The 2018 Artisan Awards finalists have been announced this week, the part of the annual NZ Music Awards that recognises the creative talents behind the scenes of the top local records of the past year.

Five Tui awards will be presented on the night including Massey University Best Producer, Best Engineer, Best Album Cover and NZ On Air Best Music Video – as well as the inaugural Music Teacher of the Year award.

The Massey University Best Producer finalists for 2018 are: Simon Gooding, Tom Larkin and Hammerhead for their joint efforts on ‘Tū’ by Alien Weaponry; Estère for her work on her own double album ‘My Design, On Others Lives’; and Neil and Liam Finn for their production on ‘Out Of Silence’ by Neil Finn.

Simon Gooding is also up twice for Best Engineer. He’s recognised alongside Tom Larkin, Scott Seabright and Samuel Sproull for their efforts on ‘Tū’ by Alien Weaponry, as well as the work he did with Jordan Stone on Neil Finn’s ‘Out Of Silence’. Chris Chetland is a solo finalist for Best Engineer for his work on ‘Rangatira’ by Rei.

In the category of Best Music Video, Chris Graham worked with Louis Baker on the video for his 2018 single Black Crow, Shae Sterling crafted the video for Bloodlines by The Adults and the last finalist spot impressively goes to Marlon Williams for the work on his own track Vampire Again.

This year’s finalists for Best Album Cover include regular Barny Bewick for his work on ‘Seven’ by Cairo Knife Fight, Jaime Robertson and Matthias Heiderich for their collaboration on ‘In Spaces’ EP by Sola Rosa, and Tami Neilson, Ashley Church, Xoe Hall and Jules Koblun for their group efforts on the sequin-rich album cover for Tami’s ‘Sassafrass’.

In a rare move away from Auckland the 2018 Artisan Awards are being held at Massey University’s School of Music and Creative Media Production in Wellington, on November 5. Also announced on the night will be the winner of the first ever Music Teacher of the Year Tui, the finalists for which are Elizabeth Sneyd, Jane Egan and Judith Bell.