An Evening Of Celebration At The 2024 Pacific Music Awards

29 August 2024

This evening, the 2024 Pacific Music Awards marked a significant milestone with its 20th anniversary celebration at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau, Auckland. 

The night was a tribute to two decades of Pacific music, bringing together the community to honour the exceptional talent and creativity that has flourished within the Pacific community in Aotearoa.

Aaradhna was a standout at the event, winning both the Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist and NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video awards for her soulful track ‘She’, directed by Anahera Parata. 

The song also secured the APRA Best Pacific Song Award, further cementing Aaradhna’s place as a leading voice in Pacific music.

Diggy Dupé was another notable artist who took home two awards: NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist and Matai Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist, both for his work on ‘We The City’. 

Another stand out was Shepherds Reign who took away two awards with the SunPix Best Pacific Language award and Recorded Music NZ Te Tino Pukaemi Moana Nui A Kiwa o te Tau | Best Pacific Music Album for their powerful album Ala Mai, showing their commitment to promoting Pacific language and culture through music.

The FLAVA Best Pacific Group award was claimed by SWIDT for their hit tracks such as ‘Youphoria feat. High Hoops’, ‘Burn One feat. Stallyano’, ‘Hocus Pocus,’ and ‘Not 4 Sale’. 

Signature Choir was awarded with the 531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist award for their album Mana Moana. Meanwhile, Sam V took home the Pacificast Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist award, for the third consecutive time, for You Left Your Things Here (LP), highlighting his exceptional talent and soulful melodies. 

Unity Pacific’s song ‘Integrity’ earned them Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist while Josh Tatofi was recognised internationally for his talent which won him Niu FM Best International Pacific Artist for a series of hit songs including ‘Ouana,’ ‘Why Worry,’ and ‘Storms Never Last’.

Haz Beats has cemented his role as a sought-after producer, receiving the MPG/SAE Best Producer award for his exceptional work on the Brunette EP by Haz & Miloux and ‘Run It Back’ by Home Brew. 

Other notable winners include Shane Walker, who won the SunPix People’s Choice Award - Best Pacific Artist, and Jordan Gavet, whose song ‘He Said’ earned the NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award. 

Similarly to last year, Savage alongside Aaradhna, took home the NZ On Air Streaming Award for their widely popular track ‘They Don’t Know.’

The Phillip Fuemana Award for Most Promising Pacific Artist was awarded to MITI, while Noa Records received the Creative New Zealand Award for their innovative contributions to the Pacific music scene. Aaron Strickland, known as Astro, received the Arch Angel Independent Music Award.

Finally, Teremoana Rapley, a trailblazing figure in Pacific music, was celebrated with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding contributions to the industry and her enduring legacy.  Continuing her music story, in honour of the award, Teremoana performed an exclusive set of new songs from her highly anticipated debut trilogy album Daughter of a Housegirl, Cleaning House and Daily Incantations.

The 20th anniversary of the Pacific Music Awards was an exceptional night where Pacific Music was greatly celebrated and honoured. 

Pacific Music Awards Trust spokesperson Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua says 

“Pacific Music Awards celebrates twenty years of Tautua serving our Pacific nations' musicians, but we want to honour our musicians their families our communities our nations. For we have not forgotten who we are and where we come from mindful of the connections from our rich past and bonds of Alofa Aroha to the next Tupulaga next generation. 

Fa’afetai lava to the people who believed in us, supporters, and especially the amazing Sponsors Fa’amanuiaga Manaakitanga blessings.”

“Today’s Pasifika Musicians are role models in business entrepreneurs and in schools, contributing musically to cultural and identity issues to education praxis, empowering and healing in the area of Mental Health and well-being of our people, in turn, all people, contributing to the Spiritual Faith traditions of the Churches to Cultural development, numerous community events, often multimedia artist in other art forms, mentoring workshops to career pathways, creating and linking scholarships to tertiary studies, being advocates champions leaders for our people or just being an artist becoming aware. Atua Ariki Otua God has blessed our Pacific Music Awards for twenty years our humble reflections Ata. “

Alongside the beautiful trophy, the 2024 winners received an exclusive 20th PMA anniversary timepiece, thanks to the support from Matai.  The Trust collaborated with the Matai creative team to create the watch to honour the 20th anniversary and the legacy of the Pacific Music Awards.

At the event, two new original songs were performed live for the first time.  One was the prototype waiata for the Vaka Songs project, which is the legacy project for the 20th anniversary of the Pacific Music Awards, that will be developed and delivered over the next 10 months.  Performed in Te Reo Maori and Samoan, the artists involved were Fonoti Pati Umaga, Maisey Rika, Tha Feelstyle, Tipene, Kenzie from Welly and Mo Etc, and the waiata was produced by Tenei (10A) Kesha.

The Trust also announced two new original waiata created. 

The final performance of the night, was the new original song created to honour the 20th year, produced by Kings, written and performed by past PMA winners: Nainz Tupai (Adeaze), Dave Atai (Nesian Mystik), Tree, Swiss, Siavani, Bella Kalolo, Sam V, Pati AF, Lepani, Olivia Foa’i, Jarna, Emily Muli and Marley Sola – collectively known as the PMA Allstars - and the Auckland Secondary Schools Pacific Choir. The song ‘Our Way Home’ will be officially released soon, with proceeds going to the Tautua Programme that the Trust delivers to support Pacific artists.

