Graham Reid | | 2 min read
The annual Taite Music Prize recognises outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music contained on one album. Named after the late Dylan Taite, one of New Zealand’s most respected music journalists, nominations are now open for the 2017 awards.
The winner receives a cash prize of $10,000 to be spent as they wish, thanks to Taite Music Prize founding partner Recorded Music NZ; recording time at Red Bull Studios Auckland; and a year’s supply of Red Bull product.
The key difference between the Taite and other awards is it acknowledges originality, creativity and musicianship regardless of sales figures or genre.
The prize was established to champion the finest release by a New Zealand artist or group. The previous winners – see below – have all been albums that demonstrate these criteria well.
Now in the Taite Music Prize's eighth year, IMNZ welcomed Auckland Live as its new event partner. As a result of this collaboration, a move to the spectacularly unique Wintergarden at The Civic ensured that the Taite Music Prize retained its reputation as one of the most prestigious music events in the nation’s calendar.
Additionally, in recognition of this association, a brand new award has been created -- the Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award.
The winner of the eighth annual Taite Music Prize 2017 was Street Chant for the album Hauora (pictured below) released on Arch Hill Recordings . . . but who have unfortunately already broken up.
Alongside the main prize, two additional awards were presented at the ceremony: the already established Independent Music NZ Classic Record Award the Independent Music NZ Classic Record Award for The Clean’s Boodle Boodle Boodle (unfortunately no longer available on vinyl) and the newly created Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award awarded to Merk for Swordfish (pictured here), which included a $2,000 cash prize and a live performance slot at Auckland Live Summer in the Square 2017/2018 – Auckland’s biggest backyard summer party.
TAITE MUSIC PRIZE 2017
Previous Taite Music Prize winners:
2010 - Lawrence Arabia - Chant Darling (Honorary Bedouin Records)
2011 - Ladi6 - The Liberation Of (What? Music)
2012 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Seeing Records)
2013 – SJD - Elastic Wasteland (Round Trip Mars)
2014 – Lorde - Pure Heroine (Universal Music NZ)
2015 – Jakob – Sines (Shoot The Freak)
2016 – Silicon - Personal Computer (Weird World/Domino Recordings)
Previous Independent Music NZ Classic
Record recipients:
2013 - Gordons – Gordons (Flying Nun)
2014 – Various Artists - AK79 (Ripper Records)
2015 - Herbs – What’s Be Happen? (Warrior Records)
2016 – Upper Hutt Posse – E Tu (Jayrem Records)
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