RIANZ Announces Technical Awards Finalists

News release technical – 1
August 15, 2011

RIANZ Announces Technical Awards Finalists

NZ artists show they are just as good behind the scenes as they are on stage

The first round of finalists in the 46th Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards (VNZMA) has been revealed following today’s announcement of the 2011 Technical Award finalists.

The Naked And Famous band members Thom Powers and Aaron Short are finalists for both Best Producer and Best Engineer for their work alongside renowned engineer, mixer and producer Olly Harmer on the album Passive Me Aggressive You.

Olly Harmer is also up for Best Engineer for the album Arctic Tales Divide by Andrew Keoghan. He will battle it out in the category against Neil Baldock for his work on the self-titled album by Cairo Knife Fight.

Meanwhile Kiwi songstress Brooke Fraser has proven her production skills are as polished as her vocal techniques, claiming one of the finalist spots for Best Producer for her latest album Flags.

Die! Die! Die! band members Andrew Wilson, Michael Prain and Lachlan Anderson and producer Nick Roughan work on their album FORM rounds out the Best Producer nominations.

The Best Album Cover category also draws some interesting finalists with three very different media –paint, sketch work and sculpture – illustrating the top three covers.

Nick Keller, who works as an illustrator for Weta Workshop with a CV that includes the likes of Avatar and The Hobbit, is a finalist for his work on Beastwars’ self-titled album.

Meanwhile Angela Keoghan’s sketch work on Bannerman’s debut album The Dusty Dream Hole and Baly Gaudin and Thomas Young’s work on Tommy Ill’s self-titled album, are also in the running for the album cover gong.

“The finalists in the technical awards for 2011 confirm once again that New Zealand engineers, producers and cover designers are truly world class,” says Chris Caddick, Managing Director, RIANZ.

In the MAINZ Best Engineer category, the finalists are:
Thom Powers, Aaron Short & Olly Harmer – ‘Passive Me Aggressive You’ (The Naked And Famous)
Neil Baldock – ‘Cairo Knife Fight’ (Cairo Knife Fight)
Olly Harmer – ‘Arctic Tales Divide’ (Andrew Keoghan)

The finalists for MAINZ Best Producer are:
Brooke Fraser – ‘Flags’ (Brooke Fraser)
Nick Roughan and Die! Die! Die! – ‘FORM’ (Die! Die! Die!)
Thom Powers, Aaron Short – ‘Passive Me Aggressive You’ (The Naked And Famous)

The finalists in the Best Album Cover category are:
Angela Keoghan – ‘The Dusty Dream Hole’ (Bannerman)
Baly Gaudin & Thomas Young – ‘Tommy Ill’ (Tommy Ill)
Nick Keller – ‘Beastwars’ (Beastwars)

The winners of the technical awards are to be announced at HP’s pop-up venue – The HP Winter Garden – in Wynyard Quarter where RIANZ will host the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards finalists’ announcement on September 7.

The line-up for this year’s Gravity Coffee Critics’ Choice Showcase and the 2011 Legacy Award recipient will also be announced at the event.

The main awards categories are:
Russian Standard Vodka Album Of The Year
Vodafone Single Of The Year
FOUR Best Group
Best Male Solo Artist
Best Female Solo Artist
Pacific Blue Breakthrough Artist Of The Year
NZ On Air Best Music Video
The Edge Best Pop Album
PPNZ Best Rock Album
Best Urban / Hip Hop Album
Best Electronica Album
Best Roots Album
Best Maori Album
Best Alternative Album
Best Gospel / Christian Album
Best Classical Album
Vodafone Peoples Choice Award
New Zealand Herald Legacy Award

No finalists are announced for the Highest Selling NZ Single, the Highest Selling NZ Album, NZ On Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year and the International Achievement awards. These will be awarded at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards ceremony at Auckland’s Vector Arena on November 3.
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