Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards 2018 Winners Announced

The Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards returned to Auckland's Spark Arena for this year's glitzy, star-studded presentation, with the vast venue decked out with a futuristic lighting rig like the interior of an alien space craft. Big winners for the night were hugely popular Dunedin mainstays Six60, who dominated the evening winning five awards, Lyttelton songwriter Marlon Williams scooped another two awards for Best Solo Artist and Album Of The Year for his latest record Make Way for Love bringing his total for 2018 including last week's Best Music Video award to three, Kerikeri interstellar soul artist Troy Kingi took away the Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Artist and Best Soul / R&B awards, Unknown Mortal Orchestra won Best Alternative Artist against some stiff competition, and rising stars Drax Project picked up the Breakthrough Artist Of The Year and Single Of The Year awards. The highlight of the presentation for many was an electrifying speech by Dean Hapeta of this year's Te Whare Taonga Puoro / New Zealand Music Hall Of Fame inductees Upper Hutt Posse, who received the the 2018 Tohu Whakareretanga / Legacy Award, followed by a powerful rendition by Che Fu of the group's landmark single 'E Tū'. Scope out the full list of winners from the evening here...

1. Te Pukaemi o te Tau/Hallensteins Album of the Year
Winner: Marlon Williams – Make Way For Love

2. Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau/Vodafone Single of the Year
Winner: Drax Project – ‘Woke Up Late’

3. Te Roopu Toa/THREE Best Group
Winner: Six60 – Six60

4. Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa/Best Solo Artist
Winner: Marlon Williams – Make Way For Love

5. Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau/Jaguar Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Winner: Drax Project

6. Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa/Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Artist
Winner: Troy Kingi

7. Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa/The Edge Best Pop Artist
Winner: Kimbra

8. Te Kaipuoro Manohi Toa/Best Alternative Artist
Winner: Unknown Mortal Orchestra

9. Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa/Best Soul/RnB Artist
Winner: Troy Kingi

10. Te Kaipuoro Hipihope Toa/Best Hip Hop Artist
Winner: SWIDT

11. Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa/Best Roots Artist
Winner: Sons of Zion

12. Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa/Best Electronic Artist
Winner: Chores

13. Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa/Best Rock Artist
Winner: Alien Weaponry

14. Te Kaipuoro Kairangi Toa/Best Worship Artist
Winner: Equippers Revolution

15. Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa/Best Classical Artist
Winner: Eve de Castro Robinson

16. Te Kōwhiri o te Nuinga/Vodafone People’s Choice Award
Six60

17. Tohu Whakareretanga/Legacy Award
Upper Hutt Posse

18. Te Tōtahi Hoko Teitei/Vodafone Highest Selling Single
Six60 – ‘Don't Give It Up’

19. Te Pukaemi Hoko Teitei/Highest Selling Album
Six60 – Six60

20. Te Rikoata Marakerake o te Tau/NZ On Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year
Six60 – ‘Don't Give It Up’

21. Tohu Tutuki o te Ao/International Achievement
Brooke Fraser