2025 Aotearoa Music Awards

2025 Aotearoa Music Awards
The stage at the 2024 awards ceremony
Awarded forExcellence in New Zealand music
Date29 May 2025 (2025-05-29)
LocationViaduct Events Centre
Presented byRecorded Music NZ
Hosted byJesse Mulligan & Kara Rickard
Reward(s)Tūī trophy
WebsiteOfficial website
Television/radio coverage
NetworkRadio NZ, TVNZ+

The 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards was the 59th holding of the annual ceremony featuring awards for New Zealand music recording artists. The awards took place on 29 May 2025 at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland and was hosted by Jesse Mulligan and Kara Rickard.

The awards were live streamed by Radio New Zealand, and made available to watch the next day on TVNZ+.[1]

Nominees and winners

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).[2][3]

Album of the Year
Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau
Single of the Year
Te Tino Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau
Best Solo Artist
Te Tino Reo o te Tau
Best Group
Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau
  • Earth Tongue Great Haunting
    • CorrellaSkeletons
    • DARTZDangerous Day To Be A Cold One
    • Foley
    • L.A.BL.A.B VI
    • SKILAA – Tiger In The River
Best Māori Artist
Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau
Mana Reo
Te Mangai Pāho Mana Reo
  • Stan Walker – "Māori Ki Te Ao"
    • Anna CoddingtonTe Whakamiha
    • Haami Tuari – Taku Kaenga
    • Jordyn With a Why – "Reia"
    • TAWAZ – "Tātarakihi" (feat. MOHI)
    • Tuari Brothers – "Higher"
Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Te Iti Rearea o te Tau
Best Pop Artist
Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau
  • Cassie Henderson The Yellow Chapter
Best Alternative Artist
Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau
Best Soul / RnB Artist
Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau
  • Jim Nothing Grey Eyes, Grey Lynn
    • Louisa Nicklin – The Big Sulk
    • Vera Ellenheartbreak for jetlag
Best Hip Hop Artist
Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau
Best Roots Artist
Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau
  • CorrellaSkeletons
    • Christoph El Truento – Dubs From The Neighbourhood
    • Lomez Brown
Best Rock Artist
Te Manu Taki Rakapioi o te Tau
Best Electronic Artist
Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau
Best Classical Artist
Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau
Te Manu Mātarae
  • Jian Liu – Where Fairburn Walked
    • Justin DeHart – Towards Midnight: NZ Percussion Vol 2
    • Michael HoustounThe Well-Tempered Clavier

Additional awards

The following awards were also presented:

Best Country Artist
Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau
Best Folk Artist
Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau
  • Holly Arrowsmith – Blue Dreams
    • Kerryn Fields – The Folk Singer
    • Mel ParsonsSabotage
Best Children's Music Artist
Te Manu Taki Kerekahu o te Tau
Best Jazz Artist
(Te Kaipuoro Tautito Toa)
  • Claudia Robin Gunn
  • Lucien Johnson – Ancient Relics
    • Thabani Gapara – Dzindza
    • Umar Zakaria – Family Music

Artisan awards

Best Album Artwork
Te Taumata o te Toi
Best Music Video Content
Te Taumata o te Ataata
  • Matt Sinclair – Neilson Sings Nelson (Tami Neilson)
    • Emma Hercus – Sabotage (Mel Parsons)
    • Natalie King, Chris Schmelz – Uneven Ground (Death and the Maiden)
  • Oscar Keys, Ezra Simons, Kristin Li – "Paradise" (DARTZ)
    • CHAII – "Night Like This" (CHAII)
    • Night Watch – "Nightshift" (Jujulipps)
Best Producer
Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa
Best Engineer
Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro
  • Nic Manders – The Rose Of Jericho (Georgia Lines)
    • CHAII, Frank Keys – Safar (CHAII)
    • Rory Noble
  • Simon Gooding – Safar (CHAII)
    • Emily Wheatcroft – Snape, Amelia MurraySoft Power (Fazerdaze)
    • Nic Manders – The Rose Of Jericho (Georgia Lines)

Special awards

People's Choice Award
Tā te Iwi
Highest Selling Artist

Te Taumata o te Hokona

Radio Airplay Record of the Year

Te Taumata o te Horapa

References

  1. ^ Simich, Ricardo (29 May 2024). "Spy shares all the buzz ahead of the Aotearoa Music Awards". NZ Herald. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  2. ^ Solomon, Serena (8 April 2025). "The finalists for the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards". Radio NZ. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  3. ^ Emhail, Isra'a (30 May 2025). "Aotearoa Music Awards 2025: Fazerdaze re-emerges on top". One News.