Steve Newall: Flicks.co.nz editor ahead of the Aotearoa Music Awards

This week’s Aotearoa Music Awards marks 60 years of celebrating Kiwi artists and their songs, albums and achievements.

Industry experts regard the event as 'essential' to supporting local artists and new Zealand's wider music community. 

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall unpacked some of the nominees ahead of the event.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks, EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Steve Neil Edert, Flix Star conone Ze.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Good morning, Good morning, and it's May twenty five, but
it's never too late to say Happy New Zealand Music.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Happy New Zealand Music Month. We've had a lot of
New Zealand music on the show this month and it's
been wonderful to get live performances from people too. Got
Georgia lines coming up after eleven, but hey, the Country
Music Honors are taking place this week.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Yes, this is ahead of the Alted Music Awards next week,
but the Country Music's got in First was a prestigious
ceremony held in Gore on Friday presenting the twenty twenty
five OPRA Best Country Music Song Award, which is won
by Holly Arrowsmith for their song Blue Dreams. Also honored
was the Also awarded was the MLT song Writing Award

(00:55):
and that was given to the song wa Time, performed
by Nicola Mitchell, and a new award dedicated to I Guess,
a lifetime achievement type award really contribution to country music
and altiera. The inaugural recipient of this was the awesome
Tammy Nelson, very deserving. The notes on this were that

(01:17):
she's recognized for her outstanding impact and unwavering dedication to
the country music scene in Altido in New Zealand, with
particular focus on the opportunities Tammy has selflessly created for
the emerging artists around her. So that's a really nice
community focused award, but recognizing someone with great output also.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
And then, of course, as I mentioned on Thursday, we've
got the al Music Awards.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yeah, and it's a bit of an anniversary of sorts
this year. It's not an anniversary of sorts. It is
an anniversary sixty years of music awards here in Altierio.
It started with the lo Scene Golden Disc Award in
nineteen sixty five, won by Ray Columbus and the Invaders
for Until We Kissed. Fast forward to twenty twenty five

(01:58):
and we have a pack of nominees led by Stan
Walker and Chai, with Kaylee bell Aradna, Georgia Lines and
recent Tait Music Prize when a mocotron all scoring four nominations.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Somebody pointed out to me that in some of the
big awards they're pretty much all independent artists like there
might I think there might be one sort of international
label artists that.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
It does reflect the sort of changing tenor of the industry.
I think that, particularly for a New Zealand based artist,
it makes a lot of sense once you achieve a
certain level of popularity to be sort of managing the
finances of that yourself. The majors have been really supportive.
I mean that the trailblazers in the New Zealand music industry,

(02:46):
many of whom were artists on major labels. But I
think there's a there's an adeptness and responsiveness that kind
of comes with being able to drive your own projects
and perhaps that does result in the type of music
that you know gets recognized or at least nominated in
the season.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Okay, so we've got New Zealand Music T Shirt Day. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
So the awards is on Thursday, which I should not
You can lives during that from six pm on Thursday,
and in a wonderful coincidence, although the New Zealand music
industry might not have the strictest dress code, the day
after the Music Awards is New Zealand Music T Shirt Day,
so you can wear a New Zealand Music t shirt
to the office and the idea behind this you'll see
listeners because radio is famously a visual medium. That I'm

(03:29):
wearing one of my favorite Uzela music t shirts today.
It's got a big dagger held by a big red
hand with a whole bunch of blood pouring at the
bottom that says earth tongue. Fantastic New Zealand two piece
with an album and tour on the way. But I
will put this on the wash, I think, and maybe
wear something else this Friday. New Zealand Music T Shirt
Day is in honor of raising awareness and financial support

(03:50):
for the charity Music Helps, which has been established to
assist people that work in music, whether they are roadies
or musicians, to deal with some of the medical and
mental difficulties that they may encounter through their lives. People
that have made a huge contribution to our well being
as New Zealanders who sometimes find themselves doing it tough, and.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
They also support a huge amount of other projects around
the country that are helping, you know, using music to
help people through their lives.

Speaker 3 (04:18):
So you can check out INSID Music T Shirt Day.
You can like a like a good kind of forty
hour famine type scenario. You can build a team online
and compete with others to see who can raise the most.
And to be honest, it's just a nice excuse to
put on some merch and put some photos online.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
I'll have to go back through my daughter's room and
find all my t shirts, so I'll definitely be putting
something on.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
It's a twentier cycle, you know, like everything happens if
it's twenty years old. You're remarkably on trends.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
Only problem is that none of them fit Steve. But
it's a nice lit I know the feeling. It's a
very nice thought. Actually, we spoke to Joel Little on
the show last week as well about music helps and
he was really interesting. So if you want to go
and have a listen to that interview, you just head
to Newstalk zb dot co dot NZ forward slash Sunday
and you'll get that there. Thank you so much, Steve
will catch you next week. And also just a quick

(05:04):
congratulations to the three women who've been nominated for the
New Zealand's top comedy prize. It is the Fred Award.
It was founded in two thousand and Sixtus Award and
it's awarded to the best show by New Zealand comedian
at the Comedy Festival, So the winner is going to
be announced tonight Tonight. Abbie Hawles, Angela Dravard and Melanie

(05:27):
Bracewell are the three finalists. Very Funny Women, so congratulations finalists.
I know pretty good, isn't it.

Speaker 1 (05:35):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to news Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.