Not only did the prizes get dished out at the Coca-Cola New Zealand Music Awards at the weekend, the ceremony also acted as passing of the torch from one Kiwi pop generation to the next.
Local pop-rock phenomenon the feelers dominated in the major categories up against veterans such as Neil
Finn and Dave Dobbyn.
The Christchurch band took away the album of the year for their big selling debut supersystem, as well as group of the year. Band frontman James Reid won songwriter of the year for the track Venus and the trio shared the producer award with Auckland studio whiz Malcolm Welsford, a habitual winner in the category.
The generational shift was also reflected in some of the night's few live performances at the Auckland Town Hall on Saturday night.
Singing his She Will Her Way, Neil Finn was backed by sisters Bic and Boh Runga - the new sibling stars of Kiwi pop.
A big prize-winner last year, singer-songwriter Bic won international achievement for her overseas labours while Boh won most promising female vocalist and her band Stellar won most promising group.
Regular award winner Dobbyn went home empty-handed but was the centre of the night's best live performance being backed - and dwarfed by - the big young men of South Auckland hip-hop outfit Lost Tribe on his ballad Beside You.
That generation shift was even reflected in the award for best cover design which went to nine year-old Elroy Finn, Neil Finn's youngest son for his artwork for his father's Try Whistling This album.
The youngster struggled to reach the microphone to say his thankyous while his bemused father added: "The fact was there were about 20 images submitted for my album cover and Elroy's was quite clearly the best."
Later accepting his best male vocalist award Neil Finn echoed the sentiments of many in attendance who found the speech-heavy ceremony tedious going: "If they are going to make a good night of it there should be a lot less talk and a lot more music."
Betty-Anne Monga of Ardijah was in tears as she accepted the female vocalist
award which capped a comeback year for the veteran funk-soul band helmed by herself and husband Ryan.
A pre-recorded clip showed Auckland rapper-singer Che Fu getting his award for single of the year earlier in the week, at Auckland Airport on the way to shoot a video in Hawaii.
But it was the night of the feelers, who brought the official part of the ceremony to a close in rowdy fashion, playing their latest hit Pull The Strings.
The full list of winners ...
Coca-Cola Single Of The Year: Che Fu (Scene III)
Album of the Year: the feelers (supersystem)
Top Male Vocalist: Neil Finn (Try Whistling This)
Top Female Vocalist: Betty Anne Monga (Ardijah)
Top Group: the feelers (supersystem)
International Achievement: Bic Runga
Most Promising Male Vocalist: Andrew Tilby (Breathe)
Most Promising Female Vocalist: Boh Runga (Stellar)
Most Promising Group: Stellar
Producer: Malcolm Welsford, the feelers (supersystem)
Engineer: Andy Morton (2b S.Pacific, Che Fu)
Country Award: Barry Saunders (Magnetic South)
Songwriter Award: James Reid (Venus, the feelers)
Cover Design: Elroy Finn (Try Whistling This, Neil Finn)
Best Music Video: Rubin Sutherland (Wait and See, Shihad)
Mana Reo Award: He Waiata Onemata (Songs From The Past)
Mana Maori Award: Moana and the Moahunters (Rua)
Jazz Award: Chris White/Aaron Nevezie Quartet (Take Me With You)
Classical Award: Alexander Ivashkin (Under The Southern Cross)
Folk Award: Windy City Strugglers (On Top Of The World)
Gospel Award: The Parachute Band (Always and Forever)
Childrens Award: Jennifer Moss (Jennifer's Garden)
New Zealand Music Radio Programmer Award: Melanie Wise (Q92 FM Queenstown)