Stan Walker, Coterie, and Jordyn with a Why are among the finalists for two awards celebrating Māori musicians and the rise of te ao Māori in New Zealand music at this year’s Aotearoa Music Awards.
The Mana Reo award recognises albums or singles with at least 50% te reo Māori content, aiming to foster interest and appeal for te reo in mainstream music.
The finalists for the 2024 Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo Tūī are:
Coterie (Te Aupōuri, Ngāpuhi & Ngāi Te Rangi)
Jordyn with a Why (Tainui Āwhiro, Mulifanua Lalovi, Falelatai & Vaimoso)
MOHI (He maramara nō Rāhiri, nō Te Tai Tokerau whānui. Tauranga Moana, Tauranga Tāngata, he Ngāti Tapu ahau. Nā Kahungunu, nā Te Wairoa hōki)
Stan Walker (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Pūkenga, Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tahu & Ngāpuhi)
Tawaz (Ngāti Rangitāne)
Tuari Brothers (Te Aitanga a Hauiti, Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāi Tuhoe)
The award for Best Māori Artist has a new translation in 2024: the te reo title for the award is now Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau. The award recognizes artists whose music reflects a unique Māori identity and/or is an expression of te ao Māori.
The finalists for the 2024 Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau Tūī are:
Jordyn with a Why
MOHI
Rei (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Huia)
Stan Walker
Tawaz
Tuari Brothers
The two awards will be presented at the Aotearoa Music Awards on Thursday, May 30th at the Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau.
The other Aotearoa Music Awards finalists will be announced tomorrow, Thursday, April 18th.
The Aotearoa Music Awards, which took a break in 2023, are back this year. Ka Hao won Best Māori Artist at the 2022 awards for the album One Tira, One Voice, and Rob Ruha secured the Mana Reo for his album, Preservation of Scenery.
Recorded Music NZ CEO Jo Oliver say this year’s finalists and the work they’ve done to continue the revitalisation of te reo Māori, and to āwhina te ao Māori through waiata.
“We are honoured to recognise the contributions these finalists have made to the Aotearoa music industry. I can’t wait to celebrate what they have achieved at the Awards in May, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do in the years ahead,” says Oliver.
“Thank you to Te Māngai Pāho for sponsoring these Tūī, and for all the mahi they do to support Māori artists year-round.”
