Six60 win big at the 2018 Vodafone NZ Music Awards - Full results and photos!
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Celebrating the past, present and future at the 2018 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards
Top New Zealand musicians celebrated at the 2018 ceremony.
Six60 has cemented their place as a powerhouse in Aotearoa’s music scene, claiming five Tui at the 53rd Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards at Spark Arena in Auckland tonight.
After selling out Western Springs for their only gig this summer, the group received THREE Best Group, Highest Selling Album, Vodafone Highest Selling Single and NZ On Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year Award, presented by the man behind the 2018 Tui redesign Dick Frizzell.
They also claimed the coveted Vodafone People’s Choice. For the first time, this award was open to all finalists, further highlighting the band’s popularity with the public.
After winning a Tui for Best Music Video for his track ‘Vampire Again’ at the 2018 Artisan Awards at Massey University, Wellington last week, Marlon Williams was celebrated once again on the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards stage – taking out Best Solo Artist and the Hallensteins Album of the Year for his 2018 album Make Way for Love.
This brings Marlon’s total Tui number up to five, after winning Best Male Solo Artist and Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2015 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards.
Newcomers Drax Project were also big winners tonight. They’ve been recognised with the Jaguar Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Vodafone Single of the Year for ‘Woke Up Late’, which resonated with kiwi music fans throughout 2018.
Funkadelic soul superstar Troy Kingi has been recognised with both Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Artist and Best Soul/R&B Artist after releasing the genre-bending Shake That Skinny Ass All the Way to Zygertron
Aotearoa hip hop pioneers Upper Hutt Posse were inducted into the Te Whare Taonga Puoro/New Zealand Music Hall of Fame and received the 2018 Tohu Whakareretanga/Legacy Award. A powerful tribute performance of “E Tu” by Che Fu and The Kratez, featuring 14 year old DMC DJ World Champ K-Swizz closed out the evening ceremony.
The 2018 International Achievement recipient was Brooke Ligertwood who is one of the top selling and most popular New Zealand recording artists of all time.
More widely known in Aotearoa under Brooke Fraser, where her albums have been certified 15x Platinum, her recent work with worship group Hillsong earned her a Grammy earlier this year for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song under her married name.
After kicking the ceremony off with a high energy performance of “Kai Tangata”, Alien Weaponry has been recognised with the Tui for Best Rock Artist for 2018.
Their debut album Tū in June reached #5 on the New Zealand album charts, and since releasing it the band have had a whirlwind year of international tour and success.
Psychedelic rockers Unknown Mortal Orchestra won Best Alternative Artist and Kiwi songstress Kimbra received The Edge Best Pop Artist, while Best Hip Hop Artist and Best Electronic were awarded to SWIDT and Chores, respectively.
Sons of Zion were awarded Best Roots Artist, Equippers Revolution received Best Worship Artist, and Eve de Castro Robinson won Best Classical Artist for 2018.
Recorded Music NZ CEO Damian Vaughan said the calibre of musicians in Aotearoa continues to impress year on year, and 2018 is no exception.
“The quality of music being created and recorded in Aotearoa is world-class. Each and every Tui awarded tonight was incredibly well deserved and I personally look forward to seeing what the future holds for both these musicians – finalists and winners alike – and the musicians of tomorrow.”
The 2018 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards were hosted by Stan Walker and Kanoa Lloyd and featured a more intimate set up than previous years, utilising multiple stages to refocus the awards on Aotearoa’s abundance of musical talent.
Tonight there were performances from Six60, Alien Weaponry, Robinson, Drax Project, JessB, Sons of Zion, a special In Memoriam performance by Stan Walker and an amazing tribute performance by Che Fu and The Kratez for the 2018 Legacy Award recipient Upper Hutt Posse.
VNZMA 2018 Finalists (by category)
Te Pukaemi o te Tau/Hallensteins Album of the Year
Winner: Marlon Williams – Make Way For Love
Alien Weaponry – Tū
Julia Deans – We Light Fire
Six60 – Six60
Tami Neilson – Sassafrass!
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex & Food
Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau/Vodafone Single of the Year
Winner: Drax Project – ‘Woke Up Late’
Mitch James – ‘21’
Robinson – ‘Nothing To Regret’
Six60 – ‘Don't Give It Up’
Sons Of Zion – ‘Drift Away’
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – ‘Hunnybee’
Te Roopu Toa/THREE Best Group
Winner: Six60 – Six60
Alien Weaponry – Tū
Drax Project – Noon
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex & Food
Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa/Best Solo Artist
Winner: Marlon Williams – Make Way For Love
Julia Deans – We Light Fire
Kimbra – Primal Heart
Tami Neilson – Sassafrass!
Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau/Jaguar Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Winner: Drax Project
JessB
L.A.B
Robinson
Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa/Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Artist
Winner: Troy Kingi
Alien Weaponry
Katchafire
Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa/The Edge Best Pop Artist
Winner: Kimbra
Drax Project
Six60
Te Kaipuoro Manohi Toa/Best Alternative Artist
Winner: Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Marlon Williams
Wax Chattels
Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa/Best Soul/RnB Artist
Winner: Troy Kingi
Israel Starr
Vince Harder
Te Kaipuoro Hipihope Toa/Best Hip Hop Artist
Winner: SWIDT
JessB
Kings
Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa/Best Roots Artist
Winner: Sons of Zion
Katchafire
Tomorrow People
Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa/Best Electronic Artist
Winner: Chores
Arma Del Amor
Boycrush
Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa/Best Rock Artist
Winner: Alien Weaponry
Cairo Knife Fight
Skinny Hobos
Te Kaipuoro Kairangi Toa/Best Worship Artist
Winner: Equippers Revolution
EFKS Te Atatu Junior Youth
Kane Adams
Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa/Best Classical Artist
Winner: Eve de Castro Robinson
Henry Wong Doe
Michael Houston
Te Kōwhiri o te Nuinga/Vodafone People’s Choice Award
Six60
Tohu Whakareretanga/Legacy Award
Upper Hutt Posse
Te Tōtahi Hoko Teitei/Vodafone Highest Selling Single
Six60 – ‘Don't Give It Up’
Te Pukaemi Hoko Teitei/Highest Selling Album
Six60 – Six60
Te Rikoata Marakerake o te Tau/NZ On Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year
Six60 – ‘Don't Give It Up’
Tohu Tutuki o te Ao/International Achievement
Brooke Fraser
Artisan Awards
Te Puoro Ataata Toa/NZ On Air Best Music Video
Winner: Marlon Williams – ‘Vampire Again’ (Marlon Williams)
Chris Graham – ‘Black Crow’ (Louis Baker)
Shae Sterling – ‘Bloodlines’ (The Adults ft. JessB & Estère)
Te Kōpaki Pukaemi Toa/Best Album Cover
Winner: Jaime Robertson & Matthias Heiderich – In Spaces EP (Sola Rosa)
Barny Bewick – Seven (Cairo Knife Fight)
Tami Neilson, Ashley Church, Xoe Hall & Jules Koblun – Sassafrass! (Tami Neilson)
Te Kaiwhakaputa Toa/Massey University Best Producer
Winner: Simon Gooding, Tom Larking & Hammerhead – Tū (Alien Weaponry)
Estère – My Design, On Others’ Lives (Estère)
Neil & Liam Finn – Out Of Silence (Neil Finn)
Te Kaipukaha Toa/Best Engineer
Winner: Jordan Stone & Simon Gooding – Out Of Silence (Neil Finn)
Chris Chetland – Rangatira (REI)
Simon Gooding – Tū (Alien Weaponry)
Kaiārahi Puoro o te Tau/Music Teacher of the Year
Winner: Elizabeth Sneyd – Virtuoso Strings Charitable Trust, Porirua
Jane Egan – Gisborne Girls High School, Gisborne
Judith Bell – Chisnallwood Intermediate, Christchurch
Additional Tuis presented in 2018
Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa/Best Folk Artist
Winner: Albi & The Wolves – One Eye Open
Reb Fountain – Little Arrows
Candice Milner – Evergreen
Te Pukaemi Toa o Te Moana Nui a Kiwa/Best Pacific Music Album
Winner: Ladi 6 – Royal Blue 3000 EP EFKS Te Atatu Junior Youth – Fa'afetai Le Atua
Noah Slee – Otherland
Sol3 Mio – A Very Merry Christmas
SWIDT – Stoneyhunga
Te Kaipuoro Tuawhenua Toa/Best Country Artist
Winner: Reb Fountain – Hopeful and Hopeless
Lana Doublet – Beautiful Human
Phil Doublet – Strength, Love, Music & Light
Te Kaipuoro Tautito Toa/Best Jazz Artist
Winner: Umar Zakaria – Fearless Music
Hayden Chisholm, Norman Meehan and Paul Dyne – Unwind
Lucien Johnson – West of the Sun
Te Kaipuoro Waiata Tamariki Toa/Best Children’s Artist
Winner: Levity Beet – My Best Friend Jake Is A Cyborg
Chanelle & Friends – The Little Green Turtle And Other Songs For Kids
Moe & Friends – The Moe Album