60 Years Of Tūī: Presenting The Finalists For The 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards

CHAII and Stan Walker lead the way with 5 Tūī nominations each

Recorded Music NZ, producer of the Aotearoa Music Awards, is today announcing an exceptional group of 2025 Tūī finalists, who will be celebrated on Thursday 29 May at the Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau – closing out Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa | New Zealand Music Month in style. The event will also mark 60 years of the Music Awards in Aotearoa.

Two artists lead the way this year with five nominations each, Persian-New Zealand talent CHAII and inaugural (2024) Te Manu Mātārae recipient, Stan Walker.

Following the release of her first full-length album Safar, CHAII is up for NZ On Air Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of The Year, Spotify Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘We Be Killing It’, and Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau | Best Electronic Artist. The multi-hyphenate powerhouse is also a finalist for NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Video Content for the self-directed ‘Night Like This’, and Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa | Best Producer alongside Frank Keys for the pair’s work on Safar. Three-time Tūī winner Simon Gooding also receives a nomination for his contribution to the record, in the Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer category.

Stan Walker’s nominations include Single of the Year, for ‘Māori Ki Te Ao’, which held the #1 spot on the Te Reo Chart for 55+ weeks. Walker is also up for Spotify Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist, Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB Artist, Te Māngai Pāho Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist, and Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo, which recognises albums or singles with at least 50% te reo Māori content. Anna Coddington, Corrella, Jordyn with a Why, MOHI, and the award’s 2024 winner TAWAZ are all also up for Best Māori Artist.

2024 Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau | Best Country Music Artist winner and inaugural Te Manu Mātārae recipient alongside Walker, Kaylee Bell this year secures four finalist nods – for Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist and Best Country Music Artist for Nights Like This, and Single of the Year for ‘Cowboy Up’. Bell is joined in the category by Barry Saunders and Delaney Davidson for their collaborative album Happiness is Near, as well as genre icon Tami Neilson for Neilson Sings Nelson, who is also up for Album of the Year and Te Taumata o te Toi | Best Album Artwork (Matt Sinclair).

2024 Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist and 2022 AMA Breakthrough Artist of the Year Georgia Lines also returns; in 2025 the performer is up for Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist and Best Pop Artist – alongside Cassie Henderson and Frankie Venter – for her debut album The Rose of Jericho, as well as Single of the Year for ‘The Letter’ from that same LP. The Rose of Jericho is also up for Best Engineer (Nic Manders), and Best Producer (Nic Manders). FIVE AM founder and Grammy nominee Rory Noble is the remaining contender for Best Producer.

MOKOTRON, the artist persona of Tiopira McDowell, Head of School of Māori and Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland, is up for Best Electronic Artist with his breakout album WAEREA. The Sun Return release also sees the artist nominated for Album of the Year and Best Solo Artist. Lee Mvtthews closes out Best Electronic, receiving a nomination for their record EXIT.

Lorde joins CHAII, Georgia Lines, Kaylee Bell and Stan Walker in the running for Single of the Year, for her Charli xcx collab ‘Girl, so confusing featuring lorde’. Best Pop finalist Cassie Henderson is also up for the Tūī for ‘Seconds To Midnight (11.59)’; Fazerdaze for ‘Cherry Pie’; Jess B for ‘Power’ (feat. Sister Nancy & Sampa the Great); MOKOMOKAI for ‘KUPE’ feat. MELODOWNZ; Reb Fountain for ‘Come Down’; Theia for ‘BALDH3AD!’; and Troy Kingi for ‘Silicone Booby Trap’.

2024 Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB winner Aaradhna is back in full force; her first album in eight years, Sweet Surrender sees the artist up for Album of the Year and Best Solo Artist, as well as Best Soul/RnB again, alongside fellow 2024 Best Soul/RnB finalist Sam V, and Stan Walker.

2024 APRA Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka winner Anna Coddington is also up for Album of the Year for her first bilingual LP Te Whakamiha, as well as Mana Reo and Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau. Amelia Murray a.k.a Fazerdaze is also a finalist in the Album of the Year category, and Best Solo Artist for her celebrated full-length return Soft Power, which has seen the artist receive international attention. Murray and her collaborator Emily Wheatcroft-Snape are up for Best Engineer for the second year in a row for the release, following their 2024 nomination for the Break! EP.

