Variety spices up music awards gongs

Variety spices up music awards gongs

A wide mix of veterans and newcomers and a so-called ‘supergroup’ take home the Tuis at the New Zealand Music Awards 2006 announced in Auckland tonight (Oct. 18, 2006).

Multi award winners are Bic Runga, the Bleeders and Fat Freddy’s Drop who take home two awards each. Bic’s latest album Birds also previously picked up two technical awards presented in September.

For Birds, Bic wins the PlayStation®2 SingStar Album of the Year and Best Female Solo Artist. Bleeders collect Tuis for Sweet As Sin in the Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Best Rock Album categories.

Fat Freddy’s Drop is rewarded for its amazing run on the charts with The Warehouse Highest Selling NZ Album Tui for Based on a True Story - still in the charts this week after more than 75 weeks.

And for the second year in a row, Freddy’s takes home the coveted People’s Choice Award. Mark Williams’ video for Wandering Eye also wins him the C4 Best Music Video category.

Other winners in a glittering red carpet presentation at the Aotea Centre – THE EDGE® were the feelers, Pluto, Elemeno P, Frontline, Concord Dawn, Tower Voices of New Zealand, Te Reotakiwa Dunn, juliagrace and Rosita Vai.

Dave Dobbyn needs a bigger mantelpiece after lugging home his 15th Tui in a professional career spanning more than 20 years – for Available Light in the best Male Solo Artist category.

Composite ‘supergroup’ Fly My Pretties collects its first Tui in the Best Aotearoa Roots Album for the debut set The Return of Fly My Pretties.
Elemeno P wins KIWI FM Best Group Tui for Trouble in Paradise while Pluto takes out the Tui for The New Zealand Herald Single of the Year for Long White Cross.

Newcomers, Frontline take out the Best Urban / Hip Hop Album for Borrowed Time and Concord Dawn takes out Best Dance / Electronica Album for Chaos By Design.

The feelers return to the Music Awards stage with the NZ On Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year for Stand Up. While Rosita Vai’s All I Ask is Highest Selling NZ Single.

Tower Voices of New Zealand wins Best Classical Album for Spirit of the Land and Best Maori Album goes to Te Reotakiwa Dunn for his self titled album. Julia Grace’s self-titled debut album is Best Gospel / Christian Album.

New Zealand Music Awards spokesperson Campbell Smith says the award line-up demonstrates the extremely healthy state of the local music scene.

“Everyone is very pleased. It is very encouraging to see the Tuis spread out through a wide group of artists, rather than dominated by one or two. It shows our local music scene is vibrant, diverse and growing".

Tuis awarded at separate functions throughout the year, and again recognised tonight Best Folk Album, Best Pacific Music Album and Best Country Music Album.

The Best Jazz Album Tui is to be presented at the Wellington International Jazz Festival in November and the winner will be acknowledged at the New Zealand Music Awards 2007.

Edited highlights of the New Zealand Music Awards 2006 will be broadcast on C4 on Thursday October 19 at 8.30pm and repeated at 4pm on Sunday October 22.

Ends

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