Celebrating the winners of the 2020 Pacific Music Awards

Despite delays and challenges created by COVID-19, the Pacific music community celebrated another year of outstanding music at the 16th annual Pacific Music Awards. The event was pre-recorded due to COVID-19 restrictions and aired as an online presentation this evening.

The big winners were Elijah Manu and Albert Purcell – better known as dynamic Auckland hip hop duo Church & AP.

The two talented rappers won FLAVA Best Pacific Group, Base FM NZ & Island Base Samoa Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist after the release of their debut album Teeth, and NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award for their single “Ready or Not”. Dera Meelan also took out Red Bull Best Producer for his work on the album.

Singer songwriter Olivia Foa’i of Te Vaka and ‘Moana’ fame celebrated with three awards of her own, recognising her tremendous success as a solo artist.

She won Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist, Sunpix Best Pacific Language, and Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album for her debut solo album Candid.

The legacy of the late Fijian guitarist Daniel Rae Costello was honoured with the Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award. Costello's music captured many hearts across the Pacific and the world, with strong influences by the Caribbean sound.

Taking a break from his work with the EFKS Te Atatu Junior Youth Choir, Lani Alo embarked on a solo career with the release of his first single ‘Alo I Ou Faiva’, which won APRA Best Pacific Song and the 531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist.

Kiwi hip hop sensation Kings won the NZ On Air Streaming Award for his single ‘6 Figures’, while the award for NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist went to Poetik after releasing Hamofied EP 2 last year, continuing to put Polynesian culture and issues on the map.

Other winners from the night include Jordan Gavet (Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist), Tomorrow People (Pato Entertainment Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist), Josh Tatofi (Niu FM Best International Pacific Artist), Disciple Pati (NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video for ‘The Boy Who Cried Woman’), HP Boyz (Sunpix People’s Choice Award for Best Pacific Artist) and Victori J Sefo (Phillip Fuemana Award for Most Promising Pacific Artist).

Up-and-coming hip hop star Jawsh 685 was presented with his first award at his first awards show last night, receiving the Special Recognition Award at the 2020 Pacific Music Awards.

This year saw success for Josh Nanai – or Jawsh 685 – a 17-year-old producer from Auckland who’s catchy ‘Laxed – Siren Beat’ went viral on social media platform TikTok before being picked up by US pop star Jason Derulo – and more recently remixed with Korean Pop sensation BTS.

The resulting collaboration ‘Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)’ has seen global success, reaching the #1 spot in seventeen countries including New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Chairman and spokesperson Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua says: “2020 Pacific Music Awards again travels new oceans of richness of Diversity and Inclusivity mirroring the Pasifika Wairuatanga spirit of overcoming life struggles and giving back to loved ones from Atua/God to sacred Tupuga Tupuna/ancestors. Each Finalist and Winner is a living example of Resilience and Hope worthy of honouring and celebrating hence why our 2020 Pacific Music Awards is You & Us Family, & Society Musika Resilience.”

The awards provided a showcase of the best in Pacific music, with an incredible line up throughout the night.  Alongside the special tribute performance for Lifetime Achievement recipient Daniel Rae Costello byStevie Heatley, with TCB the band who toured with Daniel across NZ and the Pacific, 2013-2015, there were finalist performances by Church & AP, Lomez Brown, Lou’ana, Shepherds Reign, Lani Alo, and Disciple Pati.

All first time performers at the Pacific Music Awards, this decision was made to showcase the new wave of Pacific talent coming through.
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2020 Pacific Music Awards Winners

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Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist:
Bella Kalolo - ‘Ends of the Earth’
Lou’ana - ‘Move Along’
Olivia Foa’i - Candid
 
NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist:
Lepani – ‘Pockets Full of Love’
Noah Slee- Twice
WINNER Poetik – HAMOFIED 2 EP
 
Flava Best Pacific Group:
WINNER Church & AP - Teeth
Shepherds Reign – ‘Le Manu’
Tomorrow People – ‘Fever feat. Fiji’
 
NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video:
WINNER​ Disciple Pati - ‘The Boy Who Cried Woman’
Directed by Shae Stirling and Sapati Apa
Lou’ana- ‘Eye To Eye’
Directed by Annie Duckworth
SWIDT - ‘Bunga
Directed by Anahera Parata
 
APRA Best Pacific Song:
General Fiyah - ‘It’s You feat. Three Houses Down’
Written by Charlie Pome’e and Nicholas Pome’e
WINNER​ Lani Alo - ‘Alo I Ou Faiva’
Written by Metitilani Alo and Livingstone Efu
Shepherds Reign – ‘Le Manu’
Written by Oliver Leupolu, Filivaa James, Joseph Oti-George, Gideon Voon, Shaymen Rameka
 
