Aotearoa Alternative Awards 2025 Nominees Announced

Recognising the finest and most popular boundary-pushing local sounds fearlessly championed by Aotearoa's Student Radio Network (SRN), a diverse multi-genre selection of nominees has been revealed for the Aotearoa Alternative Awards 2025. Brought to you by Tāmaki Makaurau's 95bFM, Te Papaioea's Radio Control 99.4FM, Te Whanganui-a-Tara's RadioActive 88.6FM, Ōtautahi's RDU 98.5FM and Ōtepoti's Radio One 91FM, in association with NZ On Air, the Aotearoa Alternative Awards will this year be hosted by Radio Control in Palmy on 8th November. The glam-packed extravaganza will be livestreamed on the night via srn.nz and simulcast on our airwaves across all participating stations.

Nominees for seven national categories are listed below, plus voting is now open for Te Tohu Kōwhiringa Tangata People’s Choice, cast your vote wisely HERE. Here's the official lowdown...

Throughout the evening, TEN National Awards will be presented to very deserving winners from all over the motu.

Carefully designed to ensure the widest scope of musicians could be represented, this year’s list represents over 150 of NZ’s best alternative artists.

Amongst the following nominees, a colourful cross-section of the Aotearoa music culture can be seen!

Te Tōtahi Toa
Favourite Single
Brought to you by Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ)
Half Hexagon - Best Foot Work
Romi Wrights - Capsized
Marsha - Carpet
Polaroids of Polarbears - ehara i te wairua
The Hongi Slicker - Falling Off
Elizabeth Sanctuary Welding School For Girls - Kathleen(s)theme
Dale Kerrigan - MORNINGTON PARK
Van Staden & Böhm - Number One Girl Raver
Pearly* - Superglue
Serebii - Verrans Corner (feat. Leith Sye Towers)

Te Tohu Hopunga Puoro Mariu Poto
Favourite EP
Brought to you by Recorded Music NZ
PollyHill, Samara Alofa - Aquaries: Age Of Uranus
Keepsakes - Impossible (Eating The Sun)
James Dansey - Kei Raro i te Wai - Mahi Oro nō te Kōnae Ipurangi 'Witi Underwater'
Lola - Outside World
Julian Lubin - Patience & Love / Clarity
Borrowed CS - Rise N Shine
From Outside - Roll Call
Pining Radiata - Skin
Fouler – Summit
Cruelly - Ugly Behaviour

Te Tohu Hopunga Puoro Mariu Roa
Favourite Album
Brought to you by APRA AMCOS Aotearoa
BIRDPARTY - BIRDPARTY
Clear Path Ensemble - Black Sand
MĀ - Blame It On The Weather
Serebii - Dime mieke - frau eva
Velveteen - Heavy Machinery
Soft Bait - Life Advice
aridni orca - The Bell, the Swan & the Golden Thread
Ringlets - The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time for Walkies)
Yon Loader - Yon Loader

Te Kohinga Waiata Mariu
Favourite Compilation
Brought to you by Creative Sounds - The Stomach
Manawatū Renaissance - ch'est, chestfest, chfest
Freddy Street Records - DJVA001: Dysfunctional Junkies Vol. 1
Echo Train Records - ECVA002 - 5 Years of Echo Train
Mouthfull Radio - Flower Beds That Grow
The Big Fresh Collective - FOOTMAHI 2025
Glitz Club - Merry Glitzmas
Punks For Palestine Aotearoa - Punks For Palestine Aotearoa Compilation 2
Real Rungle Records - RRR Vol.1
Te Āio Productions - TWO TONGUES
Polaroids of Polarbears - the ghost is in the shed - a compilation

Te Tohu Kaipuoro Toa
Favourite Solo Artist
Brought to you by Irirangi Te Motu | NZ On Air
Alphabethead
Ayaluna
Baby Zionov
Diesel Jenny
Geneva AM
Lola
MĀ
Mim Jensen
Te KuraHuia
TOM LARK

Te Rōpū Mariu
Favourite Group
Brought to you by The Tuning Fork & San Fran
By Tomorrow
Dale Kerrigan
S.E.I.S.M.I.C
Half/Angel
IVY
MOKOMOKAI
Pagan Love Song
Pearly*
Soft Bait
U-No Juno

Te Tohu Puoro o te reo Māori
Favourite Song featuring Te Reo Māori
Brought to you by Te Māngai Pāho
IA & Rei - He Piko He Tuna
HINA - Hinātore
Byllie-jean - Hinekoukou
TE KAAHU - I Roto I Te Poo, I Roto I Te Ao
TE TOKOTORU - Ka Whiua Ngā Ringa
Huia x Baitercell - Kākano (Seed)
AJA - Kōpere
Chase Woods - MAIEA
HOPE - pūmau
Marlon Williams - Rere Mai Ngā Rau

An additional three national awards will be presented on the night:

He Tohu Kahurangi
Outstanding Achievement
Brought to you by NZ Music Commission | Te Reo Reka O Aotearoa

Te Tohu Kōwhiringa Tangata
People’s Choice
Brought to you by Brew Union

Te Whiringa Toa 2025 ki a Te Pou Hononga
The SRN Top 10 of 2025
Brought to you by AudioCulture | Iwi Waiata

Representatives from all SRN stations will announce the winners of their respective regional awards:

Te Waiata Mariu 2025 | Favourite Song of 2025
Awarded to a local artist

Te Tohu Kairangi | Outstanding Contribution
Awarded to a local volunteer

He Tohu Kahurangi o te Pah̄ otanga | Outstanding Achievement in Broadcasting
Awarded to a local volunteer

Every station in this network is blessed with incredibly passionate and dedicated individuals who keep the lights on and the music playing. This network could not have an award ceremony to acknowledge talented and dedicated musicians of Aotearoa without also acknowledging those who volunteer their time and energy to ensuring you hear that music in the first place.

Five student radio stations across the motu make up the SRN Network, representing audiences in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (95bFM), Te Papaioea Palmerston North (Radio Control 99.4FM), Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (RadioActive 88.6FM), Ōtautahi Christchurch (RDU 98.5FM), and Ōtepoti Dunedin (Radio One 91FM).

The event will be streamed live and simulcast on all five SRN stations across Aotearoa New Zealand. The ceremony will be held in Te Papaioea Palmerston North by local station, Radio Control 99.4FM.

These awards are brought to you with support from our Principal Sponsor, NZ On Air. Much like the SRN, their mandate is to support a range of quality New Zealand music to be made available and discoverable, so a variety of New Zealand audiences listen to, discover and enjoy music.

The awards will kick off at 7pm on Saturday, 8 November, and will be streamed LIVE via the SRN website, srn.nz as well as simulcast across all five SRN station FM frequencies throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

Regional watch parties will take place in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (95bFM), Ōtautahi Christchurch (RDU 98.5FM), and Ōtepoti Dunedin (Radio One 91FM).

Staff and volunteers from Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington’s RadioActive 88.6FM will be road-tripping to join in the ceremony!