PACIFIC MUSIC AWARDS 2019: Celebrating 15 years of Pasifika sounds

One of the most enjoyable, celebratory and colourful events on the Aotearoa New Zealand music calendar is the annual Pacific Music Awards . . . and this year is a special one because it is the 15th year of these awards.

ome of the names of finalists announced will be familiar to mainstream audiences -- notably Kings and SWIDT who have five nominations each -- but others will be up'n'comers to watch.

Both Melodownz (pictured, NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist) and Church & AP (APRA Best Pacific Song) are also recognised for their contributions to hip hop in 2019.

New Zealand R&B & soul duo Adeaze took a hiatus from music after the release of their second album and have been working in South Auckland performing arts programme for kids, Saintz Up.

The brothers Nainz and Viiz Tupa’i are back with their new album A Mother’s Love, dedicated to their late mother Selepa – their greatest supporter and fan. The brothers are nominated for PMN Best Pacific Group, PMN Best Pacific Gospel Artist, and Sunpix Best Pacific Language.

After being recognised for their widespread influence and significant contribution to Samoan music and culture as last year’s Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, Punialava’a are back for this year’s awards celebrations.

They’re nominated for three awards including PMN Best Pacific Gospel Artist, Sunpix Best Pacific Language and APRA Best Pacific Song for 'Ana le Seanoa'oe' by Rev iosefa Lale Peteru.

Seven piece ‘sunshine reggae’ collective Tomorrow People won two awards at last year’s Pacific Music Awards (PMN Best Pacific Group, Sunpix Best Pacific Language). This year, they’re finalists for three awards - PMN Best Pacific Group, Pato Entertainment Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist and Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album.

Mangere youth worker and singer extraordinaire Latoia Sasa-Tepania aka La CoCo is nominated for Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist and Best Pacific Soul/R&B Artist for song ‘Waiting’, the lead single off her upcoming EP Out Of Time.

Other finalists include Razé (pictured, Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist, Best Pacific Soul/R&B Artist, NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video), Villette (Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist, Best Pacific Soul/R&B Artist, NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video), Sonatane Kaufusi (NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video, NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist), Tree (Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist), Lapi Mariner (Pato Entertainment Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist), Revere (pictured, PMN Best Pacific Gospel Artist), Sammy Atoa (Sunpix Best Pacific Language), , Baccyard (Clinton Bently) (SIT/MAINZ Best Producer), Bobby Alu (FLAVA Best International Pacific Artist), Jaro Local (FLAVA Best International Pacific Artist), and Kaiit (FLAVA Best International Pacific Artist).

The big change this year is the splitting of Best Pacific Urban Artist into three separate categories – Best Pacific Soul/R&B Artist, Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist, and Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist.

This aims to highlight the ever-changing Pacific music landscape and acknowledge all the artists who are creating and composing music across a wide range of genres.

This year Solomon Islands and PNG artists join 12 first-time finalist and seasoned veterans of our music scene and industry at the 15th anniversary for the Pacific Music Awards in 2019. 

The awards event will also reveal the recipients of the four additional awards; the Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award, NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award, Phillip Fuemana Award for Most Promising Pacific Artist, and the SunPix People’s Choice Award – Best Pacific Artist.   

The awards event takes place at the Vodafone Events Centre on Thursday May 23. Tickets are through www.eventfinda.co.nz

Pacific Music Awards finalists:

Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist:

• La Coco - ‘Waiting’
• Razé - ‘Not About You’
• Tree - ‘Can We’
• Villette - ‘Money’

NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist:

• Kings - Lov3 & 3go
• Melodownz (pictured) - Melo & Blues
• POETIK - HAMOFIED EP
• Sonatane Kaufusi - ‘Birdie’

PMN Best Pacific Group:

• Adeaze - A Mother's Love
• SWIDT - The Most Electrifying
• Tomorrow People - BBQ Reggae

NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video:

• Razé X Edy - ‘Not About You’
• Directed by Kiel Tutin & Edward Liu
• Sonatane Kaufusi - ‘Birdie’
• Directed by Dave Thomson, Imaginary Friends
• SWIDT - ‘Who Run It’ 
• Directed by 10Daniel16
• Villette - ‘Not In Love’
• Directed by Parker Howell, Baron VR

APRA Best Pacific Song:

• Church & AP - ‘Ready or Not’
• Written by Elijah Manu, Albert Purcell
• Kings - ‘6 Figures’
• Written by Kingdon Chapple-Wilson
• Punialava’a - ‘Ana le Seanoa’oe’
• Written by Rev. Iosefa Lale Peteru

SunPix Best Pacific Language:

• Adeaze - A Mother's Love
• Punialava’a - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, O ananafi, O nei ma Taeao
• Sammy Atoa - 'Samoa Finau’

Base FM NZ & Island Base FM Samoa Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist:

• Kings - Lov3 & 3go
• POETIK - HAMOFIED EP
• SWIDT - The Most Electrifying

Best Pacific Soul/R&B Artist:

• La Coco - ‘Waiting’
• Razé - ‘Not About You’
• Villette - ‘Not In Love’

Pato Entertainment Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist:

• Lapi Mariner - ‘Go Back’
• Runtingz Family - ‘Runtingz Anthem’
• Tomorrow People - BBQ Reggae

PMN Best Pacific Gospel Artist:

• Adeaze - A Mother's Love
• Punialava’a - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, O ananafi, O nei ma Taeao
• Revere - Revere

FLAVA Best International Pacific Artist:

• Bobby Alu - ‘Move’
• Jaro Local - Dakini Tangarareh
• Kaiit - Live From Her Room EP

Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album:

• Kings - Lov3 & 3go
• SWIDT - The Most Electrifying
• Tomorrow People - BBQ Reggae

SIT/MAINZ Best Producer:

• Kings & 10A (Tenei Kesha) - Lov3 & 3go (Kings)
• SmokeyGotBeatz - The Most Electrifying (SWIDT)
• Baccyard (Clinton Bently) - Melo & Blues (Melodownz)