Announcing the winners of the 2024 APRA Silver Scroll Awards | Kaitito Kaiaka

A much-deserved Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka win for Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Te Arawa powerhouse Anna Coddington and her co-writers, Noema Te Hau III, Ruth Smith and Kawiti Waetford for ‘Kātuarehe’.

Coddington has been involved with the Silver Scroll Awards for many years as a performer, presenter, top five finalist, and top 20 nominee. She previously earned a top five spot in 2013 for ‘Bird In Hand’; has been in the top 20 four times since 2010; and performed six times since 2001 when she first appeared the awards as part of her early band Handsome Geoffrey.

Winning the peer-voted award for her bilingual waiata is a fitting recognition of her recent exploration of writing waiata reo rua and waiata reo Māori, as well as reflecting her song’s hook-filled narrative expressing the sentiment of ‘kātuarehe’ – meaning: ‘to be outstanding / marvelous’ – with such sharp, witty, wāhine toa energy.

It’s a song that lifts spirits and confidence, and clearly resonated with the Aotearoa APRA membership who voted it to be the winning song.

'Kātuarehe’ was reimagined live at the awards by Wellington based 2022 Maioha Award winner AJA and friends.

Ruth Smith and Kawiti Waetford were also both winners of the 2024 APRA Maioha Award | Tohu Maioha for their co-writing alongside Jordyn Rapana and Dan Martin for Jordyn with a Why’s ‘He Rei Niho’.

Growing up in South Auckland, Jordyn with a Why has made an impressive impact in just a few years within the Aotearoa music scene. Descending from Whāingaroa, Mulifanua Lalovi, Falelatai and Vaimoso, Rapana’s soulful work weaves stories of language reclamation, identity, and cultural heritage throughout her music, often featuring bilingual lyricism.

In 2022 Jordyn was selected to participate in Reo Māori SongHubs and it was here that she wrote ‘He Rei Niho’ alongside Smith, Waetford and Martin. Coddington was also a guest at the same writing camp - and it’s also where ‘Kātuarehe’ was born.

The waiata is a reflection of Jordyn’s journey to reconnect with her roots in Whāingaroa. Inspired by Lizzo and Bruno Mars, the song is a celebration of tāera Māori, or ‘Māori style’, and is intended to get the party started.

This marks the second time Jordyn has been a finalist for the APRA Maioha Award, as she was also a finalist in 2023 for ‘Raumati’. Following the award presentation, ‘He Rei Niho’ was reimagined live by MĀ and their band.

The SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Te Tohu Auaha was awarded to Nathaniel Otley for his exploration of the movement of the waters surrounding Aotearoa in ‘the convergence of oceans’. The work was created as part of Otley’s 2023 composer in residence position with the NZSO National Youth Orchestra.

Otley describes the National Youth Orchestra as “an annual convergence of some of Aotearoa’s incredible young musical talent”, and when considering how to write a work that suited this, the ocean and its constant movement and convergence emerged as an ideal extramusical connection for this ecologically minded exploration of sound. The piece was reinterpreted live on the night by electronic ensemble Dream Chambers and Hikurangi Schaverien Kā.

Multi-award-winning composer Karl Sölve Steven dominated the screen awards section, winning both APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award | Tohu Pūmanawa and APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award | Tohu Paerangi, alongside two composition collaborators.

He received the Tohu Paerangi for his work with Rob Thorne on local true crime series Black Coast Vanishings – a true crime series delving into the ongoing mysteries surrounding the disappearance of six people in the west coast community of Piha.

Steven’s compositions alongside Jason Smith on feature documentary Never Look Away were awarded the Tohu Pūmanawa. The film profiles New Zealand born CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth whose first assignment was to cover the riots that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination in India. Moth later covered conflicts in Africa, the Middle East, and the war in Bosnia.

Steven has successfully won APRA Screen awards in 2023, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2016, and was also a finalist for two other works this year, proving his consummate skill in screen composition.

Jazz performer and composer Mike Nock ONZM was also celebrated tonight and welcomed into Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa | The NZ Music Hall of Fame. Mike was recognised for his achievements, which very much continue today as a celebrated performer, collaborator, musician, pianist, composer and educator.

In his honour, Scroll Music Director Ben Lemi commissioned a wonderful reimagining of Nock’s composition ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’, performed by Leonardo Coghini and the Virtuoso Strings.

The event was opened with a beautiful welcome/mihi whakatau by Hiwa and hosted by the always entertaining Lisa Tomlins and Bret McKenzie.

Also presented on the night, the APRA Best Jazz Composition Award.

Many thanks to RNZ for livestreaming the show and sending the beautiful performances across the motu.

The videos of performances and presentations will be available on APRA AMCOS Aotearoa's YouTube channel in coming days. Stay tuned!

With thanks to Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air for their support.