Four-time Tūī winner Troy Kingi is also in the running for Album of the Year, for Leatherman And The Mojave Green, the eighth record in his 10-album project. The record also earns the musical chameleon a nomination for Te Manu Taki Rakapioi o te Tau | Best Rock Artist.

AMA heavyweights L.A.B land in the Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group cohort once again, and are also up for Album of the Year for L.A.B VI – alongside remaining Best Album candidates Jordan Rakei for The Loop and 2020 Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau | Best Folk Artist winner Mel Parsons for Sabotage. This record also earns Parsons a 2025 nomination for Best Folk Artist – and Best Album Artwork (Emma Hercus), alongside Matt Sinclair, and Natalie King and Chris Schmelz for Uneven Ground by Death and the Maiden.

Both Parsons and fellow Best Folk finalist Holly Arrowsmith won the top accolades at the 2024 Country Music Honours Awards – Arrowsmith took APRA Best Country Music Song Award and Parsons won the MLT Songwriting Award. For AMA 2025, Arrowsmith is nominated for her compelling Americana record Blue Dreams, while Kerryn Fields keeps Arrowsmith and Parsons’ good company with a nomination for The Folk Singer.

2024 Taite Music Prize recipient and 2022 Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau | Best Alternative Artist winner Vera Ellen is back in the category, this time for her heartbreak for jetlag EP. Ellen is nominated alongside Louisa Nicklin for her Shayne Carter-produced album The Big Sulk, and Jim Nothing’s homage to inner city Auckland, Grey Eyes, Grey Lynn.

Hitmaker David Dallas makes a comeback, securing a finalist nod for Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau | Best Hip Hop Artist for Vita. He reps alongside impressive newcomer RNZŌ, and the enigmatic Jujulipps for her Superstar EP which features the anthemic single ‘Nightshift’, nominated for Best Video Content (Night Watch) alongside CHAII’s ‘Night Like This’ and the DARTZ track ‘Paradise’ (Oscar Keys, Ezra Simons, Kristin Li).

2024 Best Pop finalists Foley are up for Best Group alongside Corrella who are back on the books after claiming both Te Tino Waiata ā-Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Single of the Year and Taki Taketake o te Tau | Best Roots Artist at AMA 2024. The eight-piece are again in the running for Best Roots Artist for their latest album Skeletons, as well as Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori artist.

SKILAA, Earth Tongue and DARTZ are the remaining contenders for Best Group, with the latter also securing a Best Rock Artist nomination for their chart-topping Dangerous Day To Be A Cold One. The record debuted at #1 on both the Official Top 40 Albums Chart and Top 20 Aotearoa Albums Chart, a feat also achieved in 2024 by only one other act, L.A.B with L.A.B VI. As well as DARTZ and Troy Kingi, Kirikiriroa mainstays and 2017 Best Rock winners Devilskin are also up for Best Rock Artist for their epic record Surfacing.

Pasifika roots reggae phenomenon Lomez Brown and 2024 Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa | Best Producer Christoph El Truento are also up for Best Roots Artist – Truento for Dubs From The Neighbourhood.

2024 Mana Reo and Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau winner TAWAZ returns as a finalist in both categories in 2025. His Mana Reo nominated single ‘Tātarakihi’ features MOHI, who is also a finalist for Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau. Jordyn with a Why returns as a finalist in both categories, this time for her debut album Hibiscus Moon, Love & Justice (Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau) and its lead single ‘Reia’ (Mana Reo).

Haami Tuari is up for Mana Reo both as a solo artist, for ‘Taku Kaenga’, and with his brothers as AMA 2024 finalist three-piece Tuari Brothers for their hit ‘Higher’.

2024 Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau | Best Jazz Artist and 2024 APRA Best Jazz Composition Award winner Lucien Johnson is again nominated in the category, for Ancient Relics, alongside AMA newcomer Thabani Gapara for Dzinda and 2018 category finalist Umar Zakaria for Family Music.

Renowned concert pianist Jian Liu (Where Fairburn Walked), 2021 category finalist Justin DeHart (Towards Midnight: NZ Percussion Vol 2) and Michael Houstoun (The Well-Tempered Clavier), who won the first of his five Best Classical Tūī in 1996, are all finalists for Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau | Best Classical Artist.

“A huge congratulations to all the finalists for the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards,” says Recorded Music NZ CEO Jo Oliver. “The finalists illustrate the breadth and depth of musical talent we have here in Aotearoa, and the impact these artists and music are having both at home and beyond.

