The Taite Music Prize

The Taite Music Prize: announcing this year’s winner & the Independent Music NZ Classic Record recipient

The winner of the sixth annual Taite Music Prize 2015 is Jakob for their album ‘Sines’ released on Shoot The Freak.

Pennie Black, a member of the 2015 judging panel, commented: “Jakob produced a beautiful, thought provoking album. Listening to Sines, one is spirited away to a mystical place, from which you don’t want to return from.

The album art was a complete stand out, and complimented the emotion and creative soundscape summoned by the band.”

Named after the late Dylan Taite, one of the country's most highly respected music journalists, this was the sixth year for the prestigious award. The Taite Music Prize's purpose is to recognise outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music contained on one album. Jakob wins a cash prize of $10,000, to be spent as they wish. The Taite Music Prize is organised by Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ) and the Founding Partner

Recorded Music NZ kindly supplies the cash prize. The winner will also receive free recording time at Red Bull Studios and a year’s supply of Red Bull product, alongside two magnums of MOA Beer.

The award winner was announced at an invitation-only event attended by around 300 people at Galatos Live in Auckland’s central city. Delaney Davidson and Don McGlashan both performed highlight sets for the gathered

guests and Lorde provided a short speech on her Taite Music Prize win the previous year. The event was live-streamed to the public via 95bFM’s YouTube channel.

The panel to determine the finalists was made up of a broad section of music media/industry specialists. The finalist judges made their decision based entirely on the artistic merit on the album.

Sales, genres, artist recognition or popularity are not contributing factors in their decision making process.

Also presented at the ceremony was the Independent Music NZ Classic Record, which aims to acknowledge New Zealand’s rich history of making fine albums that continue to inspire us and that also define who we are.

This year’s panel have given the nod to the Herbs ‘What’s Be Happen?’ (Warrior Records, 1981) as one of NZ’s classic records.

The award was presented by Moana Maniapoto and accepted by Warrior Records founder Hugh Lynn, label & artist manager Will Ilolahia, and band member Dilworth Karaka.

ENDS

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