Singer Maisey Rika withdraws NZ Music Awards nomination to show support to other Māori artists

Maisey Rika. Photo / File

Maisey Rika rejected her nomination for Best Māori Artist ahead of this week's Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards in a show of support to other Māori artists, her manager has revealed.

Organisers for the annual awards show confirmed to the Herald two weeks ago that Rika had been nominated for the award but withdrew "for her own reasons".

Rika's manager Bossy Hill has since told the Herald on Sunday the Te Arawa singer-songwriter pulled out this year because she didn't want to elevate herself above other Māori artists.

"She's a really staunch lady and she doesn't like putting herself in the position, making out like she's better than everyone else. That's the type of person she is. She's a very humble person. She's more about the music and supporting other artists."

She already has two New Zealand Music Awards Tuis - for Best Māori Language Album - which she took home for her double platinum debut E Hine and her album Whitiora.

Best Māori Language Album isn't a category this year. Hill said he and Rika were unsure why the VNZMA had made the change.

Alien Weaponry and Teeks were also nominated for Best Māori Artist and were still in the running. Hill said Rika "absolutely" supported them.

Hill said he believed other Māori artists should have been nominated too, but refused to say who they were because he had not spoken to them yet.

He said the organisers of the VNZMA were supportive of Rika's decision to withdraw from the competition.

"They're right behind artist's decisions, no questions asked really."

It's the second year in a row that the New Zealand Music Awards have been involved in controversy.

Last year, R&B singer Aaradhna refused to accept her Tui for best urban/hip-hop artist, saying she was a singer not a hip-hop artist and that she felt she'd been put in a category for "brown" artists.

"This song is Brown Girl, it speaks so many things, it speaks racism, and being placed in a box. For me, I feel like if I was to accept this, I'm not being truthful (to my) song."