Lorde rules at 2013 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards

Media release 
November 21, 2013

2013 VODAFONE NEW ZEALAND MUSIC AWARDS With four Tuis, Lorde rules the stage at NZ’s biggest night in music; Aaradhna and Shapeshifter also win multiple awards

She has ruled the charts on the international scene and now teen singing sensation Lorde has been acknowledged big time at home collecting four Tuis at the 2013 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards.

Hot on her heels is R&B vocalist Aaradhna who adds three Tuis to her impressive gallery of music accolades – including the coveted Mentos Album of the Year award. And following close behind the two leading ladies is Christchurch-formed drum ‘n’ bass outfit Shapeshifter which picks up two Tuis.

The winners have been announced tonight (Nov. 21) at the star-studded 2013 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards at Auckland’s Vector Arena.

Ella Yelich-O’Connor’s (Lorde) mega-successful debut EP ‘The Love Club’ sees her pick up Tuis for Vodafone Single of the Year for ‘Royals’, Westpac Hotpoints Breakthrough Artist of the Year and 2013 Xbox One International Achievement Award.

And to cap off a huge night for the Auckland 17 year-old, she also takes home the Vodafone People’s Choice Award.

No stranger to the limelight, Lorde has enjoyed great success here and abroad – most notably retaining the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks. She’s also graced the stages of top US talk shows, performing live on the Ellen Degeneres Show, Later with Jools Holland and most recently The Late Show with David Letterman.

Even after 20,000 free downloads, ‘Royals’ has been certified double Platinum and took out the 2013 APRA Silver Scroll for the year’s best song.

Wellington-born Aaradhna takes home Tuis for Mentos Album of the Year for ‘Treble and Reverb’, Spotify Best Female Solo Artist and Best Urban / Hip Hop Album.

2013 has been an especially momentous year for 29-year-old Aaradhna. She has a record-breaking six awards from the 2013 Pacific Music Awards - including the Pasefika Proud Best Pacific Music Album Tui for ‘Treble and Reverb’ - and she was a finalist for the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll and Taite Music Prizes.

Shapeshifter’s fifth album ‘Delta’ gains the group awards for Steinlager Pure Best Group and George FM Best Electronica Album. The band was also a finalist for Mentos Album of the Year and Vodafone Single of the Year.

Jamie McDell’s album ‘Six Strings and a Sailboat’ gains the coveted The Edge Best Pop Album Tui while Best Rock Album goes to Villainy for debut album ‘Mode. Set. Clear’. 

McDell’s album has produced four hit singles and has been certified Gold after debuting at #2 on the NZ Album charts and remaining in the top 10 for six months. Four piece alternative rock band Villainy’s ‘Mode. Set. Clear’ debuted at #8 on the New Zealand album chart and reached #1.

Fat Freddy’s Drop makes a return to the Vodafone NZ Music Awards, claiming Best Roots Album for 2013 with the seven-piece’s third full-length album ‘Blackbird’ - all self-released independently through label The Drop. It’s the band’s eighth Tui. 

Spotify Best Male Solo Artist for 2013 goes to Lawrence Arabia – pseudonym for Christchurch-born James Milne – for his third album ‘The Sparrow’. The recording was also a finalist for the Taite Music Prize.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s ‘II’ takes the Tui for Best Alternative Album. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – the alter ego of Oregon-based Ruban Nielson previously of The Mint Chicks – won Best Male Solo Artist at the music awards in 2012.

This year Shapeshifter, Aaradhna and Lorde were joined by the evening’s co-host Stan Walker and boy-band Titanium in contesting the Peoples’ Choice Award with Lorde taking out the honours.

The FOUR Highest Selling Album Tui for 2013 goes to ‘White Rabbit: The Very Best of Peter Posa’ released in 2012 and immediately entering the album charts at #1. Posa, now in his 70s and enjoying something of a revival, was awarded the NZ Order of Merit in 2008 for services to entertainment.

Recorded Music New Zealand Chief Executive, Damian Vaughan says the calibre of the 2013 Tui winners demonstrates the strength of New Zealand music across a wide range of genres.

“When you look at all the categories it’s plain to see that the music has never been stronger and the means for accessing it more diverse. Congratulations to all the winners - to the other finalists, well done on achieving so much in what has been a stellar year for all involved.”

Other winners on the night include Stan Walker who takes out the NZ On Air Radio Airplay Tui for ‘Take It Easy’ and Flight Of The Conchords who claim the Vodafone Highest Selling Single award for ‘Feel Inside (And Stuff Like That)’.

Joel Kefali also gets a Tui for NZ On Air Best Music Video for his work on Lorde’s ‘Royals while the NUMA Trust Best Maori Album goes to Maisey Rika for ‘Whitiora’. The Tui for Best Gospel / Christian Album now sits on Strahan’s mantelpiece for ‘Posters’.

Best Classical Album Tui goes Michael Houstoun for his ‘Lilburn’, a so-called ‘sampler’ of music from all periods of the noted New Zealand composer’s life.

The Recorded Music NZ Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards finals night featured live performances by Aaradhna, Lorde, Jamie McDell, Titanium, Iva Lamkum and awards co-host Stan Walker. There was also a special tribute performance to NZ Herald Legacy Award recipient Shona Laing by Ruby Frost. The Award also sees Shona inducted in to the NZ Music Hall of Fame.

