NZ Music Awards 2011 Finalists and Critics Choice Prize Nominees

The finalists for this years New Zealand Music Awards have been announced along with the winners in the Technical Award categories and the three nominees for the Critics Choice Prize.

As predicted, The Naked and Famous lead the pack with nominations and go into the main awards with two under their belt winning both Best Engineer and Best Producer in the Technical Award categories for their debut Passive Me, Agressive You.

Nick Keller took out best artwork for his original oil painting for the cover of Beastwars debut album which has also been nominated for Best Rock Album.  Other exciting nominations include Street Chant and Die! Die! Die! up for Best Alternative Album,  Special Problems have nabbed two of the three music video finalist spots and Popstrangers are up for the Critics Choice Prize along with Kimbra and The Unfaithful Ways.

Here are all the finalists, winners and nominees...

NZ Music Awards 2011 Finalists

Album of The Year:
The Naked and Famous – Passive Me Aggressive You
Ladi6 – The Liberation Of…
Brooke Fraser – Flags
Avalanche City – Our New Life Above the Ground
David Dallas – The Rose Tint

Single of The Year:
The Naked and Famous – Young Blood
Avalanche City – Love Love Love
Ladi6 – Like Water
Brooke Fraser – Something in the Water
Six60 – Rise Up 2.0

Best Group:
The Naked and Famous – Passive Me Aggressive You
Shihad – Ignite
Kids of 88 – Sugarpills

Best Male Solo Artist:
Tiki Taane – In the World of Light
David Dallas – The Rose Tint
Stan Walker – From The Inside Out

Best Female Solo Artist:
Brooke Fraser – Flags
Ladi6 – The Liberation Of…
Julia Deans – Modern Fables

Breakthrough Artist of The Year:
The Naked and Famous – Passive Me Aggressive You
Six60 – Rise Up 2.0
Avalanche City – Our New Life Above the Ground

Best Rock Album:
Shihad – Ignite
Cairo Knife Fight – Cairo Knife Fight
Beastwars – Beastwars

Best Pop Album:
Brooke Fraser – Flags
Kids of 88 – Sugarpills
Julia Deans – Modern Fables

Best Alternative Album:
The Naked and Famous – Passive Me Aggressive You
Street Chant – Means
Die! Die! Die! – Form

Best Urban / Hip Hop Album:
Ladi6 – The Liberation Of…
David Dallas – The Rose Tint
PNC – Man on Wire

Best Roots Album:
TrinityRoots – Music is Choice
House of Shem – Island Vibration
Katchafire – On the Road Again

Best Music Video:
Special Problems – Punching In A Dream (The Naked and Famous)
Special Problems – Broken Machine (Zowie)
Faye McNeil – Like Water (Ladi6)

Best Electronica Album:
Tiki Taane – In the World of Light
State of Mind – Nil By Ear
Concord Dawn – The Enemy Within

People’s Choice Award:
Ladi6
Brooke Fraser
Six60
Stan Walker
The Naked and Famous

These categories along with Highest Selling NZ Single,  Highest Selling NZ Album, Radio Airplay Record of the Year and the International Achievement will be awarded at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards ceremony at Auckland’s Vector Arena on November 3.

The Legacy Award

NZ Music Awards 2011 - Technical Award Winners

Best Engineer:

Winner: Thom Powers, Aaron Short & Olly Harmer – ‘Passive Me Aggressive You’ (The Naked And Famous)

Finalists:
Neil Baldock – ‘Cairo Knife Fight’ (Cairo Knife Fight)
Olly Harmer – ‘Arctic Tales Divide’ (Andrew Keoghan)

Best Producer:

Winner: Thom Powers, Aaron Short – ‘Passive Me Aggressive You’ (The Naked And Famous)

Finalists:
Brooke Fraser – ‘Flags’ (Brooke Fraser)
Nick Roughan and Die! Die! Die! – ‘FORM’ (Die! Die! Die!)

Best Album Cover:

Winner: Nick Keller – ‘Beastwars’ (Beastwars)

Finalists:
Angela Keoghan – ‘The Dusty Dream Hole’ (Bannerman)
Baly Gaudin & Thomas Young – ‘Tommy Ill’ (Tommy Ill)

Technical Award Winners were announced tonight, Wed 7th Sept.

Critics Choice Prize Nominees

Kimbra
Popstrangers
The Unfaithful Ways

To be decided and announced on the night of the showcase where all three acts will perform.

Critics Choice Showcase
Thursday 6th October, Kings Arms Tavern
Doorsales available for $15.