# 2015 APRA Silver Scroll Awards

The 2015 APRA Silver Scroll Awards was held on Thursday 17 September 2015 at Vector Arena in Auckland, celebrating excellence in New Zealand songwriting. The 2015 ceremony marked the 50th presentation of the Silver Scroll award. As well as honouring the best songwriting of 2015, the awards retrospectively awarded the best song of 1981 as previously no award was presented in that year.

## Silver Scroll award

The Silver Scroll award celebrates outstanding achievement in songwriting of original New Zealand pop music. The short list of finalists was announced on 20 September.
| Songwriter(s) | Act | Song | Covering artist |
| Anthonie Tonnon | Anthonie Tonnon | "Water Underground" | MC Tali |
| Ella Yelich-O'Connor/Joel Little | Lorde | "Yellow Flicker Beat" | Mark de Clive-Lowe and Ria Hall |
| Marlon Williams/Tim Moore | Marlon Williams | "Dark Child" | Fazerdaze |
| Mel Parsons | Mel Parsons | "Get Out Alive" | Ester Stephens and the Means |
| Ruban Nielson/Kody Nielson | Unknown Mortal Orchestra | "Multi-Love" | Warren Maxwell, Thomas Oliver and Louis Baker |

### Long list

In July 2015 a top 20 long list was announced. From this list APRA members voted to decide the five songs that make up the year's short list.

### Silver Scroll 1981

The Silver Scroll award was not awarded in 1981, so APRA retrospectively presented the award as part of the 2015 ceremony. In July 2015 a short list of five songs from the 1981 eligibility period was announced.
| Songwriter(s) | Act | Song |
| Phil Judd/Wayne Stevens/Mark Hough | The Swingers | "Counting The Beat" |
| Don McGlashan/Richard von Sturmer | Blam Blam Blam | "There is No Depression in New Zealand" |
| Neil Finn | Split Enz | "One Step Ahead" |
| Michael O'Neill/Peter van der Fluit/Lawrence Landwer-Johan/Tony Drumm | Screaming Meemees | "See Me Go" |
| Robert Scott/David Kilgour/Hamish Kilgour | The Clean | "Tally Ho" |

## New Zealand Music Hall of Fame

Steel guitar player Bill Sevesi was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame as APRA New Zealand's 2015 inductee.

## Other awards

Six other awards were presented at the Silver Scroll Awards: APRA Maioha Award (for excellence in contemporary Maori music), SOUNZ Contemporary Award (for creativity and inspiration in composition), two awards acknowledging songs with the most radio and television play in New Zealand and overseas, and APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award and APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award.
| Award | Nominees |
| APRA Maioha Award | Vince Harder, Stan Walker, and Troy Kingi "Aotearoa" (Stan Walker, Troy Kingi, Ria Hall and Maisey Rika) Ranea Aperahama "Ki Uta / Rangai Maomao" (Ranea) Scotty Morrison, Paddy Free and Moana Maniapoto "Upokohue" (Moana and the Tribe) |
| SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Chris Watson "sing songs self" a single movement piano concerto Ross Harris "Piano Quintet" for two violins, viola, cello and piano Reuben Jelleyman "Expanse" for mezzo-soprano and chamber ensemble |
| APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award | Grayson Gilmour Consent Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper Housebound Dana Lund The Dark Horse |
| APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award | Tom McLeod Girl vs. Boy (Series 3) Emile de la Rey Hope and Wire David Donaldson, Janet Roddick and Stephen Roche Life Force (Season 2 – "Mutant Planet") |
| Most Performed Work in New Zealand | Matiu Walters, Marlon Gerbes and Priese Board "Special" (Six60) |
| Most Performed Work in Overseas | Ella Yelich-O'Connor and Joel Little - "Royals" (Lorde) |

## APRA song awards

Outside of the Silver Scroll Awards, APRA presented five genre awards in 2015. The APRA Best Pacific Song was presented at the Pacific Music Awards, the APRA Best Country Music Song was presented at the New Zealand Country Music Awards, the APRA Best Māori Songwriter was presented at the Waiata Maori Music Awards and the APRA Children's Song of the Year and What Now Video of the Year were presented live on What Now.
| Award | Songwriter(s) | Act | Song |
| APRA Best Pacific Song | TBA | Smashproof | “Survivors" (featuring Pieter T) |
| APRA Best Country Music Song | Kaylee Bell & Jared Porter | Kaylee Bell & Jared Porter | "Pieces" |
| APRA Best Māori Songwriter | Ranea Aperahama | — | — |
| APRA Children's Song of the Year | Levity Beet and Daniel Stryczek | Levity Beet and Daniel Stryczek | "There’s One in the Bush" |
| What Now Children's Video of the Year | Stephen Templer and Ross Payne (directors) | fleaBITE | "Don’t Sit Under the Poo Tree" |