Independent Music NZ has announced the recipient of this year’s IMNZ Classic Record Award, as well as the nominees for the NZ On Air Outstanding Journalism Award.
The former award, which acknowledges a timeless Aotearoa album released over 20 years ago that continues to inspire today, has this year been given to micronism’s inside a quiet mind (Kog Transmissions 1998).
Otherwise known as Denver McCarthy, micronism was an elusive electronic music act who rose to prominence in Auckland’s burgeoning electronic music scene in the ’90s. Initially released on CD in 1998, inside a quiet mind was given a reissue by Loop Recordings on vinyl and digital platforms 20 years later.
With touches of acid, breakbeat, and ambient music, micronism’s album was impressively genre-bending, creating an expansive sound made as much for the dancefloor as it was for solitary listening.
“This acknowledgment of my small contribution to NZ music is wildly misplaced- so it is received with great shock and even greater humility and gratitude,” McCarthy said when told of his award. “Looking forward to trying to fire up the machines once again, to journey into the land of Electronica, forgive me if I take a few wrong turns…it has been a while…”
McCarthy will be performing a special one-off headline show as micronism before next month’s awards ceremony at Neck of the Woods on Saturday, April 15th.
The nominees for the NZ On Air Outstanding Journalism Award have also been confirmed today. The award, which comes with a $2,500 cash prize, was only added to the Taite Music Prize last year – the inaugural award went to Tony Stamp – and celebrates the creative contribution of a journalist in the world of Aotearoa music.
The finalists for the 2023 NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism awards are:
Gareth Shute – AudioCulture – Feature Writer
Jess Fu & Amanda Jane Robinson – Amplified
Chris Cudby – Undertheradar – Music News
Namnita Kumar & Nadia Freeman – Eastern Sound Stories Podcast produced by Eastern Sound Collective in conjunction with Radio Active.FM
The nominees for this year’s main Taite Music Prize were revealed at the beginning of March, featuring Fazerdaze, Marlon Williams, The Beths, and more.
The three nominations for the 2023 Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award were also revealed as Wiri Donna (Being Alone), TE KAAHU (Te Kaahu O Rangi), and Erny Belle (Venus Is Home).
At the awards ceremony on April 18th, both of the above awards will be given out alongside the NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award, IMNZ Classic Record, and the Independent Spirit Award.
