Top 20 finalists for APRA NZ’s Silver Scroll awards

APRA AMCOS New Zealand announced the Top 20 of its annual and prestigious Silver Scroll Award.

They are presented at Spark Arena in Auckland on Thursday, October 4.

Some of the 20, selected by eight songwriters from a total of 200 applications, have made their mark in Australia and are:

• A Woman’s Pain, written and performed by Tami Neilson.
• Alright, written by Sam de Jong & Cynthia Nabozny, performed by Cyn.
• Aztechknowledgey, written and performed by Troy Kingi.
• Black Crow, written by Louis Baker & Steve Rusch, performed by Louis Baker.
• Conquer written by Isaiah Libeau, Daniel Latu & Amon McGoram, performed by SWIDT.
• December, written by Joshua Burgess, Charles Ryder, Christie Simpson & Samuel Perry, performed by Yumi Zouma.
• Future Me Hates Me, written by Elizabeth Stokes, performed by The Beths.
• Hours, written by Julien Dyne, Brandon Haru & Karoline Tamati, performed by Julien Dyne featuring Ladi6.
• Hunnybee, written by Ruban Nielson, Kody Nielson & Jacob Portrait, performed by Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
• Kalega, written by Rob Ruha & Taina Keelan, performed by Rob Ruha & The Witch Doctor.
• Laugh It Off, written by Chelsea Jade Metcalf & Bradley Hale performed by Chelsea Jade.
• New Wave, written and performed by Seth Haapu.
• Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore, written and performed by Marlon Williams.
• Nothing To Regret, written by Anna Robinson, Allison Crystal & Larzz Principato, performed by Robinson.
• Slow Train Creek, written and performed by Holly Arrowsmith.
• Temporary Me, written by Kingdon Chapple-Wilson, performed by Kings.
• Two Free Hands, written and performed by Anthonie Tonnon.
• Wallace Line, written by Michael Cathro, performed by Ha The Unclear.
• We Light Fire, written and performed by Julia Deans.
• You Got Me, written and performed by Lisa Crawley.

“These songs show the diversity of song writing in New Zealand right now– from long-established luminaries to fresh faces, ballads to beats, rhymes to folk stories, and many inventive diversions in between,” says APRA NZ’s Anthony Healey.

“Of course, as is always the case, there were easily at least 20 more songs also in contention, and our experts had a hard job to select these.

“But it’s wonderful to be able to celebrate the incredible work of New Zealand songwriters over the past year, and draw attention to some excellent music.”

This year’s jury was Anji Sami (She’s So Rad/Sami Sisters), Anna Coddington, Cherie Mathieson (Sola Rosa), Jane de Jong (Ruby Frost), Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins), Nadia Reid, Phil Bell (DJ Sir-vere), Rodney Fisher (Goodshirt), and Simon Gooding (The Map Room).

Now the 20 will be judged by APRA NZ’s near 10,000 members for the winner of the Silver Scroll.

Past recipients ranged from stalwarts Neil Finn, Bic Runga, Ray Columbus, Dave Dobbyn, Don McGlashan and Shona Laing to a younger generation including James Milne & Luke Buda, Ella Yelich-O’Connor (Lorde) & Joel Little, Tami Neilson, and Ruban & Kody Nielson.