First timers dominate the 2015 Vodafone Pacific Music Awards finalists

​The finalists for the 2015 Vodafone Pacific Music Awards have been announced and it is new talent that is dominating the line-up.
 
Team Dynamite from Auckland is a finalist in an impressive four categories. Band members Lucky Lance, Tony Tz and Haz Beats’ debut hip hop album ‘Shepards Delight’ has secured Team Dynamite finalist spots for Niu FM Best Pacific Urban Artist and Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album. The single from the same album ‘Coconut Lime’ is up for APRA Best Pacific Song and NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video.

Team Dynamite is going head to head with Pacific music industry veteran Cydel which is also a finalist for four awards. Cydel members Saipele Nili and David Letoa, both from South Auckland, were finalists in 2006 and won the Niu FM Best Pacific Urban Artist Award in 2008. The band is up for the Niu FM Best Pacific Urban Artist Award category again this year, along with Radio 531pi Best Pacific Group, APRA Best Pacific Song and Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album.

Auckland’s Fiafia Band joins Team Dynamite and Cydel in the battle for Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album for the 2014 release, ‘Siva Siva Maia’. The winner of the Best Pacific album category is presented with a Tui and recognised at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards later this year.

2015 sees Auckland’s K.One and Wellington’s TJ Taotua debut in the finals line-up with both up for NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist. Joining them is last year’s NZ On Air Best Pacific Video winner, Wellington’s King Kapisi. TJ Taotua, also nominated for Best Pacific Gospel artist.
In the Best Pacific Female Artist category, Samoa based artist Lole Usoalii-Hickey is up against Auckland’s Julie Ta’ale aka Mz J and five-time Pacific Music Awards finalist, Erakah.

Ten of the 21 finalists are newcomers to the awards.

Pacific Music Awards Trust spokesperson Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua says “The PMAs has a proud tradition of championing the Tupulaga - the new generation of artists coming through - which is evident in this year’s line-up with close to half being newcomers to the awards.

“Pacific music’s roots in NZ date back nearly 100 years so it’s fantastic to see this rich cultural genre continuing to grow with an array of new talent alongside our more established musicians. Pacific music has played a hugely influential role in the New Zealand Music scene and industry so we are humbled and excited to honour that tradition and the latest Pacific musical arrivals.”

The awards are in their eleventh year and the winners are to be announced at an event celebrating and honouring music and artists at the Vodafone Events Centre on Saturday 13 June.

Tickets to the ceremony are available through TicketDirect. www.ticketdirect.co.nz
0800 224 224. (Please note a booking fee may apply)

The full list of finalists for the Pacific Music Awards are:
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