New Zealand Music Awards 2012 Nominees + Technical Winners Announced

This evening the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards held an event during which they announced the 2012 technical winners and the nominees for the major awards.

Kody Nielson took home best engineer for Bic Runga's album Belle and is also nominated for best group and best alternative album for Opossum's Electric Hawaii. He goes up against brother Ruban Nielson's project Unknown Mortal Orchestra in the category for best alternative album, alongside Ladyhawke, for Anxiety.

Kimbra and Home Brew are the stand-out nominees, with six and five nominations respectively, both nominated for album of the year.

It's exciting to see Toy Love nominated for the legacy award, which means they will also be inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

The finalists for the Critic's Choice Award were also announced and include Watercolours, Beach Pigs and Loui the Zu, who will perform in a special showcase on October 17th.

The Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards take place on November 1st, and you can take a look at the full list of nominees below.

Technical award winners:

Best Album Cover: Angela Keoghan for Dearly Departed (Bannerman)
MAINZ Best Engineer: Kody Nielson for Belle (Bic Runga)
MAINZ Best Producer: Neil Baldock for Me & Moon (Lydia Cole)

Vodafone New Zealand Music Award nominees:

Album of The Year:
Home Brew – Home Brew
Kimbra – Vows
Opossom – Electric Hawaii
Six60 – Six60
The Adults – The Adults

Vodafone Single of The Year:
Annah Mac – Girl in Stilettos
Gin Wigmore – Black Sheep
Kimbra – Warrior
Six60 – Don’t Forget Your Roots
The Adults – Nothing To Lose

FOUR Best Group:
Home Brew – Home Brew
Opossom – Electric Hawaii
Six60 – Six60

Best Male Solo Artist:
Bulletproof – Dub Me Crazy
Seth Haapu – Seth Haapu
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Best Female Solo Artist:
Gin Wigmore – Gravel & Wine
Kimbra – Vows
Ladyhawke – Anxiety

Westpac Hotpoints Breakthrough Artist of The Year:
Annah Mac – Little Stranger
Home Brew – Home Brew
Kimbra – Vows

Rockshop Best Rock Album:
The Checks – Deadly Summer Sway
Clap Clap Riot – Counting Spins
Head Like a Hole – Blood Will Out

The Edge Best Pop Album:
Bic Runga – Belle
Gin Wigmore – Gravel & Wine
Kimbra - Vows

Best Alternative Album:
Ladyhawke – Anxiety
Opossom – Electric Hawaii
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unkown Mortal Orchestra

Best Urban / Hip Hop Album:
Adeaze – Rise & Shine
Home Brew – Home Brew
Savage – Mayhem & Miracles

Best Roots Album:
Hollie Smith – Hollie Smith & Mara TK Band of Brothers Vol.1
The Black Seeds – Dust And Dirt
Tomorrow People – ONE

Best Electronica Album:
Bulletproof – Dub Me Crazy
Concord Dawn – Air Chrysalis
Six60 – Six60

NZ On Air Best Music Video:
Special Problems – Take a Picture (David Dallas)
Special Problems – The Sun (The Naked and Famous)
Special Problems – My Calculator (Zowie)

Best Maori Album:
Ria Hall – Ria Hall
Upper Hutt Posse – Declaration of Resistance
Whirimako Black and Richard Nunns – Te More

Best Gospel / Christian Album:
Parachute Band – Matins:Vespers
Rapture Ruckus – Open Your Eyes
The Ember Days – Emergency

KBB Music Best Classical Album:
Anthony Ritchie and The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra – A Bugle Will Do
Christopher Blake – Angel at Ahipara
Eve de Castro-Robinson – Releasing the Angel

Vodafone People’s Choice Award:
Gin Wigmore
Kimbra
Home Brew
Six60
Stan Walker

New Zealand Herald Legacy Award:
Toy Love

Photo credit: Kimbra by Thom Kerr.