SAE graduate scoops Tui Artisan awards

SAE Creative Media Institute (SAE) congratulates graduate student Simon Gooding for taking out the Best Producer and the Best Engineer awards at the VNZMA Artisan Awards last night. The Artisan Awards, run as part of the broader Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards, recognising the creative talents behind the scenes of the top New Zealand records of 2018.

Recorded Music New Zealand CEO Damian Vaughan says: “We are thrilled to bring the Artisan Awards to Wellington and shine a light on the incredibly talented people bringing world-class quality to Aotearoa’s music industry. This is the third iteration of the Artisan Awards, and every year the calibre of the finalists continues to impress!”

Simon Gooding graduated with a Diploma in Audio Engineering in 2003 at the SAE Auckland campus in Parnell, then completed his Degree in Audio Engineering at SAE, Byron Bay. Since graduating he has worked with the likes of P!nk, Dua Lipa, Neil Finn and Ed Sheeran. Simon was nominated for 3 Tui’s this year, twice in the Best Engineer category alongside other SAE graduates, Sam Sproull and Scott Seabright.

“We couldn’t be more proud”, boasts Academic Manager Dr Stephen Small. “what also excites me is that Simon is the head engineer at Roundhead Studios where recent graduate Liam Underwood has just started his internship. Knowing that Simon will be sharing his knowledge and positive attitude with the future audio engineers makes me very happy”

Creating industry-ready graduates is a key focus for SAE, who benefits from an active Advisory Committee made up of industry heavy-weights. Campus Director, Dr Suzette Major, explains how this impacts on SAE’s impressive reputation. “We are known for creating work-ready graduates, and that’s largely because we keep current with industry trends and technology, we invest heavily in industry-standard facilities, and our classes are taught by teachers who are industry-recognised practitioners. That makes for a powerful combination.”

The Best Producer award is for Simon’s work on Alien Weaponry’s debut album, Tū, while his Best Engineering award recognises the work he did with Neil Finn’s fourth solo album, Out of Silence.

SAE also has students, graduates and staff involved in the broader Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards, which will be broadcast live on TV Three on November 15.

In the most recent NZQA External Evaluation and Review (EER) SAE received the highest possible rating as a high performing, high-quality tertiary provider. SAE Auckland offers workshops, Diplomas and Degrees in Audio, Music and Screen Production.

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