Top 20 Finalists Announced For APRA Silver Scroll Award 2018

The top twenty finalists for the APRA Silver Scroll Award 2018 have been announced, presenting the longlist of artists in the running for Aotearoa's prestigious songwriting award. The artists were selected from more than 200 entries, chosen by a judging panel of fellow songwriters comprised of Anji Sami (She’s So Rad / Sami Sisters), Anna Coddington, Cherie Mathieson (Sola Rosa), Jane de Jong (Ruby Frost), Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins), Nadia Reid, Phil Bell (DJ Sir-vere), Rodney Fisher (Goodshirt), and Simon Gooding (The Map Room). The APRA Silver Scroll Award recognises outstanding achievement in the craft of songwriting, is awarded for a single song, and voted upon by New Zealand APRA members. Who do you reckon deserves to take away this year's Silver Scroll Award? Which artists do you think should have made the cut? Here's the info...

A Woman’s Pain - written and performed by Tami Neilson
Alright - written by Sam de Jong and Cynthia Nabozny, performed by Cyn
Aztechknowledgey - written and performed by Troy Kingi
Black Crow - written by Louis Baker and Steve Rusch, performed by Louis Baker
Conquer - written by Isaiah Libeau, Daniel Latu, and Amon McGoram, performed by SWIDT
December - written by Joshua Burgess, Charles Ryder, Christie Simpson, and Samuel Perry, performed by Yumi Zouma
Future Me Hates Me - written by Elizabeth Stokes, performed by The Beths
Hours - written by Julien Dyne , Brandon Haru , and Karoline Tamati, performed by Julien Dyne featuring Ladi6
Hunnybee - written by Ruban Nielson, Kody Nielson, and Jacob Portrait, performed by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Kalega - written by Rob Ruha and Taina Keelan, performed by Rob Ruha & The Witch Doctor
Laugh It Off - written by Chelsea Jade Metcalf and Bradley Hale performed by Chelsea Jade
New Wave - written and performed by Seth Haapu
Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore - written and performed by Marlon Williams
Nothing To Regret - written by Anna Robinson, Allison Crystal, and Larzz
Principato - performed by Robinson Slow Train Creek - written and performed by Holly Arrowsmith
Temporary Me - written by Kingdon Chapple-Wilson, performed by Kings
Two Free Hands - written and performed by Anthonie Tonnon
Wallace Line - written by Michael Cathro, performed by Ha The Unclear
We Light Fire - written and performed by Julia Deans
You Got Me - written and performed by Lisa Crawley

The glitz and the glamour of this year's award presentation will take place at Auckland's Spark Arena on Thursday 4th October. Along with the annual induction of a songwriter/s into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame (last year's inductees were The Clean), more awards to be dished out on the night include:

APRA Maioha Award - celebrating exceptional waiata featuring te reo
SOUNZ Contemporary Award - celebrating excellence in contemporary composition
APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award
APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award

Here's a gripping performance by Ron Gallipoli of Lorde's award-winning song 'Green Light' at the 2017 awards presentation event...

Press release:

This Top 20 list was chosen from over 200 entries by a judging panel of 9 fellow songwriters, who have each made wonderful contributions to the NZ music community themselves.

The jury for 2018 was: Anji Sami (She’s So Rad/Sami Sisters), Anna Coddington, Cherie Mathieson (Sola Rosa), Jane de Jong (Ruby Frost), Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins), Nadia Reid, Phil Bell (DJ Sir-vere), Rodney Fisher (Goodshirt), and Simon Gooding (The Map Room).

Widely considered the most prestigious accolade in New Zealand music, the APRA Silver Scroll Award recognises outstanding achievement in the craft of songwriting, and the responsibility now falls to APRA’s almost 10,000 New Zealand members to choose the best song of 2018.

All APRA members are now invited to vote for their top five songs from this list of 20. These votes from the APRA membership will determine the five finalists and winner of the 2018 APRA Silver Scroll Award.

“These songs show the diversity of song writing in New Zealand right now– from long-established luminaries to fresh faces, ballads to beats, rhymes to folk stories, and many inventive diversions in between” says APRA’s Anthony Healey.

“Of course, as is always the case, there were easily at least 20 more songs also in contention, and our experts had a hard job to select these. But it’s wonderful to be able to celebrate the incredible work of New Zealand songwriters over the past year, and draw attention to some excellent music.”

Past recipients of the esteemed award include a long list of iconic Kiwi music stalwarts - from Dave Dobbyn, Don McGlashan and Shona Laing to Neil Finn, Bic Runga, and Ray Columbus. They’re joined by a younger generation of music makers that include James Milne & Luke Buda, Ella Yelich-O’Connor (Lorde) & Joel Little, Tami Neilson, and Ruban & Kody Nielson.