Tui recipients who have received their awards during the year are:
• New Zealand Herald Legacy Award – Shona Laing
• Best Jazz Album – Nathan Haines ‘The Poet’s Embrace’
• Best Folk Album – Great North ‘Halves’
• Pasefika Proud Best Pacific Music Album – Aaradhna ‘Treble and Reverb’
• Best Country Music Album – Delaney and Marlon ‘Sad but True – The Secret History of Country Music Songwriting Vol. 1’
• Best Album Cover – Gina Kiel & Harry A'Court – ‘Blackbird’ (Fat Freddy’s Drop)
• Best Engineer – Brett Stanton/Lee Prebble/The Phoenix Foundation – ‘Fandango’ (The Phoenix Foundation)
• ·         Best Producer – The Phoenix Foundation/Lee Prebble/Brett Stanton – ‘Fandango’ (The Phoenix Foundation)
• ·         Best Children’s Music Album – fleaBITE – ‘Circus of Fleas’
• ·         Hallenstein Brothers 2013 Critics’ Choice Prize – Sheep, Dog & Wolf

1. Mentos Album of the Year
Winner: Aaradhna ‘Treble & Reverb’
Other finalists:
Fat Freddy’s Drop ‘Blackbird’
Shapeshifter ‘Delta’
The Phoenix Foundation ‘Fandango’
Unknown Mortal Orchestra ‘II’

2. Vodafone Single of the Year
Winner: Lorde ‘Royals’
Other finalists:
Aaradhna ‘Wake Up’
Shapeshifter ‘In Colour’
Stan Walker ‘Take It Easy’
Unknown Mortal Orchestra ‘So Good At Being In Trouble’

3. Steinlager Pure Best Group
Winner: Shapeshifter ‘Delta’
Other finalists:
Fat Freddy’s Drop ‘Blackbird’
The Phoenix Foundation ‘Fandango’

4. Spotify Best Male Solo Artist
Winner: Lawrence Arabia ‘The Sparrow’
Other finalists:
Unknown Mortal Orchestra ‘II’
Willy Moon ‘Here’s Willy Moon’

5. Spotify Best Female Solo Artist
Winner: Aaradhna ‘Treble & Reverb’
Other finalists:
Iva Lamkum ‘Black Eagle’
Jamie McDell ‘Six Strings and a Sailboat’

6. Westpac Hotpoints Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Winner: Lorde ‘The Love Club EP’
Other finalists:
Jamie McDell ‘Six Strings and a Sailboat’
Willy Moon ‘Here’s Willy Moon’

7. Best Rock Album
Winner: Villainy ‘Mode. Set. Clear.’
Other finalists:
Beastwars ‘Blood Becomes Fire’
The Datsuns ‘Death Rattle Boogie’

8. The Edge Best Pop Album
Winner: Jamie McDell ‘Six Strings and a Sailboat’
Other finalists:
AnikaBoh&Hollie ‘Peace of Mind’
Kids Of 88 ‘Modern Love’

9. Best Alternative Album
Winner: Unknown Mortal Orchestra ‘II’
Other finalists:
Lawrence Arabia ‘The Sparrow’
The Phoenix Foundation ‘Fandango’

10. Best Urban/Hip Hop Album
Winner: Aaradhna ‘Treble & Reverb’
Other finalists:
@Peace ‘Girl Songs’
P-Money ‘Gratitude’

11. Best Roots Album
Winner: Fat Freddy’s Drop ‘Blackbird’
Other finalists:
Latinaotearoa ‘Sonido de Latinaotearoa’
Soljah ‘Aotearoa’

12. George FM Best Electronica Album
Winner: Shapeshifter ‘Delta’
Other finalists:
K+LAB ‘Space Dirt’
Sola Rosa ‘Low and Behold, High and Beyond’

13. NZ On Air Best Music Video
Winner: Joel Kefali – ‘Royals’ (Lorde)
Other finalists:
Nick Dwyer – ‘In Colour’ (Shapeshifter)
Thunderlips – ‘Frankenstein’ (Randa)

14. NUMA Trust Best Maori Album
Winner: Maisey Rika ‘Whitiora’
Other finalists:
Kirsten Te Rito ‘Te Rito’
Ngatapa Black ‘I Muri Ahiahi’

15. Best Gospel/Christian Album
Winner: Strahan ‘Posters’
Other finalists:
Edge Kingsland ‘Edge Vol.2: Due North’
Go Stop Go ‘Go Stop Go’

16. Best Classical Album
Winner: Michael Houstoun ‘Lilburn’
Other finalists:
Gillian Whitehead ‘Arapatiki’
Helen Webby ‘Pluck’

17. Xbox One International Achievement Award
Lorde

18. Vodafone People’s Choice Award
Winner: Lorde
Finalists:
Shapeshifter
Aaradhna
Stan Walker
Titanium

19. Vodafone Highest Selling Single
Flight Of The Conchords ‘Feel Inside (And Stuff Like That)’

20. FOUR Highest Selling Album
Peter Posa ‘White Rabbit: The Very Best Of’

21. NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award
Stan Walker ‘Take It Easy’

22. NZ Herald Legacy Award recipient
Shona Laing

23. Hallenstein Brothers 2013 Critics’ Choice Prize Line-Up
Winner: Sheep, Dog & Wolf
Other finalists:
Janine and the Mixtape
Paquin

Ends

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