LEAO Make History with Top Honour at 2026 APRA Silver Scroll Awards

Pacific neo-psychedelic group LEAO have made history at the 2026 APRA Silver Scroll Awards, becoming the first act to win the prestigious songwriting prize with a song written entirely in Gagana Samoa.

The group took home the top honour for "LALELEI" at the 61st annual ceremony, held at Auckland's Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre on Wednesday night, where six awards were presented in recognition of Aotearoa's songwriters and composers.

Written by David Feauai-Afaese, Navakatoa Tekela-Pule, Levi Gemmell and Larsen Taylor, "LALELEI" was voted the winning song by APRA members, marking a significant milestone for the group following their first-ever Silver Scroll nomination.

Translating to "beautiful", the track is a tribute to family and homeland, exploring themes of distance, longing and connection to Samoan culture. Musically, it draws on traditional Samoan garage influences while incorporating contemporary production.

The win adds to a growing list of achievements for LEAO, whose music has previously featured in Taika Waititi's Next Goal Wins. The group have also supported Tinariwen, appeared on NTS Radio and performed at the Great Escape festival, while Feauai-Afaese, Tekela-Pule and Taylor are among the founders of pan-Moana label Noa Records.

The award was presented by Split Enz's Neil Finn, with Pōneke-based vocal trio A.R.T delivering a reinterpretation of "LALELEI" during the ceremony.

Elsewhere, Aro's Emily and Charles Looker received the APRA Maioha Award | Tohu Maioha for "Puna Ora", taken from their 2026 album Tāwauwau.

The duo made history of their own in this year's nominations, becoming the first act to have two songs shortlisted in the Maioha category. Their win marks their first APRA Silver Scrolls award, having previously appeared on the Maioha shortlist and twice reached the Silver Scroll Top 20.

The award recognises songwriting in te reo Māori, with "Puna Ora" drawing on intergenerational connections and the significance of the word puna.

"The song is about awakening that inner puna ora, that living spring inside us that connects us to our tūpuna, our tamariki, and to something beyond what we can see," Aro explained. 

Another major moment came with the introduction of Te Tihi o te Maunga Tito, a new award recognising songwriting and composition for kapa haka.

Rob Ruha became its inaugural recipient for "Te Tapuni", performed by Te Taumata o Apanui (TOA). The song pays tribute to the late Ricky Lee Tapuni Mitai and his commitment to preserving te reo Māori, tikanga and the arts. TOA previously performed the song at the Mātaatua regional competitions, where they secured first place and qualification for Te Matatini 2027.

In the contemporary composition category, Dylan Lardelli received the SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Te Tohu Auaha for Light Lines, his first work for string trio. Inspired by the writings of Greek philosopher Heraclitus, the composition explores how constantly changing musical elements can come together to form a unified work.

Although unable to attend the ceremony, Lardelli shared a statement acknowledging his fellow finalists and the musicians who brought the piece to life.

"I feel very humbled to receive this year's SOUNZ Contemporary Award, especially amongst such worthy finalists. I was very privileged to have such an accomplished and sensitive group of musicians bring my music to life - the Mondrian Ensemble, who captured my music with such elegance, in so many performances around the world."

Screen composers were also recognised, with Claire Cowan winning Best Original Music in a Series for her work on crime drama Bust Up, starring Morgana O'Reilly and Roimata Fox. The result marks another win in the category for Cowan, who previously received the honour in 2017 and has since earned multiple nominations across APRA's screen composition awards.

Meanwhile, Karl Sölve Steven claimed Best Original Music in a Feature Film for his score to Pike River, securing his fourth win in the category. Steven had two projects shortlisted this year, with Mārama, co-composed with Rob Thorne, also nominated.

The ceremony formed part of APRA's centenary celebrations, marking 100 years of representing songwriters and composers in Aotearoa. The evening opened with a cross-cultural pōhiri led by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, featuring performances from Māori, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Island artists.

Performances throughout the night also revisited the five Silver Scroll finalist songs, including tracks written by Troy Kingi, Aldous Harding, Deva Mahal and Chris Wethey, and Peter McCall. The ceremony concluded with a performance of "Ngā Iwi E" featuring Lynda Topp, the Sami Sisters, Te Rōpū Mānūtaki kapa haka and a 10-piece band.

The performances were curated by music director Godfrey DeGrut, with the event livestreamed by RNZ.