SunPix Best Pacific Language:
Lani Alo - ‘Alo I Ou Faiva’
WINNER​ Olivia Foa’i - Candid
Punialava’a – Sili’aga I Fa’atufugaga, Beyond Our Stories
Shepherds Reign – ‘Le Manu’
 
Base FM NZ & Island Base Samoa Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist:
WINNER​ Church & AP – Teeth
Melodownz – ‘No Mercy feat. Denzel Curry’
Poetik – HAMOFIED 2 EP
 
Best Pacific Soul/R&B Artist:
WINNER​ Jordan Gavet - ‘Hesitation’
Lepani - ‘Pocket Full of Love’
Lou’ana - ‘Move Along’
Noah Slee - Twice
 
Pato Entertainment Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist:
General Fiyah - ‘Its You feat. Three Houses Down’
Lomez Brown - ‘Tell Me’
Raggadat Cris - I Swear
WINNER​ Tomorrow People - ‘Fever feat. Fiji’
 
531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist:
WINNER​ Lani Alo - ‘Alo I Ou Faiva’
Punialava’a - Sili’aga I Fa’atufugaga, Beyond Our Stories
JXN - ‘Talako Dragon’
 
Niu FM Best International Pacific Artist:
HP Boyz - ‘Engineers’
WINNER​ Josh Tatofi - Ua Kui A Lawa
Kaiit - ‘Miss Shiney’
 
Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album:
Church & AP – Teeth
WINNER​ Olivia Foa’I - Candid
POETIK – HAMOFIED 2 EP
 
Red Bull Best Producer
WINNER​ Church & AP - Teeth
Producer:  Dera Meelan
Kings - ‘Hit That’
Producer:  Kings
Mikey Mayz - ‘Wild People’
Producers: Tia Drumma and EDY
Olivia Foa’i - Candid
Producer: Matatia Foa'i

Phillip Fuemana Award – Most Promising Pacific Artist
WINNER​ Victor J Sefo
 
NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award
WINNER​ Church & AP – ‘Ready or Not’
 
NZ On Air Streaming Award
WINNER​ Kings – ‘6 Figures’
 
SunPix People’s Choice Award – Best Pacific Artist
WINNER​ HP Boyz
 
Special Recognition Award
WINNER​ Daphne Walker
 
Special Recognition Award
WINNER​ Jawsh 685
 
Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award
WINNER​ ​Daniel Rae Costello


For more information: www.pacificmusicawards.org.nz
Issued for the Pacific Music Awards by Pead PR

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.

​Contact: 
Adam Warin, Pead PR | P. 09 551 2375 | M. 021 029 01388 | E. adam@peadpr.co.nz

The Pacific Music Awards Trust are proud to announce the Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award will be posthumously presented to Daniel Rae Costello, the Fijian guitarist who captured the hearts of listeners globally.

Daniel’s legacy will be honoured with the award at the 2020 Pacific Music Awards. Costello's music captured many hearts across the Pacific and the world, with strong influences by the Caribbean sound.

He released 30 albums throughout a long, influential career, with his debut album Tropical Sunset released in 1979.  While his debut album didn’t see widespread success, a year later he struck gold with his second album Lania, which was hugely popular with audiences in Fiji and around the Pacific. From there, he quickly became known for his excellent live performances.

Lania reached #1 in Fiji and across the Pacific and kickstarted Daniel’s music career. It was recorded with Pacific music legends like Tui Ravai on piano, Paul Stevens on drums, Vili Tuilaucala on guitars, Saimoni Waqa on bass, DJ Spooky on percussions, and Irene Taylor, Annie Kumar & Lela on backing vocals.

He moved to Australia a few years later because of the 1987 Fijian coups d'état where he wrote two songs, ‘Samba’ and ‘Take Me To The Island’, before returning to Fiji and starting his own studio and production suite called Tango Sound Productions. It was here he recorded his first big hit album, Samba.

Samba went on to sell more than 300,000 units in 1990-1993, proving to Daniel and the wider Pacific community it was possible to make a living solely from music alone in the Islands.
Daniel passed in 2019 after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Corrina Gibson-Costello and his five children, leaving behind a legacy of Pacific achievement, having travelled and performed in over 20 countries, recorded over 30 albums and played over 4,000 gigs. He inspired a generation of young musicians to pursue their dreams.

