The 60th edition of the legendary Aotearoa Music Awards was held at Auckland’s Viaduct on Thursday night and saw surprise guests, stunning performances, and spectacular fashion.
Lorde and SIX60 were two of the big winners at the 60th edition of the Aotearoa Music Awards at Auckland’s Viaduct on Thursday night.
While the boys from down south reflected on ‘brotherhood’ and love from fans, Lorde took the opportunity to thank women in the Kiwi music industryand share a message around The Treaty of Waitangi.
Not only were Dunedin rockers SIX60 honoured with the first-ever Aotearoa Charts Icon award (celebrating local artists that have had significant success in the Official Charts over an extended period), but they also snagged the Te Taumata o te Hokona | Highest Selling Artist award for a record-extending seventh time.
Collectively, SIX60’s releases have spent a combined 586 weeks on the Singles Chart and 1232 weeks on the Albums Chart in New Zealand.
No other Kiwi band in history has also had more singles to reach No 1 in New Zealand, with Rise Up 2.0, Special, and White Lines all taking out the top spot.
SIX60 have been named as Aotearoa Charts Icons. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
“I don’t think we expected anything, [when we started out] back in Dunedin, it has always been a bit of dream,” lead guitarist Ji Fraser tells the Herald of their journey.
“We had great goals and great expectations, but there was no path to becoming SIX60, we had to create it. Every time we broke through another ceiling, we just focused on the next one that appeared”.
He said that “brotherhood, a love for music, and a love for performing for the people” had always bonded the band, and that they dedicated the award to their fans.
Lorde, who recently put on a YMCA toilet cubicle pop-up show in Auckland to promote her new album, also took out Spotify Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for her collaboration with Charli XCX on Girl, so confusingfeaturing lorde.
Lorde arrives on the red carpet of the Aotearoa Music Awards. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
When reflecting on the win, she told the Herald she hadn’t expected to be a part of the Brat Summer phenomenon but was grateful to have worked with XCX and for the friendship they formed.
“It was truly a life-changing experience. I love hanging out with Charli, she’s very cool.”
In her acceptance speech, she noted she had been “reflecting on these incredible women who have come before me, not just my mum and my ancestors, but all the women who make New Zealand music what it is”.
A vocal advocate for te reo Māori music and having performed in the language herself, Lorde said seeing it “defended the way that it has” from abroad was very inspiring to her.
“We gonna honour that Treaty or what?” she said to loud cheers from the audience.
She also had some advice for those Kiwis wanting to make it big in the music industry.
“Do you to the nth degree,” she told the Herald. “Truly make the thing that only you can make, because that is one of one and that is of value.”
Dream-pop artist Fazerdaze (Amelia Rahayu Murray) also cemented her stunning comeback after a brief musical hiatus from 2018-2022, taking out Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year and Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist Tūī.
Kiwi rockers Devilskin were visibly shocked when they won the JD Sports Tā te Iwi | People’s Choice Award.
“[Metal] is alive and well in New Zealand. Can we have a metal category next year surely?”
Kiwi legend Stan Walker also proudly waved the flag for te Reo Māori, winning both the Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo award and Te Māngai Pāho Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist award.
“I’m so honoured to be a part of the movement that celebrates our reo,” he said, thanking his New Zealand music community whānau.
Fresh from his stunning Taite Music Prize win, rising star indigenous electronic musician Mokotron (Tiopira McDowell, Ngāti Hine) upped his gong tally by claiming the Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau – Best Electronic Artist award for his album WAEREA.
Stan Walker chats to Mitchell Hageman at the red carpet of the Aotearoa Music Awards. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Hawke’s Bay-raised producer 9Lives (AKA Max Jardine) also shared the special Te Manu Mātārae award with reggae legends L.A.B, the band also going on to win the NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Horapa | Radio Airplay Record of the Year for their radio hit Casanova.
X-Factor alumni Cassie Henderson took out Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist, with her single Seconds To Midnight (11:59) dominating radio charts last year.
