Finalists for the 2022 Aotearoa Music Awards | Nga Tohu Puoro O Aotearoa have been announced, with Rob Ruha the clear frontrunner with six nominations.

Ruha is up for Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Best Solo Artist, Best Māori Artist, Best Soul/RnB Artist and the Mana Reo award. Additionally, under his mentorship Te Tairāwhiti choir Ka Hao are finalists for five Tūī; including Single of the Year, Mana Reo, Best Group, Best Roots Artist and Best Māori Artist.

Having won four Tūī last year, L.A.B are back with every chance of repeating that feat, finalists in 2022 for Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Best Group and Best Roots artist.

Tami Neilson is also a finalist in four Tūī categories on the strength of her ‘Kingmaker’ album: Best Solo Artist Album of the Year, Best Country Music Artist, Album of the Year and also as Best Producer for own album.

No surprise that Lorde is another in the running for Album of the Year, as well as being a finalist for Best Solo Artist and Best Pop Artist. Folk artist Reb Fountain is also up for three Tūī including Album of the Year, Single of the Year (Lacuna) and as Best Solo Artist.

Other familiar finalists include Alien Weaponry, Shihad, Aldous Harding, Marlon Williams, Benee, Fat Freddys Drop, The Beths, Troy Kingi and numerous others.

The four new artists vying for the Breakthrough Artist of the Year title in 2022 are Coterie, Georgia Lines, Jordan Rakei and Ōtautahi indie pop act There’s A Tuesday. 

With no public awards event scheduled in 2022 due to the economic conditions, organisers Recorded Music NZ are instead suggesting a non-televised finalists-only celebration.

The 2022 Artisan Awards will be announced alongside the Aotearoa Music Awards. Finalists for Best Producer are Chaii, Frank Keys, Rory Noble for their work on Chaii’s ‘Pineapple Pizza’ album, Tami Neilson for her self-production of ‘Kingmaker’, and Choicevaughan, Diggy Dupé and Troy Kingi for their collaboration on ‘The Panthers OST’.

Best Engineer nominees are Lee Prebble and Ara Adams-Tamatea for their contribution to L.A.B’s album ‘L.A.B V’; and Simon Gooding, who has two nominations for engineering both ‘Iris’ by Reb Fountain and Tami Neilson’s ‘Kingmaker’.

This year’s finalists for Best Album Artwork are Barny Bewick and Lewis de Jong for Alien Weaponry’s ‘Tangaroa’, Chelsea Jade Metcalf for her own ‘Soft Spot’ and Maria Francesca Melis for Tami Neilson’s ‘Kingmaker’ album.

AMA 2022 Finalists 

Recorded Music NZ Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year

• Aldous Harding: ‘Warm Chris’
  
• L.A.B: ‘L.A.B V’
  
• Lorde: ‘Solar Power’
  
• Reb Fountain: ‘Iris’
  
• Rob Ruha: ‘Preservation of Scenery’
  
• Tami Neilson: ‘Kingmaker’

Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year

• Ka Hao: 35 (ft. Rob Ruha)
• L.A.B: Mr Reggae
• Marlon Williams: My Boy
• Reb Fountain: Lacuna
• Rob Ruha: That’s Where I’ll Be
• The Beths: Silence is Golden

Te Roopu Toa | Best Group

• Alien Weaponry: ‘Tangaroa’
• Fat Freddy’s Drop: ‘Wairunga’
• Ka Hao: ‘Ka Hao: One Tira, One Voice’
• L.A.B: ‘L.A.B V’

Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa | Best Solo Artist

• Lorde: ‘Solar Power’
• Reb Fountain: ‘Iris’
• Rob Ruha: ‘Preservation of Scenery’
• Tami Neilson: ‘Kingmaker’

Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year

• Coterie: ‘Cool it Down’
• Georgia Lines: ‘Human’
• Jordan Rakei: ‘What We Call Life’
• There’s a Tuesday: ‘Boy Scout’

Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo Award

• Ka Hao: 35 (ft Rob Ruha)
• Rob Ruha: ‘Preservation of Scenery’
• Troy Kingi: Pū Whenua Hautapu, Eka Mumura

Te Māngai Pāho Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa | Best Māori Artist

• Ka Hao: ‘Ka Hao: One Tira, One Voice’
• Rob Ruha: ‘Preservation of Scenery’
• Stan Walker: ‘Te Arohanui’

Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa | Best Pop Artist

• Benee: ‘Lychee’
• Georgia Lines: ‘Human’
• Lorde: ‘Solar Power’

Te Kaipuoro Manohi Toa | Best Alternative Artist

• Ben Woods: ‘Dispeller’
• Te Kaahu: ‘Te Kaahu O Rangi’
• Vera Ellen: ‘It’s Your Birthday’

Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa | Best Soul/RnB Artist

• Jackson Owens: ‘For The Better’ EP
• Jordan Rakei: ‘What We Call Life’
• Rob Ruha: ‘Preservation of Scenery’

Te Kaipuoro Hipihope Toa | Best Hip Hop Artist

• Chaii: ‘Pineapple Pizza’
• Christoph El Truento and Lucky Lance: ‘The 25th January Tape’
• Diggy Dupé, Choicevaughan and Troy Kingi: ‘The Panthers OST’

Te Kaipuoro Tuawhenua Toa | Best Country Music Artist

• Jenny Mitchell: ‘Tug of War’
• Kaylee Bell: ‘Silver Linings’
• Tami Neilson: ‘Kingmaker’

Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Roots Artist

• Ka Hao: ‘Ka Hao: One Tira, One Voice’
• L.A.B.: ‘L.A.B V’
• The Black Seeds: ‘Love & Fire’

Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Electronic Artist

• Julien Dyne: ‘Modes’
• Leaping Tiger: ‘Soulsleep’
• Tali: ‘Future Dwellers’

Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa | Best Rock Artist

• Alien Weaponry: ‘Tangaroa’
• Shihad: ‘Old Gods’
• Sit Down In Front: ‘Fuelling My Rage’

Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa | Best Classical Artist

• Bridget Douglas and Al Fraser: ‘Silver Stone Wood Bone’
• NZTrio: ‘Merge’
• Robert Ashworth and Sarah Watkins: ‘Moonstone’

Artisan Award Finalists

Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Album Artwork

• Barny Bewick & Lewis de Jong: ‘Tangaroa’ (Alien Weaponry)
• Chelsea Jade Metcalf: ‘Soft Spot’ (Chelsea Jade)
• Maria Francesca Melis: ‘Kingmaker’ (Tami Neilson)

Te Kaiwhakaputa Toa | Best Producer

• Chaii, Frank Keys, Rory Noble: ‘Pineapple Pizza’ (CHAII)
• Choicevaughan, Diggy Dupé & Troy Kingi: ‘The Panthers OST’ 
• Tami Neilson: ‘Kingmaker’ (Tami Neilson)

Te Kaipukaha Toa | Best Engineer

• Lee Prebble and Ara Adams-Tamatea:  ‘L.A.B V’ (L.A.B)
• Simon Gooding: ‘Iris’ (Reb Fountain)
• Simon Gooding: ‘Kingmaker’ (Tami Neilson)

NZ On Air Te Kiko Puoro Ataata Toa | Best Music Video Content

• Alyx Duncan:  Kingmaker (Tami Neilson)
• Joel Kefali and Ella Yelich-O’Connor: Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen It All) (Lorde)
• Nicole Horan, Marara Katipa, Dahnu Graham, Hayden Aull, Thomas Rose, Huhana Ruri-Panapa, Xavier Horan: ‘Black Sea Golden Ladder: The Visual Album’ (Troy Kingi)