Waiata Maori Music Awards

PRESS RELEASE 2
Saturday, July 20, 2012

Two Maori muscians who featured in the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup will appear among the guest performers at this year’s National Waiata Maori Music Awards in September.

The King of Dubs, Tikki Taane, remixed his song, My Lion, (co-written with Optimus Gryme) for the World Cup opening ceremony in Auckland last year while Ria Hall’s solo performance of The World In Union at the ceremony was the experience of a lifetime.

Taane and Hall will be joined by former Nesian Mystic lead singer, Te Awanui Reeder, as guest performers at the Waiata Maori Music Awards ceremony at the Hawke’s Bay Opera House in Hastings, on September 14.

Reeder is no stranger to the Waiata Maori Music Awards as his former Nesian Mystics won four categories in 2009 while Taane was also a multiple award winner over three categories in 2011.

This year will be Ria Hall’s first appearance at the Waiata Maori Music Awards.

Hall, from Tauranga and Ngati Ranginui, also features in the upcoming edition of Waiata magazine, a publication to promote the awards, Maori music and artists.

She speaks about her Rugby World Cup performance and the opportunities which had since come her way.

“After the opening ceremony my email, phone and Facebook, all means of contact with me, just went completely off the hook,” she says.

“It has certainly extended my contact and friends network and I’m really grateful of the recognition and exposure from the Rugby World Cup.

“I learnt a lot from that experience, I learnt how to become fearless, which is what I was on the night. It was a big occasion but being fearless gave the extra confidence I needed.”

Hall released an EP at the end of 2011 and plans to release an album in 2012.

Entries for this year’s music awards close on July 30. The finalists will be announced in mid August.

The awards event will be held over two days at the Hawke’s Bay Opera House in Hastings, from September 13-14.

The winners of this year’s awards will be announced at a special ceremony event to be held on the evening of September 14, at the Hawke’s Bay Opera House in Hastings.

© Scoop Media