Tyna Keelan, Angelique Te Rauna and Matauranga Te Rauna have taken home the APRA Maioha Award for te reo Māori songwriting, for their ballad ‘Ka Ao’. The award was presented tonight at a ceremony at Auckland’s Spark Arena.
The APRA Maioha Award recognises exceptional waiata featuring te reo Māori. Tyna Keelan, Angelique Te Rauna and Matauranga Te Rauna’s song ‘Ka Ao’ was the 2019 winner.
Tyna Keelan (Ngati Porou, Ngati Rongomaiwahine, and Ngati Kahu) also took home Te Ngore when he won the Maioha Award in 2011 for his work ‘Ko Koe’. This year Tyna teamed up with vocalist and former student Angelique Te Rauna (Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou and Tūhoe) and her uncle Matauranga to write ‘Ka Ao’, a beautiful piano ballad about finding self-confidence and following dreams.
Ria Hall, who won the award last year, with co-writers Tiki Taane and Te Ori Paki, presented the award.
Tribute was paid to the three songwriters with a moving performance of their song by Sherydon Ngaropo, supported by Marika Hodgson, Mickey Ututaonga and Jonathan Crayford.
This is the 17th year in which the APRA Maioha Award has been presented, with artists such as Ruia Aperahama, Ngahiwi Apanui, Whirimako Black, Robert Ruha, Maisey Rika, Stan Walker, Troy Kingi, and Alien Weaponry all having received the Te Ngore - the Maioha award sculpture carved by master carver Brian Flintoff.
The other three finalists for the award this year were Emily and Charles Looker, aka Aro, for ‘Korimako’v, Kaaterama Pou for Paiheretia, and Mara Te Kahika and Cory Champion for Te Kete Aronui. Judges for the award were distinguished and accomplished members of the music community: Darylene Rogers, Hinewehi Mohi, Kingi Kiriona, and James Webster.
Four other awards are also being presented at the 2019 APRA Silver Scroll Awards this evening: the SOUNZ Contemporary Award, APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award, and APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award, as well as the eponymous Silver Scroll Award.
Also included in the ceremony was the induction of Ruru Karaitiana, Pixie Williams, and Jim Carter into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. The trio created Aotearoa’s first ever homegrown pop song ‘Blue Smoke’ in 1949.
There was a beautiful tribute performance of the sweet bi-lingual war ballad by a large ensemble made up of Lisa Tomlins, Kirsten Te Rito, Riki Gooch, Jacqui Nyman, Mark Sommerville, James Illingworth, Nick Atkinson, Matthew Verrill, Luca Manghi, and the Black Quartet.
