“I don’t think we expected anything, [when we started out] back in Dunedin, it has always been a bit of dream,” lead guitarist Ji Fraser tells the Herald of their journey.
“We had great goals and great expectations, but there was no path to becoming SIX60, we had to create it. Every time we broke through another ceiling, we just focused on the next one that appeared”.
He said that “brotherhood, a love for music, and a love for performing for the people” had always bonded the band, and that they dedicated the award to their fans.
Lorde, who recently put on a YMCA toilet cubicle pop-up show in Auckland to promote her new album, also took out Spotify Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year for her collaboration with Charli XCX on Girl, so confusing featuring lorde.
When reflecting on the win, she told the Herald she hadn’t expected to be a part of the Brat Summer phenomenon but was grateful to have worked with XCX and for the friendship they formed.
“It was truly a life-changing experience. I love hanging out with Charli, she’s very cool.”
In her acceptance speech, she noted she had been “reflecting on these incredible women who have come before me, not just my mum and my ancestors, but all the women who make New Zealand music what it is.”
A vocal advocate for te reo Māori music and having performed in language herself, Lorde said seeing it “defended the way that it has” from abroad was very inspiring to her.
“We gonna honour that treaty or what?,” she said to loud cheers from the audience.
She also had some advice for those Kiwis wanting to make it big in the music industry.
“Do you to the enth degree,” she told the Herald. “Truly make the thing that only you can make, because that is one of one and that is of value.”
Dream-pop artist Fazerdaze (Amelia Rahayu Murray) also cemented her stunning comeback after a brief musical hiatus from 2018-2022, taking out Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year and Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist Tūī.
Kiwi rockers Devilskin were visibly shocked when they won the JD Sports Tā te Iwi | People’s Choice Award.
“[Metal] is alive and well in New Zealand. Can we have a metal category next year surely?”
Kiwi legend Stan Walker proudly waved the flag for Te Reo Māori, winning both the Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo award and Te Māngai Pāho Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist award.
“I’m so honoured to be a part of the movement that celebrates our reo,” he said, thanking his New Zealand music community whānau.
Fresh from his stunning Taite Music Prize win, rising star indigenous electronic musician Mokotron (Tiopira McDowell, Ngāti Hine) upped his gong tally by claiming the Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau – Best Electronic Artist award for his album WAEREA.
Hawke’s Bay-raised producer 9Lives (AKA Max Jardine) also shared the special Te Manu Mātārae award with reggae legends L.A.B, the band also going on to win the NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Horapa | Radio Airplay Record of the Year for their radio hit Casanova.
X-Factor alumni Cassie Henderson took out Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist, with her single Seconds To Midnight (11:59) dominating radio charts last year.
Full list of nominees and winners for the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards
NZ On Air Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau – Album of the Year
Fazerdaze – Soft Power – WINNER
Aaradhna – Sweet Surrender
Anna Coddington – Te Whakamiha
CHAII – Safar
Georgia Lines – The Rose Of Jericho
Jordan Rakei – The Loop
Kaylee Bell – Nights Like This
L.A.B – L.A.B VI
Mel Parsons – Sabotage
MOKOTRON – WAEREA
Tami Neilson – Neilson Sings Nelson
Troy Kingi – Leatherman And The Mojave Green
Spotify Te Tino Waiata o te Tau – Single of the Year
Lorde – Girl, so confusing featuring lorde (Charli xcx, Lorde) – WINNER
Cassie Henderson – Seconds To Midnight (11.59)
CHAII – We Be Killing It
Fazerdaze – Cherry Pie
Georgia Lines – The Letter
JessB – Power (featuring Sister Nancy & Sampa the Great)
Kaylee Bell – Cowboy Up
MOKOMOKAI – KUPE featuring MELODOWNZ
Reb Fountain – Come Down
Stan Walker – Māori Ki Te Ao
Theia – BALDH3AD!
