2016 APRA Silver Scroll Awards Top 20

Emerging talent sits alongside some of the most prominent names in New Zealand music in this year’s rich and varied list of Top 20 songs vying for the coveted APRA Silver Scroll Award.

The 2016 APRA Silver Scroll Award Top 20 are:

• Seth Haapu - '10 Years'
• James Milne - 'A Lake' performed by Lawrence Arabia
• Gareth Thomas - 'All Eyes In The Room'
• Djeisan Suskov, Jaden Parkes, Josh Fountain, Thomas Young, Jordan Arts - 'All Over You' performed by Leisure
• Anji Sami - 'August Song' performed by Sami Sisters
• Devin Abrams & Louis Baker - 'Buried by the Burden' performed by Pacific Heights ft Louis Baker
• David Dallas, Jordan Iusitini, Aaron Iusitini - 'Don't Rate That'
  
• Lydia Cole - 'Dream'
• Samuel Scott, Christopher O'Connor, Lukasz Buda, Conrad Wedde, William Ricketts, Thomas Callwood - 'Give Up Your Dreams' performed by The Phoenix Foundation
• David Dobbyn, Samuel Scott, Lukasz Buda - 'Harmony House'
• Thomas Oliver - 'If I Move To Mars'
• Holly Arrowsmith - 'Love Will Be A River' performed by Holly Arrowsmith with Fly My Pretties
• Mara Tekahika (Mara TK), Deva Mahal, David Wright - 'March' performed by Electric Wire Hustle ft. Deva Mahal
• Frank Eliesa, Swapnil Gomez, Kenji Iwamitsu-Holdaway, Jong-Yun Lee, Laughton Kora, Campbell Duncan - 'One Question' performed by Yoko-Zuna ft. Laughton Kora
• Emily Littler, Billy Rogers, Alex Brown, Christopher Varnham - 'Pedestrian Support League' performed by Street Chant
• Rebecca Melrose - 'Pocket' performed by Miloux
• Andrew Keoghan, Wayne Bell - 'Stuck In Melodies'
• Tami Neilson, Jay Neilson - 'The First Man'
• Benjamin Morley - 'The Hours' performed by Mice On Stilts
• Shayne Carter - 'We Will Rise Again'

Having last year marked the 50^th presentation of the APRA Silver Scroll Award, the event is now well and truly woven into the vibrant tapestry that is the New Zealand music scene. 2016’s Top 20 further reinforces that, with a strong list of songs and songwriters that are destined to leave an indelible impact not just on New Zealanders but on those around the world.

“It is our pleasure to celebrate the work of New Zealand's songwriters and composers at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards. A song can take an age or a moment to write but the pleasure great songs give us are rewards to treasure” says APRA AMCOS’ Anthony Healey.

“These songs come from the new and old, the north and south and span all genre. They are connected only by the fact they've been written here in New Zealand and the fact they are each, in their own unique way, excellent” he adds.

Past recipients of the prestigious award include a long list of iconic Kiwi music stalwarts - from Dave Dobbyn, Don McGlashan and Shona Laing to Neil Finn, Bic Runga, and Ray Columbus. They’re joined by a younger generation of music makers that include James Milne & Luke Buda, Ella Yelich-O’Connor (Lorde) & Joel Little, and Aaron Young, Alisa Xayalith & Thom Powers (The Naked and Famous).

The APRA Silver Scroll Award will be presented at Vector Arena in Auckland on Thursday 29^th September. The other awards presented on the night are:

• APRA Maioha Award, celebrating exceptional waiata featuring te reo Māori
• SOUNZ Contemporary Award, celebrating excellence in contemporary composition
• APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award
• APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award

As a part of the celebrations APRA will also be inducting a songwriter/s into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.