Record entries for NZ music awards

News release buildup – 1
23 August 2004

Record entries for music awards

Nominations for New Zealand’s national music awards confirm what we all know – that local music continues to surf on a huge wave of popularity.

With two days to go before the announcement of the finalists, the organisers of the 2004 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards report nominations are up by more than a quarter on last year.

The biggest category in 2004 is the Playstation® 2 Album of the Year with 40 nominations, an increase from 22 last year and 28 in 2002. The awards are presented by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).

There were 18 nominations for the Channel Z Best Rock Album, a new category this year.

Reflecting the profile New Zealand artists are gaining around the world, there were 13 nominations for the artists in the International Achievement Award category.

Altogether there are 378 nominations in 2004, up from 298 last year and 311 in 2002. Nominations can be made by anyone but are generally submitted by record companies or the artists themselves.

The finalists in each category are being announced at an industry-only function (at Studio on Auckland’s K’Road) in Auckland on Wednesday August 25, with the 2004 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards being held on September 22 at the Aotea Centre, THE EDGE®.

Three technical awards – for Album Cover, Engineer and Producer – are being presented on Wednesday, as RIANZ says, to provide a focus on them away from the noise of the main event.

2004 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards spokesperson Adam Holt says the record number of nominations is no surprise.

“It signals continuing growth in the maturity of local music both in terms of what the artists are producing as well as in the listening habits of New Zealanders across a good range of genres.

“For example, we have awards not only for hip hop and rock music but also for jazz, classical and Christian music.

“Once again this just highlights the depth and breadth of our local talent.”

The 2004 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards represent the 39th year of the annual celebration of local music achievement.

ends

Issued for the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand by Pead PR

Awards web site
www.nzmusicawards.co.nz (live from Thursday, August 26, 2004)

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