Pacific Music Awards Announced

Pacific Music Awards announced

The Pacific Music Awards Committee is proud to announce the inaugural Pacific Music Awards to be held at Pasifika 2005 on March 11 next year.

With the phenomenal explosion of Pacific artists in New Zealand and internationally, it was felt that the time was right for Pacific musicians to have their own awards event.

The Pacific Music Awards Committee (PMAC) feels strongly that through the creation of the Pacific Music Awards, Pacific musicians and artists will get the full acknowledgement they truly deserve.

Spokesperson for the committee, Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua says “The Pacific Music Awards will ensure our artists will be honoured, our music is promoted to the wider community and the event will be inspirational to young musicians as well as established artists”.

The inaugural awards will feature four categories, Best Pacific Male Artist, Best Pacific Female Artist, Best Pacific Group and the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) Tui award for Best Pacific Music Album.

“Pasifika Festival has been the launching pad of many of the great artists dominating the current New Zealand music industry, it’s an honour to be the first home of these awards” says Thelo Meleisea, Auckland City Events Management Entertainment Director.

Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards spokesperson Adam Holt says he is delighted with the announcement of the Pacific Music Awards and RIANZ is 110 percent in support of this event.

“The huge growth in popularity of Pacific artists means a stand-alone Pacific Music Awards is not only feasible but vital to the development of the genre. We are honoured that the Tui Award will be presented at the Pacific Music Awards and the winner will also be acknowledged at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards in September 2005.

“In 2004 the Folk and Country Awards were enormously successful and achieved a strong promotional presence for the genre and the winners of the Tuis. Similarly, launching the Pacific Music Awards at Pasifika can only help increase the profile of Pacific Island talent.”

Pacific artists entered into the Tui category for Best Pacific Music Album will still be eligible to enter any other non-genre category of the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards such as Best Album, Single, Group, Music Video and the like.

Rev Mua Strickson-Pua is championing workshops in Auckland this week to raise awareness of this initiative within the Pacific Community.

“These workshops are designed to start the dialogue and raise awareness of the new Pacific Music Awards initiative within the Pacific community.

“New Zealand has a huge Pacific island community and we want to see the Pacific Music Awards growing and expanding to reflect the importance of this musical genre.”

Samoan entertainer Lapi Mariner is enthusiastic about the awards.

“I think this event provides a beacon for Pacific entertainers, one that signals new opportunities to widen the audience base. It’s good for us, it’s good for the genre and I believe it is a very positive move for New Zealand music.”

The PMAC is working with RIANZ to develop the criteria and eligibility rules for the new Awards. To rationalise the eligibility period for entries into a calendar year, the first presentation is for music released in the six months between June 1 and December 31, 2004. In 2006, the award will be for music released during the 12 months of 2005.

The Polynesian Music Tui, now known as the Best Pacific Music Album, was first presented at the 1983 New Zealand Music Awards.

It is envisaged that the Pacific Music Awards will become a vital part of the New Zealand music calendar.

Committee

Representatives on the committee include:

Petrina George, on behalf of APRA

Sina Moore, on behalf of Niu FM

Tom Etuata, on behalf of Radio 531 PI

Noma Sio and Matthew Salapu, on behalf of Wahine Malosi Charitable Trust

Mere Lomaloma Elliott and Thelo Meleisea, on behalf of Pasifika Festival 2004 Auckland City Events Management

Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua, on behalf of Tagata Pasifika (R.D.T.) and CHAIR of PMAC

Adam Holt, on behalf of RIANZ

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