# 2015 New Zealand Music Awards

The 2015 New Zealand Music Awards was the 50th holding of the annual ceremony featuring awards for musical recording artists based in or originating from New Zealand. It took place on 19 November 2015 at Vector Arena in Auckland and was hosted by Taika Waititi. The awards show was broadcast live on TV3, and hosted by Sharyn Casey and Dominic Bowden. 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the awards from its origins in 1965 as the Loxene Golden Disc.
The awards were dominated by Broods, who won Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Pop Album, and Radio Airplay Record of the Year. Marlon Williams won two awards, Best Male Solo Artist and Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Lorde won Single of the Year and shared the International Achievement award with Savage.

## Early awards

While most of the awards will be presented at the main awards ceremony held in November, five genre awards were presented earlier in the year at ceremonies of their field.
* The first was awarded in January, with the Tui for Best Folk Album presented at the Auckland Folk Festival in Kumeu to Auckland group Great North for their album Up In Smoke.
* The Tui for Best Jazz Album was presented in April at the National Jazz Festival in Tauranga to Auckland band DOG for their debut album DOG.
* The Best Country Music Album Tui was presented in May at the New Zealand Country Music Awards in Gore to Tami Neilson for her album Dynamite!.
* The Tui for Best Pacific Music Album was presented in June at the Vodafone Pacific Music Awards to the duo Cydel for their album Memoirs of a Midnight Cowboy.
* In August the Best Children's Music Album award was presented live on What Now to fleaBITE for her album The Jungle is Jumping.
The nominees for the three technical awards were announced on 1 October, and the technical award winners, legacy award recipient and the Critics' Choice Prize shortlist were announced on 13 October. The Critics Choice showcase and award presentation will be held on 5 November.

## Controversy

During the live broadcast of the main awards ceremony, six awards - including Best Maori Album - were presented during the ad breaks and omitted from the television broadcast. This was criticised by previous NZMA winner Tama Waipara, who described the incident as "disgusting and it's not surprising but it is extremely disappointing and moreover, it's unconstitutional." A Mediaworks spokesperson responded, saying, "We can't broadcast the entire awards ceremony without commercial breaks, so many awards aren't televised."

## Nominees and winners

The main nominees were revealed on 13 October 2015. The Best Gospel / Christian Album category was renamed Best Worship Album.
Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

### Key

    ‡ – Technical award
| Album of the Year | Single of the Year |
| Sponsored by Mentos Broods – Evergreen Marlon Williams – Marlon Williams Shihad – FVEY Six60 – Six60 (2) Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love | Sponsored by Vodafone Lorde – "Yellow Flicker Beat" Avalanche City – "Inside Out" Marlon Williams – "Dark Child" Six60 – "White Lines" Unknown Mortal Orchestra – "Multi-Love" |
| Best Group | Breakthrough Artist of the Year |
| Sponsor Broods – Evergreen Shihad – FVEY Six60 – Six60 (2) | Sponsor Marlon Williams Devilskin Ginny Blackmore |
| Best Male Solo Artist | Best Female Solo Artist |
| Sponsor Marlon Williams – Marlon Williams Stan Walker – Truth & Soul Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love | Sponsor Gin Wigmore – Blood to Bone Anika Moa – Queen at the Table Brooke Fraser – Brutal Romantic |
| Best Rock Album | Best Pop Album |
| Sponsor Shihad – FVEY Cairo Knife Fight – The Colossus Devilskin – We Rise | Sponsored by The Edge Broods – Evergreen Benny Tipene – Bricks Six60 – Six60 (2) |
| Best Urban/Hip Hop Album | Best Roots Album |
| Sponsor Janine and the Mixtape – XX Diaz Grimm – Osiris The Doqument]– Black Canvas – Wall & Piece | Sponsor TrinityRoots – Citizen Latinaotearoa – Latinaotearoa in Latinoamerica Moana and the Tribe – Rima |
| Best Alternative Album | Best Māori Album |
| Sponsor Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love Marlon Williams – Marlon Williams She's So Rad – Tango | Sponsor Ranea – Tihei Mauri Ora Moana and the Tribe – Rima Whaia and the Mahician – Whaia |
| Best Music Video | Best Electronica Album |
| Sponsored by NZ On Air Shahir Daud – "Cymatics" (Nigel Stanford) Reuben Bonner – "Her Heart Breaks Like a Wave" (Dictaphone Blues) Shae Sterling – "Aotearoa" (Stan Walker featuring Ria Hall, Troy Kingi & Maisey Rika) | Sponsor Electric Wire Hustle – Love Can Prevail Shapeshifter vs The Upbeats – SSXUB Sola Rosa – Magnetics |
| Best Worship Album | Best Classical Album |
| Sponsor LIFE Worship – Through the Fire Edge Kingsland Presents – Seven Days We, The Revival – We, The Revival | Sponsor Michael Houstoun – Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas Jack Body – Passing By Jack Body – Songs of Death and Desire |
| People's Choice Award | Critics' Choice Prize |
| Sponsored by Vodafone Six60 Broods Lorde Sol3 Mio Stan Walker | Sponsored by NZ On Air Presented 5 November 2015 Bespin Boycrush New Gum Sarn |
| Highest selling New Zealand Single | Highest selling New Zealand Album |
| Sponsor Savage and Timmy Trumpet - "Freaks" Broods - "Mother & Father" Lorde - "Yellow Flicker Beat" Six60 - "Special" Six60 - "So High" | Sponsor No finalists are announced in this category. Sol3 Mio - Sol3 Mio Broods – Evergreen Devilskin – We Rise Lorde - Pure Heroine Six60 – Six60 (2) |
| Radio Airplay Record of the Year | International Achievement Award |
| Sponsored by NZ On Air No finalists are announced in this category. Broods - "Mother & Father" Benny Tipene - "Step on Up" Broods - "L.A.F." Lorde - "Yellow Flicker Beat" Six60 - "Special" | Sponsor No finalists are announced in this category. Lorde Savage |
| Legacy Award | Best Album Cover‡ |
| Sponsored by The New Zealand Herald No finalists are announced in this category. Announced 13 October 2015 The Exponents | Presented 13 October 2015 Kelvin Soh for Broods - Evergreen Alt Group for Shihad - FVEY Barny Bewick for Cairo Knife Fight - The Colossus |
| Best Engineer‡ | Best Producer‡ |
| Presented 13 October 2015 Lee Prebble and Oliver Harmer for Mel Parsons - Drylands Clint Murphy for Devilskin – We Rise Evan Short for Shihad - FVEY | Sponsored by Massey University Presented 13 October 2015 Sean Donnelly for SJD - Saint John Divine Clint Murphy for Devilskin – We Rise Joel Little for Broods - Evergreen |
| Best Folk Album | Best Jazz Album |
| Presented 28 January 2015 Great North – Up In Smoke Flip Grater – Pigalle Rachel Dawick – The Boundary Riders | Presented 6 April 2015 DOG – DOG The Jac – Nerve Jonathan Crayford – Dark Light |
| Best Country Music Album | Best Pacific Music Album |
| Presented 23 May 2015 Tami Neilson – Dynamite! Delaney Davidson & Marlon Williams – Sad But True Volume 3 Glen Moffatt – Superheroes and Scary Things | Presented 13 June 2015 Cydel – Memoirs of a Midnight Cowboy Team Dynamite – Shepherds Delight Fiafia Band – Siva Siva Maia |
| Best Children's Music Album | |
| Presented 2 August 2015 fleaBITE – The Jungle is Jumping Itty Bitty Beats – Bath Time Poppet Stars – Poppet Stars | |