Five local acts were honoured at the 2023 Panhead Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards on Wednesday night, but it was Bic Runga who stole the show with an incredible live performance, also receiving the prestigious Rolling Stone Icon Award.
The Icon Award recognises an artist for achievements over the course of their career, and 2023 marks the first time it has been awarded at the Panhead Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards.
The awards, which saw the music industry gather in Auckland to celebrate the best of the best in Kiwi music, were hosted by radio hosts Sharyn Casey and Megan Papas and also featured a stellar performance from rising stars COTERIE.
In a tight field of entries featuring the best of Kiwi music, Best Record was taken out by pop-rock outfit Six60 for their fourth studio album Castle Street. Meanwhile, reggae rockers L.A.B. were awarded Best Single for their track “Take It Away”.
COTERIE were on hand to take home the Best New Artist award after having thrilled revellers with their own live performance. Power-pop outfit The Beths rose to the top of a group of top-tier nominations to triumph in The Rolling Stone Global Award category.
In her speech on the night, The Brag Media’s Editor in Chief, Poppy Reid, said: “The fact that we are here, tonight, once again, honouring Aotearoa music and celebrating so many of you that have joined us here… it’s not something I take lightly. A huge thank you to Panhead and all our partners who made tonight possible.
“There’s one thing that I would love all of the nominees in the room tonight to know, and it’s that your music has been listened to, and judged by the best, most influential music critics in the world, because Rolling Stone’s global editors took part in the judging process. So if you don’t take home one of those coveted expensive diamond rings this evening, please know that your music is now on the radar of some of the leading voices in music journalism.”
2023 Panhead Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards Winners:
BEST RECORD
WINNER – Six60 – Castle St
Princess Chelsea – Everything Is Going to Be Alright
COTERIE – Coterie
The Beths – Expert in a Dying Field
TE KAAHU – Te Kaahu O Rangi
Marlon Williams – My Boy
Fazerdaze – Break!
Stan Walker – All In
BEST SINGLE
WINNER – L.A.B. – “Take It Away”
Daily J ft. Boo Seeka – “Lost in Time”
lilbubblegum – “af1”
Princess Chelsea – “Forever Is a Charm”
SXMPRA feat. Ski Mask the Slump God – “COWBELL WARRIORS!”
Tami Neilson – “Beyond the Stars” ft. Willie Nelson
Kaylee Bell – “Boots N’ All”
Fazerdaze – “Break!”
BEST NEW ARTIST
WINNER – COTERIE
Georgia Lines
Hanbee
TE KAAHU
Luca George
Teo Glacier
33 Below
NO CIGAR
ROLLING STONE GLOBAL AWARD
WINNER – The Beths
UMO
Six60
Bic Runga
BENEE
Mitch James
MELODOWNZ
L.A.B.
ROLLING STONE ICON AWARD
WINNER – Bic Runga
