Pacific Music Awards 2020 Finalists Announced

The finalists for the 2020 Pacific Music Awards have been announced, with both Tāmaki Makaurau hip hop duo Church & AP and Moana soundtrack star Olivia Foa'i each cropping up in four categories. Tāmaki Makaurau Samoan language heavy metal group Shepherds Reign make the lists for Best Pacific Group, Best Pacific Language and Best Pacific Song for track ‘Le Manu’, and the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award winners Punialava’a return with two finalist spots for their 2019 album Sili’aga I Fa’atufugaga, Beyond Our Stories. Berlin-based Aotearoa / Tongan neo-soul artist Noah Slee joins the finalist ranks under NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist and Best Pacific Soul / R&B Artist for his Twice EP.

Melodownz is up for Base FM NZ & Island Base FM Samoa Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist with single 'No Mercy', a collaboration with US artist Denzel Curry, and SWIDT see a well deserved finalist spot for their 'Bunga' music video directed by Anahera Parata, alongside tough competition from Disciple Pati and Lou’ana. Given the current state of things, the Best Pacific Music Album winner will receive their award at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards. Scroll down for the full list of finalists, and take in some of the outstanding music and visual accompaniments that have emerged in the past year from Pacific artists'...
 

2020 PACIFIC MUSIC AWARDS FINALISTS:

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
K.One - I Wanna Tell You
King Kapisi - Welcome Back
TJ Taotua - Magnified

NIU FM BEST PACIFIC URBAN ARTIST
Lepani - Pockets Full of Love
Noah Slee - Twice
Poetik - HAMOFIED 2 EP

FLAVA BEST PACIFIC GROUP
Church & AP - Teeth
Shepherds Reign - ‘Le Manu’
Tomorrow People - ‘Fever feat. Fiji’

 NZ ON AIR BEST PACIFIC MUSIC VIDEO
Disciple Pati - The Boy Who Cried Woman (Directors Shae Stirling and Sapati Apa
Lou’ana - Eye To Eye (Director Annie Duckworth)
SWIDT - Bunga (Director Anahera Parata)

APRA BEST PACIFIC SONG
General Fiyah - It’s You feat. Three Houses Down
Lani Alo - Alo I Ou Faiva
Shepherds Reign - Le Manu

SUNPIX BEST PACIFIC LANGUAGE
Lani Alo - Alo I Ou Faiva
Olivia Foa’i - Candid
Punialava’a - Sili’aga I Fa’atufugaga, Beyond Our Stories
Shepherds Reign – Le Manu

BASE FM NZ & ISLAND BASE FM SAMOA BEST PACIFIC HIP HOP ARTIST
Church & AP - Teeth
Melodownz - No Mercy feat. Denzel Curry
Poetik - HAMOFIED 2 EP

BEST PACIFIC SOUL/RNB ARTIST
Jordan Gavet - Hesitation
Lepani - Pocket Full of Love
Lou’ana - Move Along
Noah Slee - Twice

PATO ENTERTAINMENT BEST PACIFIC ROOTS/REGGAE ARTIST
General Fiyah - It's You feat. Three Houses Down
Lomez Brown - Tell Me
Raggadat Cris - I Swear
Tomorrow People - Fever feat. Fiji

PMN BEST PACIFIC GOSPEL ARTIST
Lani Alo - Alo I Ou Faiva
Punialava’a - Sili’aga I Fa’atufugaga, Beyond Our Stories
JXN - Talako Dragon

PMN BEST INTERNATIONAL PACIFIC ARTIST
HP Boyz - Engineers 
Josh Tatofi - Ua Kui A Lawa
Kaiit - Miss Shiney

RECORDED MUSIC NZ BEST PACIFIC MUSIC ALBUM
Church & AP - Teeth
Olivia Foa’I - Candid
POETIK - HAMOFIED 2 EP

BEST PRODUCER
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)

Experience the incredible visual element to SWIDT's 'Bunga...

International songwriter, dancer and director Olivia Foa'i created the glittering clip for 'Fai Pea'...

Watch a glorious live clip for 'Soulflower' from Noah Slee's wicked six-track Twice EP...