The Aotearoa Music Awards take place on Sunday, November 15 in a live broadcast on Edge TV and THREE. The show will include 19 live performances and will recognise winners across 16 different categories.
The 'AMAs' replace the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards and aim to “reinterpret what it means to be a Kiwi musician”.
- Catch the ceremony live on Edge TV from 7pm, then on THREE from 8.30pm on Sunday, November 15
Six60 lead the nominations, with nods in five different categories - Album of the Year, Single of The Year, Best Group, Best Pop Artist, and the new Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo award, which recognises albums or singles with at least 50% te reo Māori.
Skip to full list of finalists
Aotearoa’s favourite supergroup L.A.B., whose members include Kora brothers Stu and Brad, former Katchafire member Ara Adams-Tamatea, vocalist Joel Shadbolt and keyboardist Miharo Gregory are finalists for four awards including Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Best Group and Best Roots Artist.
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After winning four Tui at the music awards last year, pop sensation BENEE is back and up for three Tui - Best Solo Artist, Edge Best Pop Artist, and Single of the Year for ‘Supalonely’, the song that dominated TikTok earlier this year.After performing at the 2019 Music Awards, indie pop group The Beths are nominated in three categories - Best Alternative Artist, Best Group and Album of the Year.
American-born, South Island raised folk favourite, Reb Fountain is up for Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist and Best Alternative Artist; South Auckland teen Jawsh 685 is in the running for Single of the Year and Breakthrough Artist of the Year, after his single ‘Laxed (Siren Beat)’ created a global movement; and up-and-coming Māori artist Paige is nominated for Spotify Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Edge Best Pop Artist.
Acclaimed for her intimate musical performances Nadia Reid a finalist for Best Solo Artist and Album of the Year for her third studio album Out of My Province; and Mōhau, a supergroup collective let by Te Tai Tokerau musical legend Rob Ruha, are finalists for Best Worship Artist and the Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo award.
Their self-titled album made up of eight waiata whakamoemiti (gospel songs) were composed entirely in te reo Māori and were recorded in a single take as a live visual album a month before the audio release.
AMA 2020 finalists:
1. Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year
L.A.B - L.A.B III
Nadia Reid - Out Of My Province
Reb Fountain - Reb Fountain
Six60 - Six60
Tami Neilson - Chickaboom!
The Beths - Jump Rope Gazers
2. Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year
BENEE - ‘Supalonely’
Drax Project ft Six60 - ‘Catching Feelings’
Jawsh685 - ‘Savage Love’
L.A.B - ‘In The Air’
Six60 - ‘Please Don’t Go’
Troy Kingi - ‘All Your Ships Have Sailed
3. Te Roopu Toa | Best Group
L.A.B. - L.A.B. III
Miss June - Bad Luck Party
Six60 - Six60
The Beths - Jump Rope Gazers
4. Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa | Best Solo Artist
BENEE - Stella & Steve
JessB - New Views
Nadia Reid - Out Of My Province
Reb Fountain - Reb Fountain
5. Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year
CHAII
Jawsh685
MELODOWNZ
Paige
6. Te Māngai Pāho Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa | Best Māori Artist
Maimoa
Ria Hall
Stan Walker
7. Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa | Best Pop Artist
BENEE
Paige
Six60
8. Te Kaipuoro Manohi Toa | Best Alternative Artist
Mermaidens
The Beths
Reb Fountain
9. Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa | Best Soul/RnB Artist
Haz & Miloux
Lepani
Stan Walker
10. Te Kaipuoro Hipihope Toa | Best Hip Hop Artist
choicevaughan
Church & AP
Raiza Biza
11. Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Roots Artist
L.A.B
Lomez Brown
Ria Hall
12. Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo Award
Maimoa
Mōhau
Six60
13. Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Electronic Artist
Lee Mvtthews
State of Mind
Truth
14. Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa | Best Rock Artist
City of Souls
Devilskin
Villainy
15. Te Kaipuoro Kairangi Toa | Best Worship Artist
Mōhau
Kane Adams
Te Rautini
16. Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa | Best Classical Artist
Andrew Beer & Sarah Watkins
Klara Kollektiv
Matthew Marshall
17. Te Kōwhiri o te Nuinga | People’s Choice Award
18. Tohu Whakareretanga | Recorded Music NZ Legacy Award
19. Te Toa Hoko Teitei | Highest Selling Artist
20. Te Rikoata Marakerake o te Tau | NZ On Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year
21. Tohu Tutuki o te Ao | Recorded Music NZ International Achievement
Additional Tuis presented in 2019
22. Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Folk Artist
Winner: Mel Parsons - Glass Heart
Victoria Vigenser & Lindsay Martin - The Gap
Paper Cranes - Voices
23. Te Pukaemi Toa o Te Moana Nui a Kiwa | Best Pacific Music Album
Winner: Olivia Foa’I - Candid
Church & AP - Teeth
POETIK - HAMOFIED 2 EP
24. Te Kaipuoro Tuawhenua Toa | Best Country Artist
Winner: Delaney Davidson & Barry Saunders - Word Gets Around
Katie Thompson - Bittersweet
Kendall Elise - Red Earth
25. Recorded Music NZ Te Kaipuoro Tautito Toa | Best Jazz Artist
Winner: Dixon Nacey - The Edge Of Chaos
ALCHEMY - ALCHEMY
Michal Martyniuk - Resonate
26. Te Kaipuoro Waiata Tamariki Toa | Best Children’s Artist
Winner: Anika Moa - Songs For Bubbas 3
Captain Festus McBoyle
Chris Sanders
