APRA AMCOS Aotearoa are excited to announce the five songs chosen as finalists for the 2024 APRA Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka, as well as the three songs in line for the APRA Maioha Award | Tohu Maioha. The winners will be announced at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards at St James Theatre in Te Whanganui-a-Tara on Tuesday 8 October.
2024 APRA Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka
The esteemed peer voted award has been a mark of songwriting excellence in Aotearoa for 59 years, passing through the hands of some of New Zealand’s most well-loved and celebrated songwriters. The award provides a unique opportunity for songwriters to be recognised by their contemporaries for their outstanding achievements.
2024 APRA Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka Top Five:
I Am
Written as an original soundtrack feature for Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’, Stan Walker’s anthemic waiata reo rua, I Am, is an exploration of cultural identity and the importance of storytelling - themes also explored in DuVernay’s film.
“It’s about the reclamation, reconciliation and reconnection to our identity and the origins of who we are and where we come from. By knowing who we are we are then able to know where we are going. This is how we unlock our greatest power,” Walker explains.
Weaving kupu and waiata Māori techniques into the song was important to the writers, with the resonant chorus a key element binding the song together.
“As the composition builds to the choruses, the song shifts into te reo Māori. The chorus itself is, I guess, what you could call a ‘modern adaptation’ of mōteatea: our ancient and truest form of Māori music; a form of lamentation found in our traditional performances.”
I like to be alone
With a catchy, deeply melodic refrain about trust, solitude and pockets, I like to be alone showcases Mermaidens’ skill in blending light and heavy, sweet and crunchy, humour and emotion.
Exploring the importance of autonomy in long-term relationships, the song captures a lilting, dreamy quality which builds to a more raucous, cathartic, celebratory conclusion.
The first single from their self-titled fourth album, released in November 2023, it was engineered by Lee Prebble, co-produced with Samuel Flynn Scott, and comes with a pitch perfect denim heavy video which sees lead singer Gussie Larkin, disillusioned with the performative affection around her, discovering a new solo world inside a giant denim pocket - where her bandmates Lily Paris West and Abe Hollingsworth later track her down to jam the song’s final refrains.
Jenny Greenteeth
Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, combining equal parts alternative/prog folk, jazz, and hip-hop, SKILAA are first time finalists for their song Jenny Greenteeth, a single from their newly released album ‘Tiger in the River’.
The singular song is a cautionary tale to a prospective partner, with a sprinkling of mental health self-reflexivity. Featuring the multi-layered melismatic singing that is a signature of group leader Chelsea Prastiti, the track combines lyrical gymnastics with intricate textures from guitarist Michael Howell, flowing grooves from Tom Dennison on bass, and the playful power of Adam Tobeck’s drumming.
Kātuarehe
Ngāti Tūwharetoa / Te Arawa powerhouse Anna Coddington is a finalist for the second time with her recent single, Kātuarehe, a funk-laden singalong from her 2024 album ‘Te Whakamiha’.
Translated as “to be outstanding, marvellous”, Kātuarehe moves between te reo Māori and English, perfectly demonstrating the sharp, witty wāhine toa energy that Coddington embodies.
The hook-filled song was created via Reo Māori SongHubs, a writing camp for songwriters to advance the use of te reo Māori, bringing together producers, songwriters and mātanga reo. With Kawiti Waetford, Ruth Smith, and Noema Te Hau III collaborating with Coddington, it’s a firecracker of a waiata reo rua that lifts spirits and confidence.
The Letter
Laying it all on the line with her heartfelt piano ballad, The Letter, Georgia Lines is a first-time finalist for the Silver Scroll | Kaitito Kaiaka, inhabiting a classic singer-songwriter space with a deeply personal song. Beginning as a plea to a loved one, ending as a lament towards past actions and a resolution to ‘get better’, The Letter tells a story Lines’ has kept close since the song’s February release. Lines’ capture of regret and grief is rendered universal, so as to resonate with any listener.
Coming together during a collaborative writing trip to Los Angeles at the end of 2022, the song comes from her latest album, ‘The Rose of Jericho’, named after a flower which is known for its powers of self-restoration. The flower was a source of inspiration for Lines, reportedly alongside the nostalgia and emotional heft of classic Disney movies.
2024 APRA Maioha Award | Tohu Maioha
The APRA Maioha Award recognises the art of contemporary Māori music, honouring songwriters who are the telling stories of te ao Māori. This year's finalists represent the expansion of our bilingual music industry, highlighting a new generation of waiata reo Māori and waiata reo rua champions.
2024 APRA Maioha Award | Tohu Maioha Top Three:
TAWAZ (Tawaroa Kawana), Ngāti Rangitāne, is a self-described ‘Palmy-born Māori artist’ receiving his first Maioha Award finalist spot for He Aho, a true earworm celebrating what it means to be a Māori kid growing up in a Māori world: in kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa Māori, wharekura, and under the guidance of Te Aho Matua.
Kawana is a singer-songwriter who champions te reo Māori through music and has collaborated with the likes of Stan Walker, Jackson Owens, and Sons of Zion. He is also the driving force behind Tini Whetū, an ensemble of Wairarapa youth using waiata reo Māori to embrace and connect with their culture.
He Rei Niho
Written by Jordyn with a Why (Whāingaroa, Mulifanua Lalovi, Falelatai and Vaimoso) at 2022 Reo Māori Songhubs alongside Ruth Smith, Kawiti Waetford and Dan Martin, He Rei Niho, marks the second time Jordyn Rapana has been a finalist for the APRA Maioha Award.
“I wanted to have an upbeat song that just completely embraces and celebrates our tāera Māori (Māori style) and what we have to offer the world. It’s a pop funk jam that will get you vibing wherever you are,” explains Jordyn.
Growing up in the urban environment of South Auckland, the waiata is a reflection of her journey to reconnect with her roots in Whāingaroa, celebrating her identity and story. Inspired by Lizzo and Bruno Mars, the song pushed Jordyn: “I love the song, but it was definitely a big stretch for what I’m used to, and my range, and even the vibe of it is very up and big. It’s a big song.”
Māori Ki Te Ao
A passionate celebration of Stan Walker’s Tūhoe identity, Māori Ki Te Ao pays homage to Walker's whānau and serves as a love letter to the history and landscape that’s long stood mana motuhake. Walker wrote the track with his uncle, Donny Te Kanapu Anasta, and called upon three generations of Tūhoe whanau, including his uncle Tāme Iti, to help create the song and film the video in Ruatoki.
Walker describes the message of the song as a celebration of individual Māori identity: “This song is to say, ‘You're incredible. You're amazing. Our reo is amazing. So spread it wide, and far’ [...] It shares a glimpse of our aroha, admiration and connection to Tūhoe.
Congratulations to all finalists! These finalists have been chosen by New Zealand APRA members who voted for their top songs / waiata. You can read about the long lists HERE.
The 2024 Silver Scroll Music Director, responsible for the night's performances, covers and distinctive spirit has been announced as musical multi-hyphenate Ben Lemi. Read more about them HERE.
Alongside the APRA Silver Scroll Award and APRA Maioha Award, three other awards will be presented at the private event held at St James Theatre in Te Whanganui a Tara | Wellington on Tuesday 8 October.
The other awards presented on the night are:
APRA AMCOS will also honour 2024 Te Whare Taonga Puoro O Aotearoa | NZ Music Hall of Fame inductee Mike Nock. Mike was announced as the 2024 recipient on Thursday 22 August, and he will be honoured at the awards with a special tribute and performances. Read more here.
More information:
With thanks to Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air for their support.