The Beths, Kaylee Bell and Stan Walker have emerged as the big winners of the 2024 Aotearoa Music Awards in Auckland on Thursday night.
Fresh from playing Coachella, indie stars The Beths collected the coveted Spotify Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year for their third LP, Expert In A Dying Field, and the Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group award.
Stan Walker was awarded the first ever Te Manu Mātārae award which has been introduced "to recognise those that have made a significant impact on the music landscape during the eligibility period, but whose success may not be captured by traditional award categories".
He was recognised for his song 'I AM' which was written for and featured on the soundtrack to the Ava DuVernay film Origin.
Country pop sensation Kaylee Bell won the Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau | Best Country Artist for the first time. She was also awarded one of two inaugural Te Manu Mātārae awards, recognising her success in taking her brand of country music to the world.
Avantdale Bowling Club won the Spotify Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for their hit 'Friday Night @ The Liquor Store'.
Marlon Williams was awarded Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist, a title he won in 2015.
TAWAZ scooped both the Te Māngai Pāho Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist and Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo, for 'He Aho'. The Mana Reo award recognises albums or singles with at least 50 percent te reo Māori content.
Ōpōtiki-based roots reggae artist Hori Shaw claimed the People's Choice award.
Radio BurgerFuel Te Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year was given to COTERIE, who had six singles in the NZ Top 20 during the AMA 2024 eligibility period.
Te Tino Waiata ā-Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Single of the Year, which was won by Corrella for their sleeper hit 'Blue Eyed Māori'. The eight-piece also won Taki Taketake o te Tau | Best Roots Artist.
Aaradhna took out the Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB Artist, the genre category she helped to create when she regifted her 2016 Tūī for Best Urban/Hip Hop to SWIDT.
The event also featured performances throughout by Stan Walker, Kaylee Bell, Corrella, Princess Chelsea, Georgia Lines, COTERIE, Jordyn with a Why, and MOHI.
