The finalists for the 2017 Silver Scrolls, Maioha Award for contemporary Māori songwriting, the Contemporary Award, as well as two Screen Music Awards have been announced.

Though some of the songs were co-written by men, for the first time, all performers of the top five finalist songs are women, of which both Team Lorde and Team Runga have in the past taken home the main award.

Silver Scroll Award

• Richard by Nadia Reid
• Horizon by Hannah Harding
• Close Your Eyes by Bic Runga and Kody Nielson
• Life Of The Party by Chelsea Jade Metcalf and Leroy Clampitt
• Green Light by Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Joel Little and Jack Antonoff

Maioha Award

• Atua Whiowhio by Kingi Kiriona
• Raupatu by Alien Weaponry
• Taku Mana by Maisey Rika

Contemporary Award

• Incident Tableaux Part One by Chris Gendall
• Serendipity Fields by Jeroen Speak
• Tōrino – echoes on pūtōrino improvisations by Rob Thorne by Salina Fisher

Best Original Music In A Film

• Marc Chesterman for Spookers
• Peter Hobbs for Jean
• Tim Prebble for One Thousand Ropes

Best Original Music In A Series

• Claire Cowan for Hillary
• Karl Steven for 800 Words
• Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper for Terry Teo

All awards will be presented during a ceremony at the Dunedin Town Hall on September 28th. As a part of the celebrations, a songwriter will also be inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame.