Waiata Maori Awards 2021 Finalists Announced

9 August 2021

The 2021 awards will be held in Hastings at Toi Toi Hawkes Bay Arts & Events Centre on September the 10th and will feature many of your favourite Maori artists. As well as the nominees and live performances, the evening is always filled with laughter, manaaki and of course, delicious kai.

This year’s nominations feature our celebrated Aotearoa artists as well as some new voices, who are welcomed into the Maori music awards with open arms. After the difficult year in 2020, we look forward to seeing everyone in person at the 14th National Waiata Maori Music Awards 2021.

Our wahine artists such as Anna Coddington, Ainslie Allen, Mistee K, Paige and Vayne are all nominees this year and we honour our wahine Maori as a vital voice of te ao Maori.

Anna Coddington is a singer/songwriter/producer and her album Beams is up for Best Maori Pop Album, Vayne for Gutta Girl and Mistee K’s The New Chapter Album are all up for awards. Ainslie Allen and Paige are in the running as nominees for Best Wahine Maori Solo Artist.

Currently at the top of the te reo Maori charts are NLC, who are finalists for the Best Maori Reggae/Roots Album for Trouble, alongside Grove Roots for their album Iwi. Hani Dread is a finalist for Best Single By A Maori Artist with his waiata Kokiri, Kings is up for Best Hip-Hop Album for Raplist alongside Adam Tukiri with Son.

Returning award winners, Troy Kingi, Stan Walker, L.A.B and Tipene Harmer are finalists in multiple categories. Up for Best Maori Solo Artist is Hawkins, who is no stranger to the industry. Nominated for Best RnB album is Louis Baker with Love Levitates, in good company alongside Mara TK, who is also in the running for the Best Maori Solo Artist.

Other Waiata Maori Music Awards artists are previous award-winners Tomorrow People, Morse Gang and also IA who are all finalists for Best Maori Group.

With a talented list of Maori artists, this year’s awards are going to be tu meke!

Independent judges have assessed the work of the artists online, individually, rather than as a group or collective panel. The results were submitted via the internet to the awards administrator and collated. Judges have been nominated from the music industry, both Maori and mainstream musicians, composers, producers, managers and music organisations.

For more information, go to:

www.waiatamaoriawards.co.nz

FINALISTS 2021

Best Maori Hip Hop Album:

Adam Tukiri – Son

Kings – Raplist

Tipene Harmer – Heritage Trail

Vayne – Gutta Girl

Best Maori RnB Album:

Louis Baker – Love Levitates

Mara TK – Bad Meditation

Mistee K – The Next Chapter