“In addition to celebrating the 2025 finalists and winners, it’s also our privilege this year to be marking an incredible 60 years of the Music Awards in Aotearoa. The Awards is a key part of our musical heritage and has evolved over the years to reflect our unique cultural identity. AMA 2025 will recognise special artists and waiata of the past and present; and create new moments to inspire the next generation of artists.”

The 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards will take place on Thursday 29 May at the Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau and will be streamed live via Official Media Partner RNZ. Viewers who don’t catch the live broadcast will be able to stream the Awards on TVNZ+ from Friday 30 May.

Te Taumata o te Hokona | Highest Selling Artist and NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Horapa | Radio Airplay Record of the Year are decided based on data provided by the Official Aotearoa Music Charts and will be announced and awarded on the night. Further information will be released about the Tā te Iwi | People's Choice, Te Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Te Manu Mātārae categories ahead of the ceremony.

Aotearoa Music Awards 2025 Finalists 

(by category)

AMA 2025 category sponsors:

NZ On Air

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of The Year

Te Taumata o te Horapa | Radio Airplay Record of the Year

Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Music Video Content

Te Māngai Pāho

• Mana Reo
• Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist

Spotify

• Spotify Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year
• Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist

For a full list of our partners click here

NZ On Air Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year

Aaradhna – Sweet Surrender

Anna Coddington – Te Whakamiha

CHAII – Safar

Fazerdaze – Soft Power

Georgia Lines – The Rose Of Jericho

Jordan Rakei – The Loop

Kaylee Bell – Nights Like This

L.A.B – L.A.B VI

Mel Parsons – Sabotage

MOKOTRON – WAEREA

Tami Neilson – Neilson Sings Nelson

Troy Kingi – Leatherman And The Mojave Green

Spotify Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year

Cassie Henderson – ‘Seconds To Midnight (11.59)’

CHAII – ‘We Be Killing It’

Fazerdaze – ‘Cherry Pie’

Georgia Lines – ‘The Letter’

JessB – ‘Power’ (feat. Sister Nancy & Sampa the Great)

Kaylee Bell – ‘Cowboy Up’

Lorde – ‘Girl, so confusing featuring lorde’ (Charli xcx, Lorde)

MOKOMOKAI – ‘KUPE’ feat. MELODOWNZ

Reb Fountain – ‘Come Down’

Stan Walker – ‘Māori Ki Te Ao’

Theia – ‘BALDH3AD!’

Troy Kingi – ‘Silicone Booby Trap’

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group

Corrella – Skeletons

DARTZ – Dangerous Day To Be A Cold One

Earth Tongue – Great Haunting

Foley

L.A.B – L.A.B VI

SKILAA – Tiger In The River

Spotify Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist

Aaradhna – Sweet Surrender

Fazerdaze – Soft Power

Georgia Lines – The Rose Of Jericho

Kaylee Bell – Nights Like This

MOKOTRON – WAEREA

Stan Walker

Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo

Anna Coddington – Te Whakamiha

Haami Tuari – Taku Kaenga

Jordyn With a Why – ‘Reia’

Stan Walker – ‘Māori Ki Te Ao’

TAWAZ – ‘Tātarakihi’ (feat. MOHI)

Tuari Brothers – ‘Higher’

Te Māngai Pāho Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist

Anna Coddington – Te Whakamiha

Corrella – Skeletons

Jordyn with a Why – Hibiscus Moon, Love & Justice

MOHI

Stan Walker

TAWAZ

Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau | Best Alternative Artist

Jim Nothing – Grey Eyes, Grey Lynn

Louisa Nicklin – The Big Sulk

Vera Ellen – heartbreak for jetlag

Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau | Best Classical Artist

Jian Liu – Where Fairburn Walked

Justin DeHart – Towards Midnight: NZ Percussion Vol 2

Michael Houstoun – The Well-Tempered Clavier

Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau | Best Country Music Artist

