The 50th annual Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards are just around the corner, taking place at the Vector Arena in Auckland onThursday November 19th.

We had the chance to fire some questions through to SikeOne fromThe Doqument, who are up for Best Urban/Hip Hop Album for their album ‘Black Canvas - Wall & Piece'.

How does it feel to be nominated for the Best Urban / Hip Hop Album?

It feels great to be recognised at this level amongst such a high calibre of artists. A lot of hard work went into the making of this album and we feel that we deserve to be where we are. Some of our favourite NZ artists have been nominated for this very award and for us to also achieve this status is a truly humbling experience. We are all thankful for this opportunity.

You're up against some strong competition. How do you feel the Urban / Hip Hop scene is currently going in New Zealand?

The Urban/Hip Hop scene in NZ is growing everyday. We don't really pay attention to what every else is doing we just stick to doing what we do and keep pushing forward and producing quality work - that's what helps you stand out above the rest. We are up against some pretty talented competition but we're also confident in ourselves and our body of work that anything can happen.

When and how long did it take you to record the album?

We pretty much started recording the album in April 2013 and wrapped up the final master around August 2014, released on the 23rd of October 2014. So all up 1 and a half years to complete, ended up being a double album.

Where did you record it and what was the most challenging aspect?

The most challenging aspect of recording the album was finding the time and getting everyone together to actually work on it and record. We ended up recording the album at a few different studios around Auckland (Red Bull Studios, Rockwell Studios, Image Studios, Oner Studios) and this proved to be quite challenging when it came to piecing everything together, none the less we got it done.

What are your plans following the Music Awards, heading into summer and 2016?

Live shows, more music, tours, we're putting in work to solidify our spot and keep raising the bar higher. Expect big things from The Doqument in 2016.

Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards

Thursday November 19th: Vector Arena, Auckland

Tickets via Ticketmaster