The Mint Chicks won the IMNZ Classic Record Award at the 2026 Taite Music Prize ceremony last night (April 29th).
Their classic album Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! was recognised for “its lasting impact on Aotearoa’s alternative music landscape and its ongoing influence on successive generations of artists.”
Eligible 20 years after release, the band’s album won the Classic Record Award at the earliest opportunity.
Reflecting on the win, Michael Logie said, “Kodi [Nielson] made this in a garage so that’s independent music — stay together, help each other,” while Ruban Nielson described the album as “a collision of four people,”
Ahead of last night’s ceremony, we featured Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! in our Deep Dive series, with writer Martyn Pepperell taking a closer look at one of the best Aotearoa albums of all time.
“Over fourteen songs, they mapped out their own weird pop visions,” he wrote. “In the process, The Mint Chicks put their disparate influences into an industrial-strength blender, then mixed them into gold. I’m speaking literally: by the following year, they’d been awarded five Tuis at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards and achieved gold sales certification in Aotearoa.”
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The feature also noted the lasting impact of The Mint Chicks in their home country and beyond.
“Two decades after Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!’s release, The Mint Chicks’ influence can still be felt throughout Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu. That said, their impact extends well beyond our oceanic borders, often in back-channel ways.
“In the late 2000s, I interviewed the respected UK drum and bass producer Klute, who was thrilled to purchase more of The Mint Chicks’ music between his New Zealand tour dates. On some level, you’d have to be crazy to make music this good. But dumb? You might be into some big dumb fun, but dumb dumb? No. Absolutely not. No way.”
Elsewhere last night, Marlon Williams has won the main prize for his acclaimed album Te Whare Tīwekaweka.
His friend and collaborator KOMMI accepted the award on his behalf at the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Tāmaki Makaurau.
In a recorded acceptance speech from tour in Norway, Williams said: “E mihi ana ki a koe mō māhāra (thank you for your memory), Dylan Taite, and to the Taite family for your legacy — not only for this award, but for the incredible standard you brought to journalism in New Zealand.
“Thank you very much to my fellow musicians — incredible music you all put out this year — very honoured to be amongst your number. Kommi, without your help, I wouldn’t have made this record at all. Thanks for representing this record in the room.”
The Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award went to Geneva AM for her debut album Pikipiki, while the Independent Spirit Award was presented to Carmel Bennett.
