L.A.B Announced As Winner Of 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards Te Manu Mātārae Tūī

One of NZ’s best-loved acts, L.A.B has been revealed as the first Aotearoa Music Awards winner of 2025. The group have been awarded the Te Manu Mātārae Tūi, which they will receive in person at the AMA event tomorrow 29 May at the Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau.

The prestigious award acknowledges 2024 as a phenomenal year for L.A.B on many fronts and rounds out the act’s existing AMA 2025 finalist nods for Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year and Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group.

Having long been one of the biggest acts in Aotearoa, 2024 was a truly remarkable year for the group. L.A.B released their sixth album, L.A.B VI, which went to #1 in the Official Top 40 Albums Chart – one of only two NZ albums to top the Chart in 2024.

They also:

• Had five of the Top 10 most played tracks on NZ radio
• Had two of the Top 10 tracks in Spotify’s 2024 Global Impact List for New Zealand
• Had two of the Top 5 most streamed tracks in Aotearoa
• Sold out a US tour and massive NZ summer shows
• Dominated the local Charts – topping the Official Top 20 Aotearoa Albums End of Year Chart with their Introducing L.A.B compilation, also charting at #3 with L.A.B VI; and held 5 positions in the Official Top 20 Aotearoa Singles End of Year Chart

Recorded Music NZ is also delighted to announce that L.A.B will perform at AMA 2025, joining an already impressive line-up of performers including Aaradhna, Anna Coddington, CHAII, Fazerdaze, Stan Walker and all-femme supergroup Atomic. More performers will be revealed on the night as part of the celebration of 60 years of the Music Awards and 50 years of the Official Charts in Aotearoa.

Introduced in 2024, the prestigious Te Manu Mātārae Tūī is awarded to recognise artists who have made a significant impact on the music landscape in Aotearoa and beyond during the Awards eligibility period. The very first Te Manu Mātārae Tūī were awarded to Stan Walker and Kaylee Bell at the 2024 Aotearoa Music Awards.

L.A.B are honoured to receive the award. Frontman Joel Shadbolt says:

“To be awarded the Te Manu Mātārae Tūī is something really special. The past year has been massive for us, with the release of our new album, touring and more recording. Being acknowledged in this way by Recorded Music NZ is really humbling, and we are grateful not only for the award, but also to be able to share the stage with just a taste of some of the incredible artists we have in Aotearoa.”

Recorded Music NZ CEO, Jo Oliver says:

“L.A.B is a thoroughly deserving winner of the prestigious Te Manu Mātārae Tūī. 2024 was nothing short of an incredible year for them and we can’t wait for the band to grace our stage and screens as part of the AMA live show.”

L.A.B will be presented with the Te Manu Mātārae Tūī tomorrow Thursday 29 May at the AMA 2025 event.

Viewing information

AMA 2025 will take place on Thursday 29 May at the Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau. The event will be livestreamed from 6pm via AMA Official Media Partner RNZ via rnz.co.nz and across its social media channels. Viewers who don’t catch the live broadcast will be able to stream the Awards on TVNZ+ from the evening of Friday 30 May.

The live broadcast and on-demand stream are funded by Irirangi Te Motu | NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho.

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