There will be a special tribute performance to Daniel Rae Costello, by well known Fijian artist Stevie Heatley, a close friend of Daniels, supported by TCB, which was Daniel’s touring band for New Zealand and the Pacific, 2013-2015.
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The 2020 Pacific Music Awards live ceremony will not take place on Wednesday 30 September as planned.  Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event will be shared as an online presentation at 7pm on Saturday 3 October, and a Tagata Pasifika special will be screened on TV1 on Saturday 17 October, 9.30-11am.
 
Issued for the Pacific Music Awards Trust by Pead PR

​Announcing new format for 2020 Pacific Music Awards
This year’s awards will be closed to the public, available in full online and on Tagata Pasifika
Due to COVID-19 and precautions to avoid public health crises, the Pacific Music Awards Trust announce today there will be no live event on Wednesday 30 September for the Pacific Music Awards as planned.
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Instead, the awards and performances will be filmed and presented online, with a Tagata Pasifika special airing on television later in the month. The event will be shared as an online presentation at 7pm on Saturday 3 October, and a Tagata Pasifika special will be screened on TV1 on Saturday 17 October, 9.30-11am.

The 2020 Pacific Music Awards will feature live performances by the new wave of Pacific artists:  Church & AP, Lomez Brown, Lou’ana, Shepherds Reign, Lani Alo, and Disciple Pati.
Chairman and spokesperson Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua say given the current environment and our responsibility for our community, this is the best decision for the awards. 

“2020 Pacific Music Awards Online breaks new ground in the musical Malaga/journey of its being about our Musicians our Musika/music of Te Moana Nui-a-kiwa people of the Pacific Moana Oceania but importantly it is about building up our people with Musika of Resilience and Hope that’s why it is You & Us Family, Community & Society together united Kotahitanga Unity being that family of humanity for this time of moving into the unknown nga manaaki manuia blessings. Our Waka Va’a Vaka canoe of life as it travels through the ocean of uncertainty to our drum beats of Musika of Resilience and Hope.”

“We hope our audience around Aotearoa, the Pacific and the world, will be able to join us on both those dates. Amidst the waves of change, we have kept moving forward and this option allows us to maintain the celebration of our 2020 finalists and award recipients, and the connection with our community at this time,” says Petrina Togi-Sa’ena, Event Producer.  

“The Trust would like to sincerely thank our family of sponsors and funders for their support.  We also acknowledge the event, production, television and media teams who collaborated to find the best way to deliver the awards event this year.

“To create the online and television content, we will film and capture as much live content as we can, and we will absolutely ensure we adhere to the restrictions and guidelines for events; and provide a safe environment for everyone involved,” says Togi-Sa’ena.

The Trust is also happy to share that we have extended our support programme for Pacific artists, anchored by support received from Creative New Zealand.  This is aptly named the Tautua Programme, based on the Samoan proverb:  O le ala i le pule, o le tautua, the pathway to authority is through service. 

Due to the impact on the music industry this year, the Tautua Programme will focus on providing mentoring and artist development support, and presenting the activities that were unable to take place earlier in the year. These include music industry workshops with MMF and APRA, as well as mentoring for young artists working with smokefree Tangata Beat. More information will be available soon. 

Issued for the Pacific Music Awards Trust by Pead PR

​Announcing the Aotearoa Music Awards
Sunday 15th November
New branding and spirit for New Zealand’s flagship music awards
 
Today marks the launch of the Aotearoa Music Awards, introducing a new era for Recorded Music New Zealand’s annual music awards.

Developed by creative agency LIKEMINDS in collaboration with specialist Māori concept and creative studio HAUMI, the Aotearoa Music Awards reinterpret what it means to be a Kiwi musician and artist.
Recorded Music NZ Kaiwhakahaere o Ngā Tohu Puoro o Aotearoa Sarah Owen says the decision to rebrand the awards aligns with continued efforts over the years to recognise Aotearoa’s tangata whenua and Te Reo Māori as the first language of New Zealand, as well as the importance of Te Ao Māori in our lives.
“Aotearoa is a land of diversity and stories, evoking people to share their experiences with us through music. Our artists are kaihanga of one of our greatest treasures – the music and songs that defines our lives,” says Owen.
“With the renaming to Aotearoa Music Awards and the kaupapa behind that, we are taking another step in bringing the awards back to the core of what they’re for: to celebrate, support and encourage the creative journeys of all our recording artists.”
LIKEMINDS founder and creative director Damian Alexander says the Aotearoa Music Awards acronym “AMA” (pronounced ah-mah) is an intentional reference to Te Ao Māori. We are embedding and acknowledging the indigenous culture of Aotearoa and the environment from where our musicians can flourish and prosper.
“An ama is the outrigger used to support waka during voyages across the ocean. In the same way, that Recorded Music NZ and the Aotearoa Music Awards support and celebrate New Zealand musicians and their work, as well as the support of the wider creative industry in Aotearoa,” says Alexander.
“We worked with Tiki Taane and Laughton Kora to create a bespoke musical score for the rebrand to bring the awards firmly back to the true resonance of this place we call home.”
Special 2020 show format
In addition to the new name and identity, the format of this year's event will reflect the importance of music and the wider community in times like these.
In addition to the 20 Tui awarded on the night, multiple inductees will be welcomed into the NZ Music Hall of Fame | Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa - honouring and celebrating our beloved musicians, past and present.
Recorded Music NZ CEO Damian Vaughan is pleased to announce the event will also be taking on a new form this year, with a renewed focus on the musicians and their craft.
“This November, we intend to not only honour and celebrate the spectacular music released over the past year but also highlight the incredible and important work of many of the individuals, organisations and initiatives throughout Aotearoa that are using music to unite and heal communities.
“We are honoured to shine a light on many of these organisations and their activities including our long-time awards charity partner MusicHelps, but also others such as Crescendo, Raukatauri and Girls Rock Camp who are using music to help our music whanau and heal our communities in this time of uncertainty.”
“The inaugural Aotearoa Music Awards will be an intimate reflection and celebration of the year that was and tell the stories of how our music community has navigated this unique and challenging year.”
The finalists and performers for the Aotearoa Music Awards will be announced on Thursday 8 October. The event will be taking place Sunday 15 November at Spark Arena and will be broadcast live on Edge TV, Three and ThreeNow.
Thanks to our sponsors NZ On Air, Te Mangai Paho, THREE, The Edge, Spotify, Hallertau, Young & Co, SkyCity, and GHD.  
ends
 
About Recorded Music New Zealand: Recorded Music NZ is a non-profit industry representation and licensing organisation for recording artists and their labels. It divides its services into three main areas. The Member Services team delivers projects including the Aotearoa Music Awards, the weekly Official NZ Top40 Charts and the Music Grants programme. Recorded Music NZ’s licensing division administers broadcast and public performance licensing either directly or through its joint initiative with APRA called OneMusic. The Pro-Music team is dedicated to protecting and promoting the interests of artists and labels across the New Zealand recording industry.
https://www.recordedmusic.co.nz/
About the Aotearoa Music Awards / Nga Tohu Puoro o Aotearoa: The Aotearoa Music Awards are owned and hosted by Recorded Music NZ and produced for Recorded Music NZ by Mediaworks.
https://www.aotearoamusicawards.nz
About MusicHelps: MusicHelps uses the power of music to help & heal New Zealanders in need. The charity develops & supports a wide range of programmes that use music to help people who are at risk, vulnerable and experiencing health issues. The charity has made projects possible at youth organisations, hospices, schools, medical charities, rehabilitation centres and more all-over New Zealand. MusicHelps also provides caring, confidential & practical support to kiwi music workers experiencing illness, distress & hardship.
Through its “MusicHelpsLive” appeal this year, the charity has provided over 500 emergency grants to individuals and music businesses whose livelihoods have been shattered by the Covid-19 crisis. It also provides vital support including medical treatment, counselling and hardship assistance to kiwi music people and their families in times of crisis.
About LIKEMINDS
LIKEMINDS is a creative studio built on the belief that great things happen when like minds come together and is founded by Damian Alexander and Noel Blackwell. A broad and open minded practice that blends design, film, animation, technology, music and selfless collaboration.
About HAUMI
HAUMI is a specialist Māori concept and creative studio led by Karl Johnstone (Founder, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki, Ngai Tamanuhiri) and Joe Pihema (concept lead, Ngāti Whātua).
 

 
About MediaWorks:  MediaWorks is New Zealand’s largest independent broadcaster, reaching 4.29 million Kiwis through its TV, Radio and Digital platforms. The company owns and operates television channels Three, Breeze TV and The Edge TV; radio brands The Edge, The Rock, More FM, The Breeze, The Sound, Mai FM, George FM, Magic, Magic Talk and rova; a network of websites including newshub.co.nz and ThreeNow, and a family of mobile and tablet apps. MediaWorks’ entertainment and news brands and people are household names, with loyal, highly engaged audiences. www.mediaworks.co.nz
Issued for Recorded Music New Zealand by Pead PR
Contact:
Adam Warin, Pead PR | M. 021 029 01388 | E. adam@peadpr.co.nz