After 17 months, the Aotearoa Music Awards are back.
The glittering event, which celebrates the best of New Zealand music, is happening on Thursday night at Auckland's Viaduct.
Stan Walker (Tūhoe, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Porou) is up for five awards, including Best Solo Artist, Best Māori Artist, and the Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo award, which recognises albums or singles with at least 50 percent te reo Māori content.
He is also nominated for Spotify's Album of the Year and Single of the Year alongside Avantdale Bowling Club's Tom Scott, who is a finalist in eight categories.
Indie rock darlings The Beths are finalists in three categories this year, including the coveted Best Group award.
Marlon Williams is being recognised for his self-directed music video for 'Don't Go Back' with a nomination for Best Music Video Content alongside three other nominations, and 2023 Taite Music Prize winner Princess Chelsea is a finalist for three awards, including Best Alternative and Best Solo Artist.
Wellington singer-songwriter Aaradhna is also nominated ahead of the release of her first album in eight years. She's up for Best Soul/RnB Artist - a genre she helped create in 2016 when she regifted her Best Urban/Hip Hop award to SWIDT.
The Aotearoa Music Awards took a break in 2023 following a review the previous year.
You can watch the live stream of the event below, and you can check out a full list of nominees for the event here.