Barry Saunders and Delaney Davidson – Happiness Is Near

Kaylee Bell – Nights Like This

Tami Neilson – Neilson Sings Nelson

Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau | Best Electronic Artist

CHAII – Safar

Lee Mvtthews – EXIT

MOKOTRON – WAEREA

Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau | Best Folk Artist

Holly Arrowsmith – Blue Dreams

Kerryn Fields – The Folk Singer

Mel Parsons – Sabotage

Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau | Best Hip Hop Artist

David Dallas – Vita

Jujulipps – Superstar

RNZŌ

Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau | Best Jazz Artist

Lucien Johnson – Ancient Relics

Thabani Gapara – Dzindza

Umar Zakaria – Family Music

Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist

Cassie Henderson – The Yellow Chapter

Frankie Venter

Georgia Lines – The Rose Of Jericho

Te Manu Taki Rakapioi o te Tau | Best Rock Artist

DARTZ – Dangerous Day To Be A Cold One

Devilskin – Surfacing

Troy Kingi – Leatherman And The Mojave Green

Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau | Best Roots Artist

Christoph El Truento – Dubs From The Neighbourhood

Corrella – Skeletons

Lomez Brown

Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB Artist

Aaradhna – Sweet Surrender

Sam V

Stan Walker

ARTISAN AWARDS

Te Taumata o te Toi | Best Album Artwork

Emma Hercus – Sabotage (Mel Parsons)

Matt Sinclair – Neilson Sings Nelson (Tami Neilson)

Natalie King, Chris Schmelz – Uneven Ground (Death and the Maiden)

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer

Emily Wheatcroft-Snape, Amelia Murray – Soft Power (Fazerdaze)

Nic Manders – The Rose Of Jericho (Georgia Lines)

Simon Gooding – Safar (CHAII)

NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Music Video Content

CHAII – ‘Night Like This’ (CHAII)

Night Watch – ‘Nightshift’ (Jujulipps)

Oscar Keys, Ezra Simons, Kristin Li – ‘Paradise’ (DARTZ)

Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa | Best Producer

CHAII, Frank Keys – Safar (CHAII)

Nic Manders – The Rose Of Jericho (Georgia Lines)

Rory Noble

Aotearoa Music Awards 2025 Finalists 

(by artist)

Aaradhna

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for Sweet Surrender

Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist for Sweet Surrender

Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB Artist

Anna Coddington

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for Te Whakamiha

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist for Te Whakamiha

Mana Reo for Te Whakamiha

Barry Saunders & Delaney Davidson

Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau | Best Country Music Artist for Happiness is Near

Cassie Henderson

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Seconds To Midnight (11.59)’

Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist for The Yellow Chapter

CHAII

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for Safar

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘We Be Killing It’

Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau | Best Electronic Artist for Safar

Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Video Content – ‘Night Like This’

Related Nominations

Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa | Best Producer – Safar (CHAII & Frank Keys)

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer – Safar (Simon Gooding)

Christoph El Truento

Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau | Best Roots Artist for Dubs From The Neighbourhood

Corrella

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group for Skeletons

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist for Skeletons  

Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau | Best Roots Artist for Skeletons

DARTZ

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group for Dangerous Day To Be A Cold One

Te Manu Taki Rakapioi o te Tau | Best Rock Artist for Dangerous Day To Be A Cold One

Related Nominations

Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Video Content for ‘Paradise’ (Oscar Keys, Ezra Simons, Kristin Li)

David Dallas

Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau | Best Hip Hop Artist for Vita

Devilskin

Te Manu Taki Rakapioi o te Tau | Best Rock Artist for Surfacing

Earth Tongue

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group for Great Haunting

Emily Wheatcroft–Snape & Amelia Murray

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer for Soft Power (Fazerdaze)

Emma Hercus

Te Taumata o te Toi | Best Album Artwork for Sabotage (Mel Parsons)

Fazerdaze

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for Soft Power

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Cherry Pie’

Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist for Soft Power

Related Nominations

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer – Amelia Murray & Emily Wheatcroft-Snape for Soft Power 

Frankie Venter

Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist

Foley

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best GrouP

Georgia Lines

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for The Rose Of Jericho

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘The Letter’

Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist for The Rose Of Jericho

Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist for The Rose Of Jericho

Related Nominations

Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa | Best Producer – The Rose Of Jericho (Nic Manders)

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer – The Rose Of Jericho (Nic Manders)

Haami Tuari

Mana Reo for ‘Taku Kaenga’

Holly Arrowsmith

Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau | Best Folk Artist for Blue Dreams

Jess B

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Power’ (feat. Sister Nancy & Sampa the Great)

Jian Liu

Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau | Best Classical Artist for Where Fairburn Walked

Jim Nothing

Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau | Best Alternative Artist for Grey Eyes, Grey Lynn

Jordan Rakei

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for The Loop

Jordyn with a Why

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist for Hibiscus Moon, Love & Justice