Also, tomorrow night’s concert Josh Tatofi will continue the celebration of the 20th year, which has been supported by the Pacific Music Awards Trust. This begins the New Zealand part of his South Pacific Tour and coincides with his attendance and performance at the Pacific Music Awards

A full list of winners can be seen below. Photos from the evening will be available here.

2024 Pacific Music Awards Winners:

Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist

• WINNER: Aaradhna - ‘She’
• Elena - ‘Ur Vibe’
• Jordyn with a Why - ‘Set Go | Seen Tonight’
• Olivia Foa'i - Tūmau Pea

NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist

• WINNER: Diggy Dupé - ‘We The City’
• Kings - Dad's Son
• lilbubblegum - ’Hourglass’, ‘Rickys’, ‘Mudboy’, ‘Pack-a-Punch’
• Sam V - You Left Your Things Here (LP)

Flava Best Pacific Group

• WINNER: SWIDT - ’YOUPHORIA feat HIGH HOOPS’, ‘Burn One Feat Stallyano’, ‘Hocus Pocus’, ‘Not 4 Sale’
• A.R.T. - ‘WTF Man’
• Shepherds Reign - Ala Mai

SunPix Best Pacific Language

• WINNER: Shepherds Reign - Ala Mai
• Signature Choir - Mana Moana
• Olivia Foa'i - Tūmau Pea

531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist

• WINNER: Signature Choir - Mana Moana
• Junior Soqeta - ‘Fiji Forever (feat Pauliasi), Just You & Me (feat JSQZE)
• TONE6 - ‘Close Your Eyes’

Matai Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist

• WINNER: Diggy Dupé - ‘We The City’
• SWIDT - ’YOUPHORIA feat HIGH HOOPS’, ‘Burn One Feat Stallyano’, ‘Hocus Pocus’, ‘Not 4 Sale’
• Tha Movement - Cut From a Different Cloth

Pacificast Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist

• WINNER: Sam V - You Left Your Things Here (LP)
• Aaradhna - ‘She’
• ELENA - ‘Ur Vibe’

Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist

• WINNER: Unity Pacific - ‘Integrity’
• Folau - 'Upē 'O Siu'ilikutapu’
• Shane Walker - ‘Tahine Tonga’, ‘Mrs Walker’, ‘Come Back Darling’, ‘Cigah’
• Stanley T - ’Fallin’, ‘Island Girl’, ‘Honestly’, ‘Lockdown’

NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video

• WINNER: Aaradhna - ‘She’ 
  • Director: Anahera Parata
• Diggy Dupe - ‘We The City’ 
  • Director: Tom Grut
• EMA I'U - ‘Flower of Life’ 
  • Director: Francis Baker
• Pat - ’What Do I Do feat Dizzy Dash & Sven Illy’ 
  • Director: Danny Aumua
• Shepherds Reign - ’Nafanua’ 
  • Director: Dave Thomson
• Tha Movement - ’Tin City feat. Sid Diamond’ 
  • Director: Robert George

MPGNZ/SAE Creative Media Institute Best Producer

• WINNER: Haz Beats - Brunette EP (Haz & Miloux) ‘Run It Back’ (Home Brew)
• Aaradhna - ‘She’ (Aaradhna)
• Kings - Dad's Son (Kings)
• Oliver Leupolu - Ala Mai (Shepherds Reign)

APRA Best Pacific Song

• WINNER: Aaradhna - ‘She’ 
  • Writer: Aaradhna Patel
• A.R.T. - ‘WTF Man’ 
  • Writers: Anastasia Sirila, Roseta Lopa, Tiresa Foma'i, Avina Kelekolio, Edward Liu, Jeremiah Fale
• Diggy Dupé - ‘We The City’ 
  • Writer: Stephen Atutolu
• Shepherds Reign - ‘Ua Masa'a’ 
  • Writers: Filiva'a James, Oliver Leupolu, Shaymen Rameka, Gideon Voon, Joseph Oti-George
• SWIDT - ‘YOUPHORIA feat HIGH HOOPS’ 
  • Writers: Taniela Latu, Amon McGoram, Jordan Arts
• Teo Glacier - ‘Close With Desires (feat. Thuy)’ 
  • Writers: Eden Betham, Rory Noble, Thuy Tran

NIU FM Best International Pacific Artist

• WINNER: Josh Tatofi - 'Ouana’, ‘Why Worry’, ‘Storms Never Last’, ‘Fakateretere’, ‘I Jus Want Ya’, ‘I'm Gonna Love You’, ‘Tears On My Pillow’
• Jaro Local - ‘Olbaut Olbaut’, ‘Wani Eh’, ‘Kativa’
• Kennyon Brown, Donell Lewis, DJ Noiz - ‘Island Girl’
• Mr Cowboy - ‘OB-LA-DI, OB-LA-DA’

Recorded Music Te Tino Pukaemi Moana Nui a Kiwa o te Tau | Best Pacific Music Album 

• WINNER Shepherds Reign - Ala Mai
• Signature Choir - Mana Moana
• Kings - Dad's Son
• Olivia Foa’i - Tūmau Pea
• Sam V - You Left Your Things Here 

SunPix People’s Choice Award - Best Pacific Artist

• Shane Walker

NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award

• Jordan Gavet ‘He Said’

NZ On Air Streaming Award

• Savage ft Aaradhna ‘They Don’t Know’

Phillip Fuemana Award – Most Promising Pacific Artist

• MITI

Creative New Zealand Award

• Noa Records

Ministry for Pacific Peoples Lifetime Achievement Award 

• Teremoana Rapley

Arch Angel Independent Music Award 

• Aaron Strickland - Astro

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