning with New Zealand Music Month, and acknowledging domestic talent.

It was a chance to get dressed up and express yourself, something artists are good at. They take risks, enjoy the avant-garde, and understand the statement that can be made by rejecting conventions; Hori Shaw’s red band gumboots were a brilliant choice. Many artists chose to make a statement, whether it was wearing local brands or designs from friends and whānau, to the visual codes of te ao Māori — a major theme of the night, which took place on the same day as nation-wide hīkoi and protests, and saw te reo pioneer Dame Hinewehi Mohi inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

She was there, of course, looking sensational as were many of the local music industry’s big names — Marlon Williams, The Beths — and emerging talent, like Coterie and Georgia Lines.

Tāme Iti

On hand to present the inaugural Te Manu Mātārae award, Tāme Iti was one of the earliest arrivals of the night. “Life is theatrical, so I dress for the occasion,” he told the New Zealand Herald. And that he did, looking very dapper in a three-piece suit with his signature hat. “People always say to me ‘why do you wear a bowler hat?’ but I just want to show that I can go anywhere,” he said. “I can wear anything I want to wear, and why not!”

Georgia Lines

A fitting look for the artist who was nominated for, and won, the Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist Tūī award. Georgia is wearing a confection of pieces from New Zealand designers; the dress is by Wynn Hamlyn, the bag is from Georgia Jay, and the earrings are Meadowlark — all of whom have studios basically down the road from each other in central Auckland.

Dame Hinewehi Mohi

There’s so much mana and elegance in this ensemble, with the pounamu and floor-length sequins. For the final performance of the night she took to the stage barefoot for a moving rendition of the 1999 hit Kotahitanga.

Jesse Mulligan and Kara Rickard

Co-hosts for the evening, they complemented each other well. Jesse’s custom-made Wynn Hamlyn look for the red carpet was dapper and glamorous (there’s even a cummerbund!) and it wasn’t the only look of the night; he’s detailed his full wardrobe for Viva.

Marlon Williams

Consistently one of the coolest-looking people in a room, Marlon balances making an effort (and a clear love of clothes) with a laidback air that never seems affected. This school-boy look gained an edge with the white-laced Dr Martens. Nominated for a slew of awards, Marlon won Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist, while the video for his album My Boy garnered Tom Healy and Alexandra Corbett — who also looked great — the Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer award.

Princess Chelsea

A great example of kitsch, glamour and punk from Chelsea Lee Nikkel. “All Black Chanel is the vibe for tonight,” she explained on the red carpet, and proved in the performance later on, which saw Princess Chelsea’s band all wearing vintage All Blacks jerseys — the good old kind, that Canterbury made, with the cotton collar.

Coterie

The band is a family affair, the four Fisher brothers — Tyler, Brandford, Joshua and Conrad, plus their dad “Big Tony” on drums — and there’s a synergy to their style that’s quite brilliant. The result is harmonious without being repetitive. They looked great on the red carpet, and even better on stage.

Tom Scott

He said he was nervous, but in this ensemble it was hard to tell. It’s designed by a friend, he explained, and the slouch to the fit gave him an aesthetic shrug that reflected low-key manner at this year’s awards (though he was one of the big winners of the night, for both Homebrew and Avantdale Bowling Club).

Aaradhna

Such a sublime look. The elements of adornment really make this one sing. Aaradhna won Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB Artist and Anahera Parata the Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Music Video Content (she is a master at crafting a visual).

Adam McGrath

Here’s the denim look I teased in the introduction, paired with great boots and a bit of Motorhead on Christchurch-based McGrath, who won Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau | Best Folk Artist.

Abe Hollingsworth

There was one Mermaiden on hand this year, Abe Hollingsworth, and he looked lovely. That band all have such flair for style — we spoke to Mermaidens Gussie Larkin about it recently — and it’s was nice to see that at the AMAs too. He’s holding the Te Taumata o te Toi | Best Album Artwork, which bandmate Lily Paris West won for the band’s self-titled album.

Valentine Nixon, Clementine Nixon and Joel Flyger

Not everyone walks the red carpet, and the crowd is always worth watching. Clementine and Valentine Nixon, and Joel Flyger caught my eye on a dash through the throng, with a medley of great looks — clever cuts, nice fabric and subdued kind of cool.

Emma Gleason is the deputy editor of lifestyle and entertainment (audience), and has worked on Viva for over four years, contributing stories on culture, fashion and what’s going on in Auckland.

More on music

From emotive exhibitions to red carpets and intimate profiles.

Behind Aotearoa Music Awards host Jesse Mulligan’s red-carpet fashion. He shares a behind-the-scenes snapshot of what he wore on the night.

Thrashed, threadbare T-shirts are in the spotlight for NZ Music Month. Relics from local music history are the subject of a new digital archive.

All the glamorous looks from the Taite Music Prize red carpet 2024. Independent artists gathered for the highly anticipated annual music awards.

Vera Ellen is in a new era. The award-winning indie musician has a new album. It wasn’t easy making it.

How Ash Wallace of pop duo Foley spends her morning. Foley’s lead singer shares her skincare staples and eyeliner tricks.

Gussie Larkin’s nostalgic fashion strikes the right notes. The musician gets lyrical about clothes.