The winner of the eighth annual Taite Music Prize 2017 is Street Chant for the album ‘Hauora’ released on Arch Hill Recordings.

Henry Oliver, a member of this year’s judging panel reviewed the album for North & South on it’s release. He said "Hauora is a portrait of the lives of a certain breed of the twenty-something, creative middle/under-class; over-read and under-employed, drinking too much and earning too little, busing from an existential crisis to a house party, walking from breakup to hangover."

Named after the late Dylan Taite, one of New Zealand’s most respected music journalists, the prize-winner receives a cash prize of $10,000 to be spent as they wish, thanks to 

Taite Music Prize founding partner Recorded Music NZ; recording time at Red Bull Studios Auckland; a year’s supply of Red Bull product; and a year’s supply of Corona beer!

This year the Taite Music Prize was announced at a presentation at The Civic’s Wintergarden in Auckland. IMNZ members Lil’ Chief Records curated special live performance sets for the gathered guests. Alongside the main prize, two additional awards were presented at the ceremony: the Independent Music NZ Classic Record Award for The Clean’s ‘Boodle Boodle Boodle’ and the newly created Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award awarded to Merk ‘Swordfish’, which includes a $2,000 cash prize and a live performance slot at Auckland Live Summer in the Square 2017/2018 – Auckland’s biggest backyard summer party.

The ceremony was live-streamed to the public thanks to 95bFM.

Previous Taite Music Prize winners:

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)

Previous Independent Music NZ Classic Record recipients:

2013 - Gordons – Gordons (Flying Nun)

2014 – Various Artists - AK79 (Ripper Records)

2015 - Herbs – What’s Be Happen? (Warrior Records)

2016 – Upper Hutt Posse – E T? (Jayrem Records)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL TAITE MUSIC PRIZE GALLERY BY MARK DERRICUTT