Troy Kingi – Silicone Booby Trap
Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau – Best Group
Earth Tongue – Great Haunting – WINNER
Corrella – Skeletons
DARTZ – Dangerous Day To Be A Cold One
Foley
L.A.B – L.A.B VI
SKILAA – Tiger In The River
Spotify Te Tino Reo o te Tau – Best Solo Artist
Fazerdaze – Soft Power – WINNER
Aaradhna – Sweet Surrender
Georgia Lines – The Rose Of Jericho
Kaylee Bell – Nights Like This
MOKOTRON – WAEREA
Stan Walker
Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo
Stan Walker – Māori Ki Te Ao – WINNER
TAWAZ – Tātarakihi (featuring MOHI)
Tuari Brothers – Higher
Anna Coddington – Te Whakamiha
Haami Tuari – Taku Kaenga
Jordyn With a Why – Reia
Te Māngai Pāho Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau – Best Māori Artist
Stan Walker – WINNER
Anna Coddington – Te Whakamiha
Corrella – Skeletons
Jordyn With a Why – Hibiscus Moon, Love & Justice
MOHI
TAWAZ
Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau – Best Alternative Artist
Jim Nothing – Grey Eyes, Grey Lynn – WINNER
Louisa Nicklin – The Big Sulk
Vera Ellen – heartbreak for jetlag
Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau – Best Classical Artist
Jian Liu – Where Fairburn Walked – WINNER
Justin DeHart – Towards Midnight: NZ Percussion Vol 2
Michael Houstoun – The Well-Tempered Clavier
Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau – Best Country Music Artist
Tami Neilson – Neilson Sings Nelson – WINNER
Barry Saunders and Delaney Davidson – Happiness Is Near
Kaylee Bell – Nights Like This
Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau – Best Electronic Artist
MOKOTRON – WAEREA – WINNER
CHAII – Safar
Lee Mvtthews – EXIT
Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau – Best Folk Artist
Holly Arrowsmith – Blue Dreams – WINNER
Kerryn Fields – The Folk Singer
Mel Parsons – Sabotage
Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau – Best Hip-Hop Artist
David Dallas – Vita – WINNER
Jujulipps – Superstar
RNZŌ
Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau – Best Jazz Artist
Lucien Johnson – Ancient Relics – WINNER
Thabani Gapara – Dzindza
Umar Zakaria – Family Music
Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau – Best Pop Artist
Cassie Henderson – The Yellow Chapter – WINNER
Frankie Venter
Georgia Lines – The Rose Of Jericho
Te Manu Taki Rakapioi o te Tau – Best Rock Artist
DARTZ – Dangerous Day To Be A Cold One – WINNER
Devilskin – Surfacing
Troy Kingi – Leatherman And The Mojave Green
Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau – Best Roots Artist
Corrella – Skeletons – WINNER
Lomez Brown
Christoph El Truento – Dubs From The Neighbourhood
Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau – Best Soul/R&B Artist
Aaradhna – Sweet Surrender – WINNER
Sam V
Stan Walker
Te Taumata o te Toi – Best Album Artwork
Matt Sinclair – Neilson Sings Nelson (Tami Neilson) – WINNER
Emma Hercus – Sabotage (Mel Parsons)
Natalie King, Chris Schmelz – Uneven Ground (Death and the Maiden)
Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro – Best Engineer
Simon Gooding – Safar (CHAII) – WINNER
Emily Wheatcroft – Snape, Amelia Murray – Soft Power (Fazerdaze)
Nic Manders – The Rose Of Jericho (Georgia Lines)
NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Ataata – Best Music Video Content
Oscar Keys, Ezra Simons, Kristin Li – Paradise (DARTZ) – WINNER
CHAII – Night Like This (CHAII)
Night Watch – Nightshift (Jujulipps)
Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa – Best Producer
Nic Manders – The Rose Of Jericho (Georgia Lines) – WINNER
CHAII, Frank Keys – Safar (CHAII)
Rory Noble
Te Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Hori Shaw – WINNER
Te Taumata o te Hokona | Highest Selling Artist and Aotearoa Charts Icon
SIX60 – WINNER
JD Sports Tā te Iwi | People’s Choice
Devilskin – WINNER
Te Manu Mātārae Award
9Lives – WINNER
L.A.B – WINNER
NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Horapa | Radio Airplay Record of the Year
L.A.B – Casanova – WINNER