Mana Reo for ‘Reia’

Jujulipps

Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau | Best Hip Hop Artist for Superstar

Related Nominations

Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Video Content for ‘Nightshift’ (Night Watch)

Justin DeHart

Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau | Best Classical Artist for Towards Midnight: NZ Percussion Vol 2

Kaylee Bell

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for Nights Like This

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Cowboy Up’

Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist for Nights Like This

Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau | Best Country Music Artist for Nights Like This

Kerryn Fields

Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau | Best Folk Artist for The Folk Singer

L.A.B

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for L.A.B VI

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group for L.A.B VI

Lee Mvtthews

Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau | Best Electronic Artist for EXIT

Lorde

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Girl, so confusing featuring lorde’ (Charli xcx, Lorde)

Louisa Nicklin

Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau | Best Alternative Artist for The Big Sulk

Lucien Johnson

Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau | Best Jazz Artist for Ancient Relics

Lomez Brown

Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau | Best Roots Artist

Matt Sinclair

Te Taumata o te Toi | Best Album Artwork for Neilson Sings Nelson (Tami Neilson)

Mel Parsons

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for Sabotage

Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau | Best Folk Artist for Sabotage

Related Nominations

Te Taumata o te Toi | Best Album Artwork for Sabotage (Emma Hercus)

Michael Houstoun

Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau | Best Classical Artist for The Well-Tempered Clavier

MOHI

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist

MOKOMOKAI

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘KUPE’ feat. MELODOWNZ

MOKOTRON

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for WAEREA

Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist for WAEREA

Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau | Best Electronic Artist for WAEREA

Natalie King, Chris Schmelz

Te Taumata o te Toi | Best Album Artwork for Uneven Ground (Death and the Maiden)

Nic Manders

Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa | Best Producer – The Rose Of Jericho (Georgia Lines)

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer – The Rose Of Jericho (Georgia Lines)

Night Watch

Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Video Content for ‘Nighshift’ (Jujulipps)

Oscar Keys, Ezra Simons, Kristin Li

Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Video Content for ‘Paradise’ (DARTZ)

Reb Fountain

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Come Down’

RNZŌ

Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau | Best Hip Hop Artist

Rory Noble

Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa | Best Producer

Sam V

Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB Artist

Simon Gooding

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer for Safar (CHAII)

SKILAA

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group for Tiger In The River

Stan Walker

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Māori Ki Te Ao’

Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist

Mana Reo for ‘Māori Ki Te Ao’

Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB Artist

Tami Neilson 

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for Neilson Sings Nelson

Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau | Best Country Music Artist for Neilson Sings Nelson

Related Nominations

Te Taumata o te Toi | Best Album Artwork for Neilson Sings Nelson (Matt Sinclair)

TAWAZ

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist

Mana Reo for ‘Tātarakihi’ (feat. MOHI)

Thabani Gapara

Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau | Best Jazz Artist for Dzinda

Theia

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘BALDH3AD!’

Troy Kingi

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for Leatherman And The Mojave Green

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for ‘Silicone Booby Trap’

Te Manu Taki Rakapioi o te Tau | Best Rock Artist for Leatherman And The Mojave Green

Tuari Brothers

Mana Reo for Higher

Umar Zakaria

Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau | Best Jazz Artist for Family Music

Vera Ellen 

Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau | Best Alternative Artist for heartbreak for jetlag

Finalists and recipients in the following categories are still to be announced: 

• Te Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year (TBA in May)
• Tā te Iwi | People's Choice (winner TBA at AMA 2025)
• Te Taumata o te Hokona | Highest Selling Artist (winner TBA at AMA 2025)
• NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Horapa | Radio Airplay Record of the Year (winner TBA at AMA 2025)
• Te Manu Mātārae (recipients TBA at AMA 2025) 

About Aotearoa Music Awards
The Aotearoa Music Awards is the annual showcase event for the music industry, celebrating artists and music from Aotearoa. The event recognises the biggest musical successes of the year while also providing a platform to promote emerging artists. Grounded in 60 years of history, the Aotearoa Music Awards has evolved to reflect our unique cultural identity. It has launched music careers, told artists’ stories and created memorable moments.

Recorded Music NZ produces the Aotearoa Music Awards and acts as its kaitiaki – preserving our musical heritage, celebrating the hits of today and paving the way for the artists of tomorrow.

For more, please visit

aotearoamusicawards.co.nz

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