Finalists for the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards have been announced and for the second year running Stan Walker leads the field with five finalist nominations in 2025, including Single of the Year for Māori Ki Te Ao, which held the #1 spot on the Te Reo Chart for 55+ weeks.

Sharing that lead this year with five Tūī chances of her own, is Persian-New Zealand artist CHAII, a finalist for Album of The Year, Single of the Year (for We Be Killing It), and Best Electronic Artist. CHAII is also a finalist for Best Video Content for her self-directed Night Like This video, and for Best Producer alongside Frank Keys, for the pair’s work on her outstandingly creative ‘Safar’ album debut.

2024 Best Country Music Artist winner Kaylee Bell continues her wild ride, this year securing four finalist nods – for Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist and Best Country Music Artist and Single of the Year for Cowboy Up.

Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2022 and winner of the Tūī award for Best Pop Artist last year, Georgia Lines also returns in four 2024 award categories; up for Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist and Best Pop Artist for her debut album ‘The Rose of Jericho’, as well as Single of the Year for The Letter. ‘The Rose of Jericho’ also sees Nic Manders a finalist in both the Best Engineer and the Best Producer categories.

AMA 2025 Finalists

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau / Album of the Year

• Aaradhna – ‘Sweet Surrender’
• Anna Coddington – ‘Te Whakamiha’
• CHAII – ‘Safar’
• Fazerdaze – ‘Soft Power’
• Georgia Lines – ‘The Rose Of Jericho’
• Jordan Rakei – ‘The Loop’
• Kaylee Bell – ‘Nights Like This’
• L.A.B – ‘L.A.B VI’
• Mel Parsons – ‘Sabotage’
• MOKOTRON – ‘Waerea’
• Tami Neilson – ‘Neilson Sings Nelson’
• Troy Kingi – ‘Leatherman And The Mojave Green’

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau / Single of the Year

• Cassie Henderson – Seconds To Midnight (11.59)
• CHAII – We Be Killing It
• Fazerdaze – Cherry Pie
• Georgia Lines – The Letter
• JessB – Power feat. Sister Nancy & Sampa the Great
• Kaylee Bell – Cowboy Up
• Charli xcx, Lorde – Girl, so confusing featuring Lorde
• MOKOMOKAI – Kupe feat. Melodownz
• Reb Fountain – Come Down
• Stan Walker – Māori Ki Te Ao
• Theia – BALDH3AD!
• Troy Kingi – Silicone Booby Trap

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau / Best Group

• Corrella
• DARTZ
• Earth Tongue
• Foley
• L.A.B
• SKILAA

Te Tino Reo o te Tau / Best Solo Artist

• Aaradhna – ‘Sweet Surrender’
• Fazerdaze – ‘Soft Power’
• Georgia Lines – ‘The Rose Of Jericho’
• Kaylee Bell – ‘Nights Like This’
• MOKOTRON – ‘Waerea’
• Stan Walker

Mana Reo

• Anna Coddington – Te Whakamiha
• Haami Tuari – Taku Kaenga
• Jordyn with a Why – Reia
• Stan Walker
• TAWAZ
• Tuari Brothers – Higher

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau / Best Māori Artist

• Anna Coddington
• Corrella
• Jordyn with a Why
• MOHI
• Stan Walker
• TAWAZ

Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau / Best Alternative Artist

• Jim Nothing – ‘Grey Eyes, Grey Lynn’
• Louisa Nicklin – ‘The Big Sulk’
• Vera Ellen – ‘heartbreak for jetlag’

Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau / Best Classical Artist

• Jian Liu – ‘Where Fairburn Walked’
• Justin DeHart – ‘Towards Midnight: NZ Percussion Vol 2’
• Michael Houstoun – ‘The Well-Tempered Clavier’

Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau / Best Country Music Artist

• Barry Saunders & Delaney Davidson – ‘Happiness Is Near’
• Kaylee Bell – ‘Nights Like This’
• Tami Neilson – ‘Neilson Sings Nelson’

Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau / Best Electronic Artist

• CHAII – ‘Safar’
• Lee Mvtthews – ‘Exit’
• MOKOTRON – ‘Waerea’

Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau / Best Folk Artist

• Holly Arrowsmith – ‘Blue Dreams’
• Kerryn Fields – ‘The Folk Singer’
• Mel Parsons – ‘Sabotage’

Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau / Best Hip Hop Artist

• David Dallas – ‘Vita’
• Jujulipps – ‘Superstar’
• RNZŌ

Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau / Best Jazz Artist

• Lucien Johnson – ‘Ancient Relics’
• Thabani Gapara – ‘Dzindza’
• Umar Zakaria – ‘Family Music’

Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau / Best Pop Artist

• Cassie Henderson – ‘The Yellow Chapter’
• Frankie Venter
• Georgia Lines – ‘The Rose Of Jericho’

Te Manu Taki Rakapioi o te Tau / Best Rock Artist

• DARTZ – ‘Dangerous Day To Be A Cold One’
• Devilskin – ‘Surfacing’
• Troy Kingi – ‘Leatherman And The Mojave Green’

Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau/ Best Roots Artist

• Christoph El Truento – ‘Dubs From The Neighbourhood’
• Corrella – ‘Skeletons’
• Lomez Brown

Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau/ Best Soul/RnB Artist

• Aaradhna
• Sam V
• Stan Walker

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro/ Best Engineer

• Emily Wheatcroft-Snape & Amelia Murray – ‘Soft Power’ (Fazerdaze)
• Nic Manders – ‘The Rose Of Jericho’ (Georgia Lines)
• Simon Gooding – ‘Safar’ (CHAII)

Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa/ Best Producer

• CHAII, Frank Keys – ‘Safar’ (CHAII)
• Nic Manders – ‘The Rose Of Jericho’ (Georgia Lines)
• Rory Noble

Te Taumata o te Ataata/ Best Music Video Content

• CHAII – Night Like This (CHAII)
• Night Watch – Nightshift (Jujulipps)
• Oscar Keys, Ezra Simons, Kristin Li – Paradise (DARTZ)

Te Taumata o te Toi / Best Album Artwork

• Emma Hercus – ‘Sabotage’ (Mel Parsons)
• Matt Sinclair – ‘Neilson Sings Nelson’ (Tami Neilson)
• Natalie King, Chris Schmelz – ‘Uneven Ground’ (Death and the Maiden)