Announcing the winners of the 2025 APRA Silver Scroll Awards | Kaitito Kaiaka

A well-deserved win in Ōtautahi this evening for Lyttelton’s Marlon Williams (Kāi Tahu, Ngāi Tai) and co-writer KOMMI (Kāi Tahu, Te-Āti-Awa) who were awarded the 2025 Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka for ‘Aua Atu Rā’.

This is Marlon’s fourth Silver Scroll nomination and second win after 2018’s ‘Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore’. He becomes the ninth songwriter to win the award more than once, following in the footsteps of artists like Ray Columbus, Dave Dobbyn, Shona Laing, Don McGlashan, and Lorde.

Inspired by ‘60s Māori showbands, ‘Aua Atu Rā’ is a lament upon isolation, wrapped in the glorious comfort found in shrugging your shoulders and saying ‘oh well, never mind’. It manages to blend mournful sentiment with a powerful guitar strum and a bucketload of charm.

‘Aua Atu Rā’ is the lead single from Marlon’s fourth studio album, Te Whare Tīwekaweka, which reigned at #1 on the Aotearoa Official Top 40 Album Charts for a total of 14 weeks. The album was written entirely in te reo Māori, with guidance from close friend and artist KOMMI, and was the catalyst for Marlon reconnecting to his heritage.

As part of the Scroll Top 5 finalist performances this evening, ‘Aua Atu Rā’ was performed by folk/country sister duo The Mitchell Twins.

Another hometown win for the Ōtautahi songwriting community - local ‘five-piece duo’ Dillastrate were presented with the Maioha Award for ‘Kei Whati Te Marama’. The peer-voted award was presented to Henare Kaa and Tim Driver, alongside co-writers Hemi Hoskins and Rory Noble, for the uplifting drum’n’bass love song, “a tribute to our wāhine who go through so much.”

'Kei Whati Te Marama’ was featured in the fifth anniversary Waiata Anthems release in 2024, accompanied by a short documentary following the band’s creative process. In this waiata, Dillastrate celebrate their heritage, enduring bonds and the promise of hopeful futures.

The award-winning waiata was interpreted on the night by Solomona Davis and a five-piece ensemble.

Ōtepoti composer Ihlara McIndoe was announced the winner of the SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Te Tohu Auaha for her composition, of coral and foam. Ihlara, who is now based in New York, was unable to travel back to accept the award and instead shared a message by video thanking her fellow nominees and composers “for all of the outstanding music that you make and support here in Aotearoa.”

The piece was originally composed for The Rhythm Method Quartet, as part of the Columbia Composers 2025 season, and performed at Fridman Gallery in New York City. It explores ideas of embrace and rejection, drawing upon a collection of Katherine Mansfield's poetry in which the sea takes on various complex and shifting characters. In McIndoe’s work the tensions and instability inherent in the sea, and within the relationships it represents in Mansfield's work, are a key focus.

The SOUNZ Award winning composition was reinterpreted on the night by the Heather Webb Ensemble.

Double finalist across the screen categories this year, Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper was awarded Best Original Music in a Series for NZ/Irish co-production The Gone Season 2.

Mahuia is a notable figure in the Aotearoa music scene with multiple award-winning works as a composer, violinist, producer, arranger, and collaborator. From working with TEEKS and L.A.B to writing acclaimed film scores for directors including Lee Tamahori, Gerard Johnstone, Tearepa Kahi and Roseanne Liang.

Mahuia has been nominated several times and is a previous winner of the Feature Film Award alongside Tama Waipara for Mahana (2016).

Arli Liberman and Tiki Taane were presented the Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award for Ka Whawhai Tonu – Struggle Without End.

In their collaboration to create the Ka Whawhai Tonu soundtrack, Arli and Tiki decided to make an "invisible sonic character", experimenting with taonga pūoro and Taane's voice, pushing the instruments to their limits.

Arli previously won the same award in 2021 for Savage, and has been a finalist multiple times, while Tiki is a renowned artist who has been a Tohu Maioha winner and finalist, as well as a performer at previous Silver Scroll Awards.

Renowned alt-country band The Warratahs were also celebrated on the night and welcomed into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame | Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa. They were recognised for their lasting impact on the songwriting community and for influencing a distinctly kiwi style of country music at a time when the genre was still finding it’s place in Aotearoa. You can watch the wonderful video tribute here.

In honour of The Warratahs, local alt/rock songwriter Adam Hattaway performed ‘Keep On ’. There was also a performance in tribute to those who have passed in the last year by KOMMI, Tae Renee, and Delaney Davidson, and a finale performance of the Fat Freddy’s Drop song ‘Blackbird’ by Marlon Williams and Delaney Davidson accompanied by an Ōtautahi horn section.

All performances on the evening were curated by Ōtautahi luminary Delaney Davidson.

The evening was opened with a mihi whakatau/welcome by Kōkō Tangiwai and hosted by Stacey Morrison and Jed Parsons.

Many thanks to RNZ for livestreaming the show and sending the beautiful performances across the motu. You can watch the live stream back here.

The videos of performances and presentations will be available on the APRA NZ YouTube channel in coming days. Stay tuned!

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