Pacific talent celebrated at Vodafone Pacific Music Awards
24 May
Ladi 6, Noah Slee, Tomorrow People and General Fiyah among 2018 recipients
Past winners and rising stars were recognised at tonight’s Vodafone Pacific Music Awards at the Vodafone Event Centre in Manukau, Auckland.
Punialava’a were announced as
the 2018 Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime
Achievement Award recipient and were acknowledged for their
widespread influence and significant contribution to Samoan
music and culture.
A highlight of the night was their
performance of a stunning medley of career-defining hits.
The celebrations continue for the group on 9 June, when they
celebrate 50 years of Punialava’a
music.
Ladi6 was one of the big winners taking home three awards including Best Pacific Female Artist and Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album Tui. Ladi’s producers Parks, Brandan Haruand Julien Dyne took out SIT/MAINZ Best Producer for their work on Royal Blue 3000 EP.
Taking New Zealand by storm in late 2017 was ‘Here To Stay’ by 12-year-old General Fiyah. Tonight the track earned him the APRA Best Pacific Song and helped propel him to the highly coveted Vodafone People’s Choice Award. Samson Rambo was also celebrated for his work on the ‘Here To Stay’ video, receiving the NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video.
Berlin-based musician Noah Slee picked up two awards for NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist and Pacific Media Network Best Pacific Urban Artist, while local reggae groupTomorrow People were acknowledged as the Pacific Media Network Best Pacific Group, as well as Sunpix Best Pacific Language for their songs ‘Lock Me Up’ and ‘Sa’ili Le Alofa’.
Californian Tenelle was recognised for her work on For The Lovers album with the Flava Best International Pacific Artist, while the EFKS Te Atatu Junior Youth received the Auckland Council Best Pacific Gospel Artist.
The inaugural NZ On Air Streaming Award was presented to Kings for his song ‘We’ll Never Know’, while Brooke Fraser received the NZ On Air Radio Airplay for her song ‘Therapy’.
The Special Recognition Award was presented to the Otara Music & Arts Centre (OMAC) for outstanding achievement and service to the community. OMAC has become the cornerstone of the South Auckland community and its influence on artists from its local community, wider New Zealand and around the world, is immeasurable. This award and all the praise is well deserving, especially after 30 years of operation.
Samoan rapper Poetik received the Phillip Fuemana Award for most promising Pacific artist. Through his music he aims to buildup the Polynesian hiphop scene, by influencing the old Pacific Island traditions of love, respect and unity.
Chairman and spokesperson Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua says: “The Vodafone Pacific Music Awards Fakavikiviki congratulates the outstanding Musika Pasifika achievements of excellence from such a diverse and rich musical expressions from traditional language to cultural contemporary, choral to gospel, hip hop to pop, and critical social commentary to new experimental this bodes well for the wider New Zealand music scene.
“Rev. Iosefa Lale
Peteru and Mrs Vini Peteru, the parent pioneers of
Punialava’a, have humbly shared their musical passion of
faith, songs of hope and a love of Samoa. Their legacy
continues with their children and grandchildren, and they
are all honoured with the Lifetime Achievement
Award.
“Otara Music & Arts Centre OMAC, we cannot under
estimate the historical musical contribution of this Taonga
which would give the New Zealand Music scene our historical
contribution of the South Auckland sound that is recognised
globally today.”
Images from the awards can be found
here following the event: www.pacificmusicawards.org.nz
2018 Vodafone Pacific Music Awards Winners:
Best Pacific Female Artist
Award:
• WINNER: Ladi 6 – Royal
Blue 3000 EP
• La Coco – Love & Other
Things Part II
• Razé – 4Seasons
NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist
Award:
• WINNER: Noah Slee
– Otherland
• General Fiyah
– ‘Here To Stay’
• Kings – Chapter
One
Pacific Media Network Best Pacific
Urban Artist Award:
• WINNER: Noah
Slee – Otherland
• 9-5ers –
Close To Home
• SWIDT – Stoneyhunga
Pacific Media Network Best Pacific Group
Award:
• WINNER: Tomorrow
People – ‘Lock Me
Up’
• Sol3 Mio – A Very Merry
Christmas
• Three Houses Down – ‘Smile’
NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video
Award:
• WINNER: Samson Rambo
– ‘Here To Stay’ (General
Fiyah)
• Noah Slee & Si Jay Gould
– ‘Radar’ (Noah Slee)
• Olivia Foa’i
– ‘Lakalaka’ (Te Vaka)
APRA Best
Pacific Song Award:
• WINNER: General
Fiyah – ‘Here To Stay’ (Written by:
Charlie Pome'e & Nicholas Pome'e)
• Tomorrow
People – ‘Sa’ili Le Alofa’ (Written by Kenape
Saupese, Naomi Alatipi, Honiara Salanoa, Helen Tupai, Avina
Kelekolio, Daniel Sugrue, Tana Tupai)
• Te Vaka –
‘Lakalaka’ (Written by Opetaia Foa'i/Matatia Foa'i)
SunPix Best Pacific Language
Award:
• WINNER: Tomorrow
People – ‘Sa’ili Le
Alofa’
• EFKS Te Atatu Junior Youth
– Fa'afetai Le Atua
• Te Vaka –
‘Lakalaka’
Auckland Council Best Pacific
Gospel Artist Award:
• WINNER: EFKS Te
Atatu Junior Youth – Fa'afetai Le
Atua
• TJ Taotua – 'Special
Place'
• Niue Youth Network – NYN Niue Gospel
Album
Flava Best International Pacific
Artist Award:
• WINNER: Tenelle –
For the Lovers
• Junior Maile
– 'When I'm Gone'/'Golden Touch'
• Sam Kiles
– ‘Delay’
Recorded Music NZ
Best Pacific Music Album
Award:
• WINNER: Ladi 6 – Royal
Blue 3000 EP
• EFKS Te Atatu Junior Youth
– Fa'afetai Le Atua
• Noah Slee
– Otherland
• Sol3 Mio –
A Very Merry Christmas
• SWIDT
– Stoneyhunga
SIT/MAINZ
Best Producer Award:
• WINNER: Parks,
Brandan Haru & Julien Dyne – Royal
Blue 3000 EP (Ladi 6)
• Anonymouz
– The Undisciplined Son EP (Tha
Movement)
• Kings – Chapter One
(Kings)
Vodafone
People’s Choice Award:
• WINNER:
General Fiyah
NZ
On Air Radio Airplay Award
• WINNER:
Brooke Fraser – ‘Therapy’
NZ On Air Streaming
Award
• WINNER: Kings – ‘We’ll
Never Know’
Phillip Fuemana Award – Most
Promising Pacific Artist:
• WINNER:
Poetik
Special
Recognition Award – Outstanding
Achievement:
• WINNER: Otara Music &
Arts Centre (OMAC)
Manukau Institute of Technology
Lifetime Achievement Award
• WINNER:
Punialava’a
For
more information: www.pacificmusicawards.org.nz
ends