Marking the 60th year of New Zealand music awards celebrations, plus 50 years of the national music charts, made for a very busy 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards. Stage and on-screen references to historic chart identities like Mark Williams, When The Cat’s Away, Nature and Poi E, combined with presentations of acts (Six60, L.A.B, Troy Kingi, Savage) who have been dominant in local music charts and awards over recent decades ­- and an increasingly multi-cultural / indie mix of newcomer and familiar winners from the present music scene, across a marathon 27 award categories.

Fazerdaze (Amelia Murray) was the night’s stand out winner, taking home two major Tūī trophies as Best Solo Artist and Album of The Year, for her soul-baring 2024 indie-rock album ‘Soft Power’. Superstars Lorde and Stan Walker both added to their Tūī collections, Lorde winning Single of the Year for the Charli xcx collaboration Girl, so confusing featuring lorde, and Stan Walker winning the Mana Reo award for his single Māori Ki Te Ao as well as the Best Māori Artist Tūī. Similarly the indomitable Tami Neilson earned another Best Country Music Artist accolade for her ‘Neilson Sings Nelson’ album.

Aaradhna (Best Soul/RnB Artist) and David Dallas (Best Hip Hop Artist) were rewarded for their resilience as artists, and it was a good night out too for metallers Devilskin who won the People’s Choice award, and DARTZ who claimed the Best Rock Artist title, along with having their single Paradise gain a Tūī for Best Music Video Content.

Aotearoa Music Awards 2025 Winners

NZ On Air Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year
Fazerdaze – ‘Soft Power’

Spotify Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year
Lorde – Girl, so confusing featuring lorde (Charli xcx, Lorde)

Spotify Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist
Fazerdaze – ‘Soft Power’

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group
Earth Tongue – ‘Great Haunting’

Te Manu Mātārae
9Lives

Te Manu Mātārae
L.A.B

Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo
Stan Walker – Māori Ki Te Ao

Te Māngai Pāho Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist
Stan Walker

Te Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Hori Shaw

Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau | Best Alternative Artist
Jim Nothing – ‘Grey Eyes, Grey Lynn’

Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau | Best Classical Artist
Jian Liu – ‘Where Fairburn Walked’

Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau | Best Country Music Artist
Tami Neilson – ‘Neilson Sings Nelson’

Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau | Best Electronic Artist
MOKOTRON – ‘WAEREA’

Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau | Best Folk Artist
Holly Arrowsmith – ‘Blue Dreams’

Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau | Best Hip Hop Artist
David Dallas – ‘Vita’

Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau | Best Jazz Artist
Lucien Johnson – ‘Ancient Relics’

Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist
Cassie Henderson – ‘The Yellow Chapter’

Te Manu Taki Rakapioi o te Tau | Best Rock Artist
DARTZ – ‘Dangerous Day To Be A Cold One’

Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau | Best Roots Artist
Corrella – ‘Skeletons’

Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB Artist
Aaradhna – ‘Sweet Surrender’

Te Taumata o te Toi | Best Album Artwork
Matt Sinclair – ‘Neilson Sings Nelson’ (Tami Neilson)

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer
Simon Gooding – ‘Safar’ (CHAII)

NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Music Video Content
Oscar Keys, Ezra Simons, Kristin Li – Paradise (DARTZ)

Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa | Best Producer
Nic Manders – ‘The Rose Of Jericho’ (Georgia Lines)

Te Taumata o te Hokona | Highest Selling Artist
Six60

NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Horapa | Radio Airplay Record of the Year
L.A.B

JD Sports Tā te Iwi | People’s Choice
Devilskin 

Photo rcedits – Stijl