# Aotearoa Music Award for Best Māori Artist

Best Māori Artist is an Aotearoa Music Award that honours New Zealand music artists for outstanding recordings which reflect a unique Maori identity and/or are an expression of an artist’s Maori culture. The nominated work can be in te reo Maori, English or be bilingual. The award is presented annually at the New Zealand Music Awards where the winner receives a Tui trophy.
The award was established in 1992 as Best Maori Album, however it was soon criticised for being too broad. The category was withdrawn in 1994 and 1995, and relaunched in 1996 as two separate categories: Best Mana Maori Album and Best Mana Reo Album. From 2004, the award reverted to only the Best Maori Album category. In 2017 the award was changed to Best Maori Artist with the entry criteria changed to require either an album or a minimum of five single releases in the eligibility period. The award was not presented in 2005, 2009 and 2010 due to insufficient entries.
In 2015, the presentation of the Best Maori Album award was not shown in the live broadcast, as the network cut to an ad break, resulting in complaints from viewers and musicians.

## Recipients
### Best Maori Album (1992 to 1993)

| Year | Winner | Album | Other finalists |
| 1992 | Moana and the Moahunters | AEIOU | John Rowles – E Te Tamaiti The Whanau Funksters – Funky Whanau Feeling |
| 1993 | Southside of Bombay | All Across the World | Hinewehi Mohi – Kia U Te Hei O Tahoka – Ahorangi Genesis |
| 1994 | No award presented | No award presented | No award presented |
| 1995 | No award presented | No award presented | No award presented |

### Best Mana Maori Album & Best Reo Maori Album (1996 to 2003)

| Year | Award | Winner | Album | Other finalists |
| 1996 | Best Mana Maori Album | Southside of Bombay with Mina Ripia | "Kia Mau" | Maree Sheehan – "Past to Present" Moana and the Moahunters – "Give it Up Now" Ruia – "Ka Tangi te Tiitii Ka Tangi to Kaakaa" |
| 1996 | Best Mana Reo Album | Southside of Bombay with Mina Ripia | "Kia Mau" | Ruia – "Ka Tangi te Tiitii Ka Tangi te Kaakaa" Moana and the Moahunters – "Akona Te Reo '95" |
| 1997 | Best Mana Maori Album | Emma Paki | Oxygen of Love | DLT – The True School Dam Native – "Behold My Kool Style" |
| 1997 | Best Mana Reo Album | St Joseph's Māori Girls' College | He Koha Waiata – A Gift of Song | Te Kura Tuatahi Me Te Ropu Kapahaka O Ranana – Te Wainui A Rua Turakina Maori Girls College – Mana Wahine |
| 1998 | Best Mana Maori Album | Te Matapihi | Te Matapihi | Maori Volcanics – Kia Ora Dam Native – Kaupapa Driven Rhymes Uplifted |
| 1998 | Best Mana Reo Album | St Joseph's Māori Girls' College | E Hine | The Willie Matthews Quartet – A Treasury of Maori Songs Nga Kura O Hananah – Nga Kura O Hananah |
| 1999 | Best Mana Maori Album | Moana and the Moahunters | Rua | Hori Chapman – Toku Reo Waihirere Maori Club – Waihirere: National Champions Ngati Rangiwewehi – Wairua: Spirit of Ngati Rangiwewehi |
| 1999 | Best Mana Reo Album | Traditional Waiata | He Waiata Onemata (Songs From the Past) | Ngati Rangiwewehi – Wairua: Spirit of Ngati Rangiwewehi Moana and the Moahunters – Rua Waihirere Maori Club – Waihirere National Champions |
| 2000 | Best Mana Maori Album | Southside of Bombay | Live In Aotearoa | Maisey Rika – 20 Favourite Maori Songs Hato Paora College – Hato Paora: 50 Years On |
| 2000 | Best Mana Reo Album | Iwi | Iwi | Maisey Rika – 20 Favourite Maori Songs Hato Paora College – Hato Paora: 50 Years On He Taonga Reo – Tahi/Rua |
| 2001 | Best Mana Maori Album | Wai | Wai 100% | Ruia & Ranea – Whare Maori Big Belly Woman – Dance with the Wind |
| 2001 | Best Mana Reo Album | Whirimako Black | Shrouded in The Mist/Hinepukohurangi | Ruia & Ranea – Whare Maori Wai – Wai 100% |
| 2002 | Best Mana Maori Album | Rangiatea | Rangiatea Concert Party | Ruia and Ranea – Waiata of Bob Marley Te Ati Kimihia – Te Ati Kimihia and the Children of Tane |
| 2002 | Best Mana Reo Album | Ruia and Ranea | Waiata of Bob Marley | Brannigan Kaa – Taputapu T-Sistaz – Whakamanahia |
| 2003 | Best Mana Maori Album | Upper Hutt Posse | Te Reo Maori Remixes | Soul Paua – Pohewa Mahinarangi Tocker – Hei Ha |
| 2003 | Best Mana Reo Album | Ngahiwi Apanui | E Tau Nei | Hareruia Aperama – Waiata of Bob Marley Vol 2 Adam Whauwhau – He Hua O Roto |

### Best Māori Album (2004 to 2016)

| Year | Winner | Album | Other finalists |
| 2004 | Ruia | Hawaiki | Hirini Melbourne, Richard Nunns and Aroha Yates-Smith – Te Hekenga-a-rangi Whirimako Black – Tangihaku |
| 2005 | No award presented | No award presented | No award presented |
| 2006 | Te Reotakiwa Dunn | Te Reotakiwa Dunn | Mahara Tocker – Hurricane's Eye Rodger Cunningham – Toto |
| 2007 | Richard Nunns & Hirini Melbourne | Te Whaiao: Te Ku Te Whe Remixed | Adam Whauwhau – Tukuna Mai Toi Hautu – Na Te Atua |
| 2008 | Ruia | 12:24 Tekau Ma Rua – Rua Tekau Ma Wha | Moana and the Tribe – Wha Tiki Taane – Past, Present, Future |
| 2009 | No award presented | No award presented | No award presented |
| 2010 | No award presented | No award presented | No award presented |
| 2011 | Tiki Taane | In the World of Light | Miss Black – Black Light Wai – Ora |
| 2012 | Ria Hall | Ria Hall | Upper Hutt Posse – Declaration of Resistance Whirimako Black and Richard Nunns – Te More |
| 2013 | Maisey Rika | Whitiora | Kirsten Te Rito – Te Rito Ngatapa Black – I Muri Ahiahi |
| 2014 | Rob Ruha | Tiki Tapu | House of Shem – Harmony Tama Waipara – Fill up the Silence |
| 2015 | Ranea | Tihei Mauri Ora | Whaia and the Mahician – Whaia Moana and the Tribe – Rima |
| 2016 | Rob Ruha | Pumau | Kirsten Te Rito – Aiotanga Dennis Marsh – Maori Songbook 2 |

### Best Māori Artist (2017 to present)

| Year | Winner | Other finalists |
| 2017 | Teeks | Alien Weaponry Maisey Rika |
| 2018 | Troy Kingi | Alien Weaponry Katchafire |
| 2019 | Troy Kingi & The Upperclass - Holy Colony Burning Acres | Louis Baker - Open Rei - The Bridge |
| 2020 | Maimoa - Rongomaiwhiti | Ria Hall - Manawa Wera Stan Walker |