APRA has announced the five-song shortlist of 2016 Silver Scroll finalists.

2014 winner, Aucklander Tami Neilson, is back in the running  with her song The First Man, co-written with her brother Jay Neilson – also her writing partner for the previous winning song Walk (Back Into Your Arms).

For the fourth time among the top five finalists  are Wellingtons’s The Phoenix Foundation with their catchy album title track Give Up Your Dreams.

Lydia Cole has also been a top five finalist before, with Hibernate in 2012. This year she successfully entered her song Dream.

Newcomer finalists in 2016 are Wellington’s Thomas Oliver with If I Move To Mars, and Auckland’s soon-to-be-disbanded Street Chant with Pedestrian Support League.

Other awards to  be presented on the night are:

• Maioha Award, celebrating exceptional waiata featuring te reo Māori
• SOUNZ Contemporary Award, celebrating excellence in contemporary composition
• Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award
• Best Original Music in a Series Award

The awards ceremony will be streamed live by Radio New Zealand from Auckland’s Vector Arena on September 29.