# 2008 New Zealand Music Awards

The 2008 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards took place on 8 October at the Vector Arena in Auckland. Straitjacket Fits were induced into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. The Technical awards took place on 3 September.

## Awards and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.
Multiple winners included Flight of the Concords and Opshop, who each received four awards.

### Key

    † – Non-technical award
    ‡ – Technical award
| Album of the Year † | Single of the Year† |
| Sponsored by Nokia Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords Anika Moa - In Swings The Tide Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning Scribe - Rhymebook Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future | Sponsored by Vodafone Opshop - One Day Liam Finn - Gather To The Chapel Shihad - One Will Hear The Other The Phoenix Foundation - Bright Grey Tiki Taane - Always On My Mind |
| Best Group† | Best Male Solo Artist:† |
| Sponsored by Steinlager Pure Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords Shihad - Beautiful Machine The Phoenix Foundation - Happy Ending | Liam Finn - I'll be Lightning SJD - Songs From A Dictaphone Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future |
| Best Female Solo Artist:† | Breakthrough Artist of the Year† |
| Sponsored by Mazda Anika Moa - In Swings The Tide Aaradhna - Sweet Soul Music Annabel Fay - Annabel Fay | Sponsored by Kiwi FM Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords Cut Off Your Hands - Blue On Blue Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future |
| Best Music Video† | Radio Airplay Record of the Year† |
| Sponsored by C4 Ian Hart - Her Hairagami Set (The Brunettes) Carey Carter - Tangaroa (Tiki Taane) Joe Lonie - Gather To The chapel (Liam Finn) | Sponsored by NZ On Air Opshop - Maybe |
| Highest Selling NZ Single† | Highest Selling NZ Album† |
| Opshop - "One Day" | Opshop - Second Hand Planet |
| Best Rock Album† | Best Urban/Hip Hop Album† |
| Shihad - Beautiful Machine Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning The Phoenix Foundation - Happy Ending | Scribe - Rhymebook Mareko - White Sunday 2:The Book Of Mark Young Sid - The Truth |
| Best Aotearoa Roots Album† | Best Dance/Electronica Album† |
| Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future Katchafire - Say What You're Thinking Kora - Kora | Recloose - Perfect Timing Mareko - White Sunday 2:The Book Of Mark Young Sid - The Truth |
| Best Maori Album† | Best Gospel/Christian Album† |
| Ruia - 12:24 Tekau Ma Rua, Rua Tekau Ma Wha Moana & the Tribe - Wha Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future | All Left Out - The Conquest Parachute Band - Roadmaps and Revelations The Ember Days - Your Eyes Light Up |
| Best Classical Album† | Best Country Music Album† |
| Michael Houstoun - Inland NZTrio - Bright Tide Moving Between Gillian Whitehead - Puhake ki te rangi | Presented at the Gold Guitar Awards, 30 May 2008 Melissa Partridge - Melissa Jackie Bristow - Crazy Love The Cattlestops - Back To Rosetta Road |
| Best Pacific Music Album† | Best Folk Album† |
| Presented at the Pacific Music Awards, 31 May 2008 Te Vaka - Olatia Three Houses Down - Dreadtown Cydel - Soul Finder | Presented at the Auckland Folk Festival, 25 – 28 January 2008 Phil Garland – Southern Odyssey Owen Hugh - You & I The Hobnail Boots - The Fortune Horses |
| Best Producer‡ | Best Engineer‡ |
| Presented at the Technical Awards on 3 September Lee Prebble – Happy Ending (The Phoenix Foundation) Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future (Tiki Taane) Anika Moa - In Swings The Tide (Anika Moa) | Presented at the Technical Awards on 3 September Lee Prebble – Happy Ending (The Phoenix Foundation) Tiki Taane & Evan Short - Past, Present, Future (Tiki Taane) Andre Upston - In Swings The Tide (Anika Moa) |
| Best Album Cover‡ | International Achievement Award† |
| Presented at the Technical Awards on 3 September Barny Bewick – Keep Me On Your Side (Goodnight Nurse) Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning (Liam Finn) Tim Gummer - Inland (Michael Houstoun) | Flight Of The Conchords Savage |
| The Vodafone People's Choice Award† | Legacy Award† |
| Parachute Band Horsemen Family Nesian Mystik The Dfenders | Straitjacket Fits |

## Performances

Performances on the night included the following:
* Cut off your Hands
* Anika Moa
* Tiki Taane
* Scribe
* Julia Deans, Anika Moa, Lani Purkis and Greta Anderson performed a version of Legacy Award winner Straitjacket Fits' "Fast Women".