Recorded Music NZ has announced the three finalists for the Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Folk Artist 2022. They are Miles Calder, Troy Kingi and We Mavericks.

Usually presented at the Auckland Folk Festival, the 2022 award was delayed after the cancellation of that event due to Covid, with no substitute presentation date/forum yet announced.

Released in March 2021 as a solo album, Miles Calder’s ‘Autopilot Life’ is a lyrically self-reflective album that wanders through different stages of living an unexamined life. Wellington-based Calder and his former band move between sounds of understated folk-rock and swirling psychedelia. 

‘Black Sea Golden Ladder’ is multi-award winning Troy Kingi’s dive into folk music as part of his aspirational 10 10 10 series challenge to produce 10 albums, in 10 different genres, over 10 years. It’s a collaboration with award-winning singer/songwriter/producer Delaney Davidson who, alongside Jol Mulholland, won 2021’s Best Producer Tūī for the same album.

We Mavericks is duo Victoria Vigenser and Lindsay Martin, from NZ and New South Wales respectively. The pair have been nominated for their ‘Grief’s a Gardener’ album, a collection of connecting and grounding original songs.

Recent previous winners of the Tūī for Best Folk Artist

2013 – Great North
2014 – Tattletale Saints
2015 – Great North
2016 – Holly Arrowsmith
2017 – Guy Wishart
2018 – Albi & The Wolves
2019 – The Frank Burkitt Band
2020 – Mel Parsons
2021 – Tattletale Saints