The 2019 Artisan Awards were given out to behind-the-scenes talent at a ceremony held at Massey University’s School of Music in Wellington on Monday, November 4.

Josh Fountain took home the award for Best Producer on the back of his incredibly successful work over the last year with artists named as including Benee, Foley, Leisure and Maala – a first such ‘spread’, rather than the award being applied to one specific album – single releases having become the prevailing currency among newer acts. Ben Lawson and Vivek Gabriel received a Tui for Best Engineer(s) for their work on Avantdale Bowling Club‘s Taite Prize-winning album. And the Best Music Video was judged to have been Randa‘s Rock Bottom, directed by Auckland creatives Vision Thing.

Impressively following up on his win last year with Sola Rosa, Jamie Robertson won the Tui for Best Album Artwork with Rhian Sheehan‘s ‘A Quiet Divide’, while Duncan Ferguson (pictured above), who leads the music department of Christchurch’s St Andrews College, was named the 2019 year’s Best Music Teacher.

For the first time, the MMF organisation’s award for Music Manager of the Year was presented alongside the other Artisan Awards. It went to Aucklander Lorraine Barry, Lorraine, who has managed Dave Dobbyn for 14 years, and more lately, Tom Scott’s Avantdale Bowling Club, Nomad and Milly Tabak.

Massey University Best Producer | Te Kaiwhakaputa Toa:

• Josh Fountain – (Various)
• Simon Gooding, Ji Fraser, Eli Paewai – Mitch James: ‘Mitch James’
• Tom Healy – Tiny Ruins: ‘Olympic Girls’ 

NZ On Air Best Music Video | Te Puoro Ataata Toa:

• Vision Thing – Randa: Rock Bottom
• Jason Brock – Leisure: Feeling Free
• Martin Sagadin and Aldous Harding –  Aldous Harding: The Barrel

Best Album Artwork | Te Toi Ataata Pukaemi Toa:

• Jaime Robertson – Rhian Sheehan: ‘A Quiet Divide’
• Mike Braid – Villainy: ‘Raised in The Dark’
• Tim Harper & Dick Frizzell – Various: ‘Offering’

Best Engineer | Te Kaipukaha Toa:

• Ben Lawson & Vivek Gabriel – Avantdale Bowling Club: ‘Avantdale Bowling Club’
• Josh Fountain – (Various)
• Simon Gooding – Mitch James: ‘Mitch James’ 

Music Teacher of the Year | Kaiārahi Puoro o te Tau

• Duncan Ferguson (St Andrews College, Christchurch)
• Jane Egan (Gisborne Girls High School)
• Sue Banham (Rosehill College, Auckland)

Recorded Music NZ Music Manager of the Year | Kaiwhakahaere Puoro o te Tau

• Lorraine Barry
• Niel de Jong & Oliver Kraemer
• Paul McKessar