Celebrating The Winners Of The 2021 Pacific Music Awards

The Pacific music community celebrated another year of outstanding music at the 17th annual Pacific Music Awards.

Due to COVID restrictions, the winners were celebrated in a pre-recorded online awards ceremony this evening, screened by Tagata Pasifika on TP+ (tpplus.co.nz). A highlights show will be available next weekend (18 December).

The big winner of the night was Jawsh 685 taking three wins. He rose to fame last year with his song ‘Savage Love (Laxed-Siren Beat)’ with Jason Derulo and received his first ever music award at the 2020 Pacific Music Awards.

This year he’s celebrating three wins with APRA Best Pacific Song, NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award and the NZ On Air Streaming Award.

Soul funk artist Lou’ana takes two wins with her seven-piece band this year. She won Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist and Best Producer with Nathan Judd for her debut album Midnight Madness.

Tree scooped two awards this year, first for her self-produced album Mrs Tree she took out Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album and second the NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video for ‘Afio Ane Loa,’ directed by Tree Manu & Quincy Filiga.

Hip hop sensation Melodownz won both of the categories he was a finalist for with his track ‘Fine.’ He took out the top spot for NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist and Base FM & Island Base Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist.

This year’s Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award honoured Pacific music pioneer George ‘Fiji’ Veikoso. Fiji’s music captured hearts across the Pacific music scene with his blend of classic reggae, hip hop, RnB and jazz.

Other winners from the night include Lepani (Best Pacific Soul/R&B Artist), Victor J Sefo (One Love Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist), Tenelle (Niu FM Best International Pacific Artist), Marley Sola (531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist), Team Dynamite (Flava Best Pacific Group), Emily Muli (Phillip Fuemana Award – Most Promising Pacific Artist) Shepherds Reign (SunPix Best Pacific Language) and Samson Squad (SunPix People’s Choice Best Pacific Artist).

In addition to these winners, Nick Afoa was awarded the Ministry for Pacific Peoples Special Recognition Award for 2021 for his role in ‘The Lion King’ musical as well as his social work in the South Auckland community.

Event Producer, Petrina Togi-Sa’ena says: “We have had a challenging time on our journey towards the 2021 Pacific Music Awards. We had to postpone the ceremony a few times but we were always committed to the awards taking place, and to producing the event in the best and safest way possible.

“We wanted to end the year with an awesome celebration, shining the light on our amazing Pacific artists, sharing unity through music, and showing our love of Pacific music. We are so grateful to the team, sponsors and supporters of the Pacific Music Awards and thank you so much to everyone who joined us to celebrate online.”

Chairman and spokesperson Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua says: “For our 2021 Pacific Music Awards a key theme is ‘Amanaki/Hope.

“To our 2021 Pacific Music Awards finalists, winners and special award recipients, fa’afetai lava, fakamalo, kia ora, thank you, for your musika, miusiki, rangi music, for your pese, fo’i hiva, waiata, song, that uplifts our people and our nations. Pacific music is about being family of humanity, being safe, being kind and being a team of 5 million.”

The awards provided a showcase of the best in Pacific music, with an incredible line up throughout the night.

Alongside the opening performance by Oceans Before Me, honouring the Polynesian Panthers, and the special tribute performance for Lifetime Achievement recipient George ‘Fiji’ Veikoso by Wellington artists Brownhill (Fiji’s live band when he performs in New Zealand), Wayno and Tomorrow People , there were finalist performances by Lepani, Emily Muli, Diggy Dupe, Hawkins,, Melodownz and Tree.

