2016 New Zealand Music Awards

The 2016 New Zealand Music Awards was the 50th holding of the annual ceremony featuring awards for musical recording artists based in or originating from New Zealand. It took place in November 2016 at Vector Arena in Auckland and was hosted by comedy duo Jono Pryor and Ben Boyce. The awards show was broadcast live on TV3 and The Edge TV.
Nominations for the 2016 New Zealand Music Awards opened on 20 June 2016, and cover artists who have had commercial recordings released between 1 July 2015 and 31 July 2016. Nominations closed on 3 August 2016. The nominees were announced on 13 October, along with the 2016 Legacy Award recipient and the Critics' Choice Prize shortlist.

WWW nzmusicawards.co.nz

Early awards

While most of the awards were presented at the main awards ceremony held in November, five genre awards are presented earlier in the year at ceremonies of their field.

The first was awarded in February, with the Tui for Best Folk Album presented at the Auckland Folk Festival in Kumeu to Queenstown singer-songwriter Holly Arrowsmith for her debut album For the Weary Traveller.
The Tui for Best Jazz Album was presented in March at the National Jazz Festival in Tauranga to Phil Broadhurst Quintet for their album Panacea.
The Best Country Music Album Tui was presented in June at the New Zealand Country Music Awards in Gore to The Warratahs for their album Runaway Days.
The Tui for Best Pacific Music Album was presented in June at the Vodafone Pacific Music Awards to the performance group Te Vaka for their album Amataga.
The Tui for the Best Children's Music Album was presented in August on What Now to Itty Bitty Beats for their album Lay Your Head Down.

In addition, the artisan awards were presented on 20 October at a cocktail event at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland. The Critics' Choice prize event and winner announcement will be held on 2 November at the Tuning Fork bar in Auckland.

Nominees and winners

New for 2016, the technical awards have been renamed the artisan awards, and the Best Electronica Album award is now named Best Electronic Album. Broods dominated the awards, picking up Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Best Group, Best Pop Album and the People's Choice Award. R&B singer Aaradhna won Best Urban/Hip Hop Album, but refused to accept the award as she felt a category that included both R&B and rap acts was putting the two genres together for racial reasons. She then informally presented the award to rap group SWIDT. Recorded Music NZ still lists Aaradhna as the winner of the category.
Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.
;Key

Album of the Year	Single of the Year
Sponsored by Godfrey Hirst Broods – Conscious *Aaradhna – Brown Girl**** Fat Freddy's Drop – Bays Hollie Smith – Water or Gold Tami Neilson – Don’t Be Afraid The Phoenix Foundation – Give Up Your Dreams	Sponsored by Vodafone Broods - Free Aaradhna - Brown Girl* Kings - Don't Worry Bout It* Maala - Kind of Love* Shapeshifter - Stars* The Naked and Famous - Higher*
Best Group	Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Sponsor Broods – Conscious *Fat Freddy's Drop – Bays**** Sol3 Mio - On Another Note The Phoenix Foundation – Give Up Your Dreams	Sponsor Kings - Don't Worry Bout It Leisure – All Over You* Nomad – Oh My My* Sachi – Lunch with Bianca*
Best Male Solo Artist	Best Female Solo Artist
Sponsor Maala – Composure *Avalanche City – We are for the Wild Places**** Dave Dobbyn – Harmony House Lawrence Arabia – Absolute Truth	Sponsor Aaradhna - Brown Girl Hollie Smith – Water or Gold* Ladyhawke – Wild Things* Tami Neilson – Don’t Be Afraid*
Best Rock Album	Best Pop Album
Sponsor Villainy - Dead Sight *Beastwars - The Death of All Things**** *Jordan Luck Band - Not Only… But Also	Sponsored by The Edge Broods – Conscious Avalanche City – We Are for the Wild Places* Maala - Composure*
Best Urban/Hip Hop Album	Best Reggae/Roots Album
Sponsor Aaradhna – Brown Girl *SWIDT – SmokeyGotBeatz Presents SWIDT vs EVERYBODY**** *PNC – The Luke Vailima EP	Sponsor Unity Pacific – Blackbirder Dread Fat Freddy's Drop – Bays* Rob Ruha – Pūmau*
Best Alternative Album	Best Māori Album
Sponsor Lawrence Arabia – Absolute Truth *The Phoenix Foundation – Give Up Your Dreams**** *Silicon – Personal Computer	Sponsor Rob Ruha – Pūmau Dennis Marsh – Maori Songbook 2* Kirsten Te Rito – Āiotanga*
Best Worship Album	Best Classical Album
Sponsor Edge Kingsland - Edge Vol. 3: The Common Good *Grace Vineyard Music - Seek You**** *LIFE Worship - By My Spirit	Sponsor Anthony Ritchie and Ross Harris – Fjärren: In the Distance Kenneth Young – Shadows and Light* Zephyr – Zephyr*
Best Electronic Album	Legacy Award
Sponsor Pacific Heights – The Stillness *Electric Wire Hustle – Aeons**** *Opiuo – Omniversal	Sponsored by The New Zealand HeraldNo finalists are announced in this category. Announced 13 October 2016 Bic Runga
People's Choice Award	Critics' Choice Prize
Sponsored by Vodafone Broods Fat Freddy's Drop Kings Maala Sol3 Mio	Sponsored by NZ on AirPresented 2 November 2016 Scuba Diva Kane Strang Spycc & INF
Highest selling New Zealand Single	Highest selling New Zealand Album
SponsorNo finalists are announced in this category. Six60 - White Lines	SponsorNo finalists are announced in this category. Sol3 Mio - On Another Note
Radio Airplay Record of the Year	International Achievement Award
Sponsored by NZ on Air No finalists are announced in this category. Six60 - White Lines	SponsorNo finalists are announced in this category. Fat Freddy's Drop
Best Music Video	Best Album Cover‡
Sponsored by NZ on AirPresented 20 October 2016 Chris Lane – Inside Out Sam Peacocke – Buried by the Burden* Simon Oliver – Secret Lives of Furniture*	SponsorPresented 20 October 2016 Anns Taylor – Absolute Truth Henrietta Harris – I'll Forget 17* Simon Faisandier – Road To You*
Best Engineer‡	Best Producer‡
SponsorPresented 20 October 2016 Joel Little – Conscious Miller & Phil Yule – Shoot Me in the Heart* Samuel Flynn Scott & Lee Prebble –Harmony House*	Sponsored by Massey UniversityPresented 20 October 2016 Joel Little – Conscious Devin Abrams – The Stillness* Josh Fountain – Composure*
Best Folk Album	Best Jazz Album
Presented 7 February 2016 Holly Arrowsmith - For The Weary Traveller *Nadia Reid - Listen to Formations, Look for the Signs**** *Amiria Grenell - Autumn	Presented 26 March 2016 Phil Broadhurst Quintet - Panacea Michael Houstoun and the Rodger Fox Big Band for Concerti* Kevin Field - The A List*
Best Country Music Album	Best Pacific Music Album
Presented 2 June 2016 The Warratahs - Runaway Days *Eb & Sparrow - Sun/Son**** *Jody Direen - Breaks Out	Presented 9 June 2016 Te Vaka - Amataga Annie Grace - The Journey* Sol3 Mio - On Another Note*
Best Children's Music Album
Presented 9 August 2016 Itty Bitty Beats - Lay Your Head Down Anna van Riel - Cooking up a Song* Peter Weatherall - Lollipop Man*