Two Northlanders have been recognised for their behind the scenes musical work with Artisan awards at this year's NZ Music Awards - the Tuis.
The Tuis are New Zealand's premier music awards and while the main section when the musical artists are awarded is on November 15, last week the Tuis for those who work behind the scenes - the artisans - were awarded.
The backbones of the country's music industry were recognised at the third annual Artisan Awards at Massey University's School of Music and Creative Media Production in Wellington.
Winners across five awards were celebrated as the Tui for Massey University Best Producer, Best Engineer, Best Album Cover, NZ On Air Best Music Video and Music Teacher of the Year were awarded.
Whangārei-raised Jordan Stone and Aucklander Simon Gooding received the Tui for Best Engineer for their work on Neil Finn's fourth solo album Out of Silence.
Recorded at Finn's Roundhead Studios in Auckland, the recording process was livestreamed on Neil's Facebook page – giving fans unique insight into the process of creating an album and breaking down the barriers between creator and consumer.
Hammerhead - AKA Niel de Jong and manager of successful Waipū teen heavy metal Alien Weaponry - also received a Tui for Massey University Best Producer alongside Tom Larkin and Gooding for their work on the Te Reo metallers' debut album Tū.
Released in June, Tū received over one million streams in the first week of release and critical acclaim both in NZ and abroad – with many praising the album's energy and conscious lyrics.
The Tui for NZ On Air Best Music Video was presented to Marlon Williams for the video he created for his 2017 single Vampire Again.
Jaime Robertson and Matthias Heiderich both received the Tui for Best Album Cover, recognising their work on Sola Rosa's 2018 In Spaces EP.
The inaugural Music Teacher of the Year Tui was awarded to Elizabeth Sneyd, who founded the Virtuoso Strings Charitable Trust in 2013 and has provided free music programmes to more than 200 young people in the East Porirua community ever since.