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Announcing the Finalists for the 2020 APRA Maioha Award

Story Published Saturday 12 September 2020
APRA Maioha Award

He whakapāohotanga tēnei nā APRA mō ‘Te Tohu Maioha’ 2020 me ngā rārangi whiringa toa

Ka whakanui tēnei tohu, arā, Te Tohu Maioha nā APRA i ngā Kaitito Māori o tēnei whakareanga e tito ana, e whakatairanga ana i o rātou pūrākau ki Te Reo Māori.

  • Ka MānuRob Ruha; Ko Bella Kalolo rātou ko Maisey Rika, ko Majic, ko Ria Hall, ko Rob Ruha, ko Seth Haapu, ko Troy Kingi, ko The Witch Dr ngā Kaiwhakangahau
  • ŪkaipōSeth Haapu
  • Whāia nā Pere Wihongi; Ko Meto-Tagivale Schmidt-Peke rātou ko Hoeata Maxwell-Blake, ko Awatea Wihongi, ko Te Kaaterama Pou, ko Mereana Teka, ko Raniera Blake, ko Puawai Taiapa, ko Nathaniel Howe, ko Tawaroa Kawana o Maimoa ngā Kaiwhakangahau

Ko Rob Ruha (uri o Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Rongowhakaata, Tainui, Te Arawa, Ngā Ariki-kaipūtahi, Ngā Puhi) tētahi o ngā whiringa toa , ā, ehara i te mea he tau hou ia ki tēnei tohu. Koia te Kaiwhakaihu waka mō Te Tohu Maioha nei i te tau 2014 me te tau 2016 anō hoki.

Kei te ‘Rārangi Whiringa Toa’ anō me tana waiata ‘Ka Mānu’ – He waiata i titoa mō ngā heipūtanga ki Ihumātao. Hei āpiti atu, ko ētahi o ngā kaupapa o te waiata ko te kotahitanga, te maungārongo me ngā pēhitanga ki ngā Iwi Taketake puta noa i te ao. Ka tūhono, ka whakakotahi tēnei waiata i ētahi o ngā Kaiwaiata puta noa i te motu. He waiata kikī ana i te manako, i te wawata, i te ngākau tapatahi.

Kua whai waahi anō a Seth Haapu ki te ‘Rārangi Whiringa Toa’ mō tana waiata taiea ana ko ‘Ūkaipō’. He waiata paki tēnei e ruku hohonu ana ki te puna o te ora, ki te ōrokohanga o te ao.

Ka whakarangatira anō hoki tēnei waiata i te mana me te tuakiritanga o te tangata. Ka tūhono te reo rōreka o Haapu ki ngā oro o te piana, ā, ka rangitāmiro ki tana ahurea Poronihia me tana ahurea Māori.

Tekau ngā kaiwaiata ki tēnei kāhui rangatahi Māori a Maimoa. I rangiwhāwhā te ingoa o te kapa nei i te tau 2015 i tō rātou whakawhiwhitanga ki te tūranga tuarua ki ngā ‘Rārangi Puoro o Aotearoa’ me tā rātou hipatanga ia Justin Timberlake ki te ‘Rārangi Puoro o iTunes ki Aotearoa.’

Kei te ‘Rārangi Whiringa Toa’ rātou mō tā rātou waiata ‘Whāia.’ He waiata nō tā rātou kōpae waiata a ‘Rongomaiwhiti.’ He waiata arotini e akiaki ana i te tini tangata ki te whakanui i ngā uaratanga o te tuakiritanga. Nā, ko te whāinga kia hōrapa haere ēnei whakaaro pēnei i te hōtaka e kiia nei ko ‘Waiata Nation.’ Koinei te hōtaka whai i ngā tapuwae o ngā Kaiwaiata kia piki rātou ki te tihi o angitu.

Ko ngā Kaiwhakawā mō Te Tohu Maioha nā APRA i te tau 2020; Ko Matai Rangi Smith rātou ko Ngatapa Black, ko Tama Waipara, ko Toni Huata.

E tautoko mārika ana a Te Māngai Pāho rāua ko NZ On Air i ēnei tohu.


Announcing the Finalists for the 2020 APRA Maioha Award

The APRA Maioha Award recognises the art of contemporary Māori songwriting and honours composers who are telling their stories in the language of Te Ao Māori.

  • Ka Mānu by Rob Ruha, performed by Bella Kalolo, Maisey Rika, Majic, Ria Hall, Rob Ruha, Seth Haapu, Troy Kingi, and The Witch Dr
  • Ūkaipō by Seth Haapu
  • Whāia by Pere Wihongi, Meto-Tagivale Schmidt-Peke, Hoeata Maxwell-Blake, Awatea Wihongi, Te Kaaterama Pou, Mereana Teka, Raniera Blake, Puawai Taiapa, Nathaniel Howe, and Tawaroa Kawana, and performed by Maimoa

Rob Ruha (Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Rongowhakaata, Tainui, Te Arawa, Ngā Ariki-kaipūtahi, Ngā Puhi) has been a finalist multiple times, and won the Maioha Award first in 2014, and again in 2016. This year he returns with Ka Mānu – a waiata written in response to the dispute around Ihumātao, speaking of unity and peaceful resistance, and highlighting the issues of oppression for indigenous people around the world. In continuing the theme of unity, the song brings together musicians from across Aotearoa for a stirring performance full of aroha and hope.

Also a former finalist, Seth Haapu’s smooth and tender style is once again commended with his new work Ūkaipō. It’s a powerful ballad examining the origins of life, and exploring the path of awakening, reclamation, and restoration of identity. The track pairs his lush vocals with memorable piano melodies and captivating rhythmic percussion, and draws influence from Haapu’s own Māori and Polynesian heritage.

Bringing together ten musicians, Maimoa is a collective of young Māori music artists who first made headlines in 2015 when they knocked off Justin Timberlake from the number spot on the iTunes NZ Charts, and went number 2 on the New Zealand Charts. This year they’re finalists for their waiata Whāia, from their recently released album Rongomaiwhiti. It’s a proud pop song that encourages everyone to embrace their unique qualities and celebrate their identity – an objective which permeates Waiata Nation, the series that follows the members in their creative pursuits.

The judges for the 2020 APRA Maioha Award were: Matai Rangi Smith, Ngatapa Black, Tama Waipara, and Toni Huata.

You can watch past Maioha Award performances and presentations HERE.

The awards are proudly supported byTe Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air.