IMNZ Classic Record and Outstanding Journalism Award Finalists Announced - Taite Music Prize

PROUD - An Urban-Pacific Streetsoul Compilation has been announced as the 2022 IMNZ Classic Record, revealed today along with the finalists for the inaugural NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award. Featuring landmark tracks by Sisters Underground, Pacifican Descendants, Semi MCs, MC Slam, Radio Backstab, DJ Payback and Otara Millionaires Club, 1994's PROUD was a paradigm-shifting showcase for emerging artists from South and West Auckland, helmed by producer Alan Jansson with Tim Mahon (Otara Music Arts Centre, Blam Blam Blam) and Phil Fuemana.

Presented as part of the forthcoming Taite Music Prize online ceremony on 20th April, broadcast via the IMNZ YouTube channel, the Classic Record "is a critically judged award for originality considering the artistic merit, creativity, innovation and excellence of an album in its entirety irrespective of album sales, artist popularity, previous awards or international achievements".

Shortlisted by the IMNZ Board, the first ever NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award "celebrates special individuals who made a creative contribution and significant impact with coverage of Aotearoa music in 2021." The finalists for this year's award are...

Undertheradar Editorial Team; Chris Cudby and Annabel Kean

'Aotearoa Hip Hop: The Music, The People, The History' Podcast creators; DJ Sirvere and Martyn Pepperell

RNZ Music’s The Sampler producer and journalist; Tony Stamp

95bFM’s producers; Jess Fu and Reuben Winter for radio series Long Player, “Milk III - Reuben Winter” episode.

We'll be popping corks in the office today! While Annabel Kean recently moved on from UTR to make music videos full time and create the upcoming new season of Trash Recital as one half of Sports Team, look forward to her return as special guest editor in the months ahead. Notably all the finalists are also active musicians  / DJs, IMNZ chairperson Pippa Ryan-Kidd explained the aims of the new prize...

“The addition of the NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism award is in the spirit of legendary broadcaster Dylan Taite and our wish to congratulate those who give media space to New Zealand music. We found the decision on finalists a difficult one as many dedicated individuals do much of this work purely out of passion with no recompense. Our criteria for this award is to highlight “creative contribution and significant impact” and our judges had to hone in on the best of the best under this guise. Our hope and aim is to encourage new and young writers to take up the voice that some of our leading music journalists have worked so hard to give a platform to over the years.”

Listen to the entirety of the 2022 IMNZ Classic Record PROUD - An Urban-Pacific Streetsoul Compilation...