The 2025 Pacific Music Awards winners have been revealed
The event took place last night (August 21st) at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau, Auckland, celebrating the 21st year of recognising Pacific musical excellence.
Shane Walker was a standout winner, taking home NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist, APRA Best Pacific Song for “Believe”, and the SunPix People’s Choice Award – Best Pacific Artist.
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Aaradhna received Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist for her album Sweet Surrender and featured on the NZ On Air Streaming Award-winning track “They Don’t Know” with Savage.
Group A.R.T won FLAVA Best Pacific Group and the NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award for “When He Was Mine (Pele Fo’i Mai)”. Brotherhood Musiq received 531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist for “Open The Eyes of My Heart”, and Kenzie was named ONErpm Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist for “Hold Ya Head” and “Queendom”.
Sam V won RNZ Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist and shared MPG Aotearoa / SAE Creative Media Institute Best Producer with Astro and EDYONTHEBEAT. Lomez Brown was awarded Pacificast Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist, while The 046 took Niu FM Best International Pacific Artist.
Tha Movement won NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video for “The Lecture”, and Opetaia Foa’i & Moana 2 Artists received Pacific Media Network Best Pacific Language Award. Jordyn with a Why won Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album for Hibiscus Moon, Love & Justice.
The Phillip Fuemana Award for Most Promising Pacific Artist went to Nelz, and the Creative New Zealand Award was presented posthumously to Chris Ta’aloga Faiumu (Mu). Opetaia Foa’i received the Ministry for Pacific Peoples Lifetime Achievement Award. BLK Entertainment and DJ K-Swizz received special recognition awards.
Performances included DJ Al’Goodie, Aaradhna, Melodownz, Sam V, Lomez Brown, A.R.T, Myshaan, and Opetaia & Te Vaka Singers. The event also paid tribute to recently deceased Pacific artists George ‘Fiji’ Veikoso and Chris Faiumu.
The Pacific Music Awards Trust confirmed that songs from the Hiva Folau Vaka project will be released later this year, promoting Pacific language revitalisation.
