Independent Music NZ (IMNZ) has just announced the finalists for this year’s Taite Music Prize, which recognises outstanding creativity in an album. Previous winners include Lorde, Aldous Harding, Ladi6, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
Photo: Supplied
This year’s finalists are:
- Alien Weaponry - Tū (Napalm Records)
- Avantdale Bowling Club - Avantdale Bowling Club (Years Gone By)
- Jonathan Bree - Sleepwalking (Lil' Chief Records)
- Julia Deans - We Light Fire (Tigerhorse)
- Marlon Williams - Make Way For Love (Marlon Williams Music Limited)
- Mel Parsons - Glass Heart (Cape Road)
- Tami Neilson - SASSAFRASS! (Neilson Records)
- The Beths - Future Me Hates Me (Dew Process / Carpark)
- Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Sex & Food (Jagjaguwar)
- Wax Chattels - Wax Chattels (Flying Nun Records)
The Awards take place at Auckland’s Q Theatre on Tuesday, April 16, and RNZ Music will have extensive coverage.
The Taite Music Prize is named for the late Dylan Taite, one of New Zealand’s most respected music journalists. The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000, recording time at Red Bull Studios in Auckland, and a year’s supply of Red Bull.
Find out more about the artists:
This year, a new prize – the Independent Spirit Award – has been added, in celebration of the Taite’s 10th anniversary. It aims to recognise an individual who’s helped NZ musicians grow and find their own unique pathways within music.
Two other Awards will be presented on the night: the Classic Record Award, which was last year awarded to The Clean for Boodle Boodle Boodle, and Best Independent Debut Award, which celebrates the freshest talent of Aotearoa.
Previous winners of The Taite Prize:
- 2010 – Lawrence Arabia - Chant Darling (Honorary Bedouin Records)
- 2011 – Ladi6 - The Liberation Of (What? Music)
- 2012 – Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Seeing Records)
- 2013 – SJD - Elastic Wasteland (Round Trip Mars)
- 2014 – Lorde - Pure Heroine (Universal Music NZ)
- 2015 – Jakob - Sines (Shoot The Freak)
- 2016 – Silicon - Personal Computer (Weird World/Domino Recordings)
- 2017 – Street Chant - Hauora (Arch Hill Recordings)
- 2018 – Aldous Harding - Party (Flying Nun Records / 4AD)
Previous Winners of the Independent Music NZ Classic Record:
- 2013 – Gordons – Gordons (Flying Nun)
- 2014 – Various Artists – AK79 (Ripper Records)
- 2015 – Herbs – What’s Be Happen? (Warrior Records)
- 2016 – Upper Hutt Posse – E Tū (Jayrem Records)
- 2017 – The Clean - Boodle Boodle Boodle (Flying Nun)
- 2018 – Headless Chickens - Stunt Clown (Flying Nun)
Previous Winners of the Auckland Live Best Independent Debut:
- 2017 – Merk - Swordfish (self released)
- 2018 – The Miltones - The Miltones (Self-released)
