Among the 2022 AMA winners announced (with considerably less than usual pomp and ceremony) on November 10 was a remarkable four-peat for L.A.B, the band securing a noteworthy spot in awards history by taking out the same four Tūī awards for the second year running.

The L.A.B success story continues on the strength of their fifth album ‘L.A.B. V’, with the group named winners of Album Of The Year, Best Group and Best Roots Artist, along with Single of the Year for the chart-topping Mr Reggae. 

Tami Neilson had a great night too, winning three Tūī on the back of her ‘Kingmaker’ album – Best Country Artist, Best Solo Artist and Best Producer for her own release. As records go this was Tami’s sixth Best Country Artist Tūī, and she is the first solo female artist winner of the Best Producer award since Bic Runga back in 2006. Notably, Simon Gooding was also named as the year’s Best Engineer for his contributions to ‘Kingmaker’.

Of course, you can’t keep Rob Ruha off the podium in any music awards, and fresh from his triumphant APRA Silver Scroll evening he was recognised as 2022’s Best Soul/RnB Artist for his album ‘Preservation of Scenery’ and under his mentorship, Te Tairāwhiti tira waiata Silver Scroll winners Ka Hao won both Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa | Best Māori Artist and the Mana Reo Tūī for ‘Ka Hao: One Tira, One Voice’ and 35 respectively.

Pop juggernaut Benee achieved her own remarkable four-peat win, taking home the Best Pop Artist award for the fourth year running, while first-time nominee Georgia Lines scooped the Tūī for Breakthrough Artist of the Year with her sophomore EP ‘Human’. 

Two-time 2022 Pacific Music Award winners Diggy Dupé, Choicevaughan and Troy Kingi also raided the Tūī for Best Hip Hop Artist for their soundtrack album, ‘The Panthers OST’.

Leaping Tiger (producer Jacob Park), another first-time nominee, was named Best Electronic Artist, with Vera Ellen winning the Best Alternative Artist Tūī for her album ‘It’s Your Birthday’. Waipu metallers Alien Weaponry were again on the winners’ board as Best Rock Artist,  and Robert Ashworth & Sarah Watkins won the Tūī for Best Classical Artist for their album ‘Moonstone’ – a collection of works by NZ composers.

Four proved to be a bit of a magic number in 2022 with Six60 being named the Highest Selling Artist also for the fourth year in a row, and earning the Radio Airplay Record of the Year for the sixth time, with their single Someone To Be Around.

2022 AMA Winners Round Up

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

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

Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year

• Winner: L.A.B – Mr Reggae
• Ka Hao (ft. Rob Ruha) – 35
• 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

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

Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa | Best Solo Artist

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

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

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

Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo Award

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

Te Māngai Pāho Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa | Best Māori Artist

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

Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa | Best Pop Artist

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

Te Kaipuoro Manohi Toa | Best Alternative Artist

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

Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa | Best Soul/RnB Artist

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

Te Kaipuoro Hipihope Toa | Best Hip Hop Artist

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

Te Kaipuoro Tuawhenua Toa | Best Country Music Artist

• Winner: Tami Neilson – Kingmaker
• Jenny Mitchell – Tug of War
• Kaylee Bell – Silver Linings

Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Roots Artist

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

Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Electronic Artist

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

Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa | Best Rock Artist

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

Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa | Best Classical Artist

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

Te Kōwhiri o te Nuinga | People’s Choice Award

To be announced

Te Toa Hoko Teitei | Highest Selling Artist

• Six60

NZ On Air Te Rikoata Marakerake o te Tau | Radio Airplay Record of the Year

Six60 – Someone To Be Around

Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Album Artwork

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

Massey University Te Kaiwhakaputa Toa | Best Producer

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

Te Kaipukaha Toa | Best Engineer

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

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

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

Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Folk Artist

• Winner: Troy Kingi – ‘Black Sea Golden Ladder’
• Miles Calder – ‘Autopilot Life’
• We Mavericks – ‘Grief’s a Gardener’

Recorded Music Te Pukaemi Toa o Te Moana Nui a Kiwa | Best Pacific Music Album

• Winner: Tomorrow People – ’21’
• Diggy Dupé, Choicevaughan & Troy Kingio – The Panthers OST
• Kings – ‘Raplist’

Recorded Music NZ Te Kaipuoro Tautito Toa | Best Jazz Artist

• Winner: Myele Manzanza – ‘Crisis & Opportunity Vol.1’
• Devil’s Gate Outfit – ‘Jazz From The Underground Nightclubs Of Aotearoa Volume 5’
• Jake Baxendale & Jasmine Lovell-Smith –’Sanctuary’

Te Kaipuoro Waiata Tamariki Toa | Best Children’s Artist

• Winner: Music With Michal – Summer Days
• Itty Bitty Beats – ‘Itty Bitty Bubbles’
• Levity Beet – ‘Levity Beet’s Bamboo Banger Collection’