NZ Music Awards 2012 Technical Finalists Announced

The finalists in the technical awards categories for this years NZ Music Awards have been announced. Kody Nielsen has been nominated twice in the Best Producer category for his new album Electric Hawaii released under the Opossom moniker and Bic Runga's latest album Belle. The two other categories include Best Engineer and Best Album Cover with the winners announced on October 3rd and the finalists for the bulk of the awards categories announced on this date also. Here are all the technical finalists...

MAINZ Best Producer

Kody Nielson - Bic Runga – 'Belle'
Kody Nielson - Opossom – 'Electric Hawaii'
Nic Manders - Lydia Cole –'Me & Moon'

MAINZ Best Engineer

Steve Garden - Whirimako Black & Richard Nunns – 'Te More'
Olly Harmer - Victoria Girling-Butcher – 'Summit Drive'
Neil Baldock - Lydia Cole – 'Me & Moon'
Steve Roberts - Kevin Field – 'Field Of Vision'

Best Album Cover

Angela Keoghan - Bannerman – 'Dearly Departed'
Special Problems - Ruby Frost – 'Volition'
Yvonne Todd - Haunted Love – 'Spirit Revival'

Press Release:

RIANZ ANNOUNCES TECHNICAL AWARDS FINALISTS

NZ music’s backstage talent gets its time in the spotlight.

The Technical Award finalists for the 47th annual Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards have been announced by the Recording Industry Association of NZ.

The 2012 finalist line-up includes a mix of previous winners and finalists as well as several Technical Award newcomers.

Renowned engineer, mixer and producer Olly Harmer reprises his finalist berth in the MAINZ Best Engineer category.

Olly took out the Tui for the category in 2011 for his work alongside Thom Powers and Aaron Short on the Naked and Famous’ debut album Passive Me Aggressive You. He is joined in the Best Engineer category by fellow 2011 Technical Award finalist Neil Baldock, as well as Steve Roberts and Steve Garden.

Kody Nielson receives two nominations in the MAINZ Best Producer category for his work on Opossom’s Electric Hawaii and Bic Runga’s album Belle. Self-described ‘jack of all trades’ Nic Manders rounds out the category for his work on Lydia Cole’s album Me & Moon.

Special Problems, double finalists in Best Music Video category at last year’s awards, pop up in the Best Album Cover category for 2012. Angela Keoghan, who was also a finalist in 2011, and Yvonne Todd complete the line-up.

RIANZ managing director Chris Caddick says: “It’s great to recognize the very special talents of the skilled technicians who bring the music to life. Congratulations to all the finalists”.

The full list of finalists for the Technical Awards at the 47th annual Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards is:

MAINZ Best Producer

Kody Nielson - Bic Runga – 'Belle'
Kody Nielson - Opossom – 'Electric Hawaii'
Nic Manders - Lydia Cole –'Me & Moon'

MAINZ Best Engineer

Steve Garden - Whirimako Black & Richard Nunns – 'Te More'
Olly Harmer - Victoria Girling-Butcher – 'Summit Drive'
Neil Baldock - Lydia Cole – 'Me & Moon'
Steve Roberts - Kevin Field – 'Field Of Vision'

Best Album Cover

Angela Keoghan - Bannerman – 'Dearly Departed'
Special Problems - Ruby Frost – 'Volition'
Yvonne Todd - Haunted Love – 'Spirit Revival'

The winners of the Technical Awards are to be announced at VNZMA Finalists Announcement event at The Cloud on Queens Wharf, Auckland, on 3 October.

The line-up for this year’s Critics’ Choice Showcase and the 2012 New Zealand Herald Legacy Award recipient are also being announced at the event.