2021 Pacific Music Awards Winners

Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist:

– WINNER: Lou’ana – Moonlight Madness

– Jordan Gavet – ‘Do Better’

– Tree – Mrs Tree

NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist:

– WINNER: Melodownz – ‘Fine’

– Hawkins – ‘Can’t Leave It Alone’/’Streetlights’/’Fireflies’/’I Couldn’t Tell It All’

– Kings – ‘Help Me Out’

Flava Best Pacific Group:

– WINNER: Team Dynamite – ‘Dragon Fruit ft. Louis Baker’

– Church & AP – At Thy Feet

– Shepherds Reign – ‘Aiga’

– STNDRD – Keep it STNDRD

NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video:

– WINNER: Tree – ‘Afio Ane Loa’

o Directed by Tree Manu & Quincy Filiga

– Kings – ‘Help Me Out’

o Directed by Kings

– Vallé - ‘Trip Advisor’

o Directed by Jadon Calvert

APRA Best Pacific Song:

– WINNER: Jawsh 685 – ‘Savage Love (Laxed-Siren Beat)’

o Written by Joshua Nani, Phil Greiss, Jason Derula, Jacob Kasher Hindlin

– Kings - ‘Help Me Out’

o Writen by Kingdon Chapple-Wilson, Matt Sadgrove, Sam Eriwata, Joel Latimer

– Team Dynamite - ‘Dragon Fruit ft Louis Baker’

o Written by Tony Sihamau, Lance Fepuleai, Harry Huavi, Louis Baker

SunPix Best Pacific Language:

– WINNER: Shepherds Reign – ‘Aiga’

– Loopy Tunes Preschool Music - ‘Umukisia’

– Samson Squad - ‘Taviri/Manea/Te Kuki Airani’

– Tree – Mrs Tree

Base FM & Island Base Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist:

– WINNER: Melodownz – ‘Fine’

– Church & AP – At Thy Feet

– Diggy Dupé - That's Me, That's Team

Best Pacific Soul/R&B Artist:

– WINNER: Lepani – In the Moment EP

– Emily Muli – ‘Self Care’

– Lou’ana – Moonlight Madness

One Love Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist:

– WINNER: Victor J Sefo – ‘My Everything’/’Is It Bad’/’Want To’/’Like’

– Lomez Brown – The Feels & Groove EP

– Raggadat Cris – ‘Nay Sayers’

531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist:

– WINNER: Marley Sola – ‘Lift Your Head High’

– Erakah – ‘How You Love Me’

– TY – ‘Never Too Far’/’Drive’

Niu FM Best International Pacific Artist:

– WINNER: Tenelle – ‘This Is X’

– DJ Noiz – ‘Amelia ft Kennyon Brown, Donnell Lewis, Victor J Sefo’

– J Boog – ‘Siva Mai feat Siaosi’

– Mr Cowboy – ‘Daddy Toe Sau’

Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album:

– WINNER: Tree – Mrs Tree

– Lepani – In the Moment EP

– Lou’ana – Moonlight Madness

Best Producer

– WINNER: Lou’ana – Moonlight Madness

o Producer: Nathan Judd

– Jawsh 685 – ‘Savage Love (Laxed-Siren Beat)’

o Producer: Jawsh 685

– Lepani – In the Moment EP

o Producers: Lepani, Rory Noble, Ambian & Sleo, Devin Abrams

Phillip Fuemana Award – Most Promising Pacific Artist

– WINNER: Emily Muli

NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award

– WINNER: Jawsh 685 x Jason Derulo – ‘Savage Love (Laxed-Siren Beat)

NZ On Air Streaming Award

– WINNER: Jawsh 685 x Jason Derulo – ‘Savage Love (Laxed-Siren Beat)

SunPix People’s Choice Award – Best Pacific Artist

– WINNER: Samson Squad

Ministry for Pacific Peoples Special Recognition Award

– Nick Afoa

Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award

- George “Fiji” Veikoso

For more information: www.pacificmusicawards.org.nz

About the Pacific Music Awards:

In 2004 the Pacific Music Awards Committee (PMAC) was formed to realise a vision and the inaugural Pacific Music Awards debuted at Pasifika Festival in March 2005. Encouraged by the success of the awards the PMAC set about developing an annual event as a significant highlight of the New Zealand music industry calendar. The awards committee formed a Charitable Trust to organise and host the awards, and are driven by a simple core objective: to create and manage an event that acknowledges the success of Pacific artists, celebrates and promotes excellence in Pacific music and encourages young Pacific musicians to aspire to a higher level of achievement.

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