August is Te Marama Pūoru Waiata Māori (Māori Music Month) and two Whanganui bands are finalists in the Waiata Māori Music Awards.
Auaha have made the finals in the Best Māori Traditional Album category for e Pari o Auahatanga, The Flood of Inspiration, inspired by the 2015 Whanganui floods, and NLC (No Limits Crew) are in the running to collect the award for Best Māori Urban Roots/Reggae Album with Love not War.
NLC founder and guitarist Baz Muir said it is an honour to be nominated and recognised for excellence in the genre.
"We formed five years ago and we have a few members who come and go from the band - doing their own projects.
"Our current line-up is me, Marcel Martin, Hoeta Maxwell, Peter Riley and my daughter Shaye.