Announcing that nominations for the 2022 Aotearoa Music Awards are now open, Recorded Music NZ has simultaneously dropped the bombshell news that there will be none of the usual public celebrations with televised coverage of a major award ceremony. 

Sarah Owen, Recorded Music NZ Kaiwhakahaere o Ngā Tohu Puoro o Aotearoa, says the awards will look a bit different this year. There will be nominations, finalists, and Tūī winners as usual, with a special invite-only celebration later in the year – but no televised awards ceremony.

“In 2022, the traditional awards show format is under pressure around the world, and event organisers are facing a different market for commercial sponsorship post-Covid-19. Against the backdrop of social change, the pandemic and audience shifts, we feel the time is right to pause our annual awards ceremony for a year.

“This will give us the time and space to reflect and review the Aotearoa Music Awards and make a plan for 2023 and beyond. As part of this process, we will be engaging with artists, partners and the music community to find out what’s important to them.

2022 AMA nominations are now open to NZ artists (musicians plus producers, engineers etc.), who have recordings commercially released in the 12 months between August 1, 2021 and July 31, 2022. Details can be found on the Aotearoa Music Awards website. 

Click here to nominate yourself or someone else before August 1.

The finalists will be announced in September, with 20 different awards to be made at the planned invite-only celebration.