2025 Taite Music Prize
| 2025 Taite Music Prize | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | The best NZ album released in 2024 |
| Sponsored by | Recorded Music NZ |
| Date | 15 April 2025 |
| Venue | Q Theatre, Auckland |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Acts |
|
| Reward | $12,500 |
| Winner | Mokotron |
| Highlights | |
| IMNZ Classic Record | Killjoy, by Shihad |
| Best Independent Debut | Filter, by Byllie-Jean |
| Independent Spirit Award | Rohan Evans, The Wine Cellar |
| Outstanding Music Journalism Award | Chris Schulz, Boiler Room |
| Website | indies.co.nz |
The 16th annual Taite Music Prize, along with four other New Zealand music industry awards, was presented on 15 April 2025 at a ceremony in Auckland, organised by Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ). The winner of the main award was Mokotron (Tiopira McDowell) for his album WAEREA.
The night's other winners were Shihad, Byllie-Jean, Rohan Evans, and Chris Schulz.
The Taite Music Prize (a.k.a. Taite Main)
The ceremony and its main award share the "Taite Music Prize" name. Sometimes called the Taite Main, this award recognised New Zealand's best album of 2024. The winner, WAEREA by Mokotron, was selected by a panel of 12 judges who were not publicly named until after their decision was announced.[1]
Criteria for the award include artistic merit, creativity, innovation and excellence. The prize included $12,500 from Recorded Music NZ.[2]
Winner
The judges described WAEREA as a "bold and uncompromising statement [...that...] not only confronts present-day realities but also expands the horizons of bass music in Aotearoa". It was the first album in te reo Māori to win the Taite Music Prize.[3]
Mokotron, whose real name is Dr. Tiopira McDowell (Ngāti Hine), wrote and composed WAEREA alone. The day after his win credited his music's originality to his tendency to not engage much with other popular music like L.A.B. or Katchafire. The Taite win surprised him, and he was considering spending the prize money to upgrade his studio space in his west Auckland garage.[4]
Nominations and finalists
An open call for nominations ran from December 2024 to January 2025, and a total of 81 albums were entered.[5] This list went to a vote of all IMNZ members, 584 of whom voted.[6] Ten finalists were announced on March 3.[7]
Troy Kingi, winner of the 2020 Taite Music Prize, was shortlisted for a fourth time. Gussie Larkin of Earth Tongue also made her fourth final, after three with Mermaidens. Fazerdaze became a three-time finalist and Anna Coddington, Mel Parsons and Delaney Davidson all added to one earlier appearance.[5]
| Artist | Album | Label | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holly Arrowsmith | Blue Dreams | Leather Jacket Recordings | Nominated |
| Anna Coddington | Te Whakamiha | Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa | Nominated |
| DARTZ | Dangerous Day to be a Cold One | Flying Nun | Nominated |
| Delaney Davidson | Out of My Head | Rough Diamond | Nominated |
| Earth Tongue | Great Haunting | In The Red | Nominated |
| Fazerdaze | Soft Power | Buttrfly Records | Nominated |
| Georgia Lines | The Rose of Jericho | (Independent) | Nominated |
| MOKOTRON | WAEREA | Sunreturn | Won |
| Mel Parsons | Sabotage | Cape Road Recordings | Nominated |
| Troy Kingi | Leatherman & the Mojave Green | AllGood Absolute Alternative Records | Nominated |
Judging panel
Taite Music Prize judging panels are kept anonymous before the award is announced. In alphabetical order, the 2025 judges were:[8]
- Chris Cudby of Under The Radar, two-time nominee for the Outstanding Music Journalism Award.
- Hariet Ellis, IMNZ board member, label manager at Flying Nun Records, and member of 2024 finalists Dick Move.
- Paddy Hill of Roundhead Studios.
- Jazmine Mary, IMNZ board member, winner of the 2022 Best Independent Debut Award, and member of Pony Baby (nominated for the same prize in 2025).
- Annabel Kean, filmmaker with Sports Team LTD and 2022 nominee for the Outstanding Music Journalism Award.[9]
- Stormie Kereopa-Lloyd of APRA, also an artist manager.[10]
- Damon Newton from Auckland Live.
- Karl Puschmann, freelance journalist and nominee for the Outstanding Music Journalism Award.
- Tony Stamp of RNZ, winner of the inaugural Outstanding Music Journalism Award in 2022.
- Sarah Thomson from New Zealand On Air.
- Tom Tremewan of 95bFM
- Lyric Waiwiri-Smith of The Spinoff.
IMNZ Classic Record
Killjoy by Shihad, first released in 1995, was the IMNZ Classic Record for 2025. This was announced on 27 March, ahead of the award presentation. There was no public nomination process or vote.[11] Shihad's final ever tour, Loud Forever, had concluded only weeks earlier.[3]
The award was presented by Murray Cammick (a previous winner of the Independent Spirit Award at the 2020 Taites).[12]
Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award
The Best Independent Debut Award, sponsored by Auckland Live, went to Byllie-jean (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Ngāti Pahauwera) for Filter.[12] Despite the award's name, Filter is an EP.
In her acceptance speech, Byllie-jean described it as a "win for all wāhine Māori".[1]
The award included $2,000 cash and studio recording time with Parachute Studios.[11]
Nominations and finalists
Like the Taite Main, an open nomination round for the Best Independent Debut Award was held in early 2025. A shortlist of four finalists was announced before the award ceremony. Pony Baby's Jazmine Mary, who won the Best Debut Award of 2022 for her solo album The Licking of a Tangerine, became a two-time finalist.[11]
| Artist | Album | Label | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Byllie-jean | Filter | Wā-noir Records | Won |
| Pony Baby | Pony Baby | (independent) | Nominated |
| VIDA | Aquatopialien | (independent) | Nominated |
| 花溪 Flowerstream | Flowers Dream | Hokima Dihar Records | Nominated |
NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award
In its fourth year, The Outstanding Music Journalism Award went to Chris Schulz, author of the Substack newsletter, Boiler Room. He was one of three finalists announced ahead of the award ceremony.[11]
Schulz was late to the ceremony, so the award was accepted on his behalf by fellow nominee Karl Puschmann.[13] It was presented by Suzanne De Spong of New Zealand On Air.[12]
| Nominee(s) | Publication | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Rosa Nevison, Sam Elliott, Flynn Robson | Newzician Magazine | Nominated |
| Karl Puschmann | Antenna Media | Nominated |
| Chris Schulz | Boiler Room | Won |
Independent Spirit award
The winner of the Independent Spirit award for 2025 was Rohan Evans, founder The Wine Cellar. For 20 years his music venue in Auckland's St Kevin's Arcade had championed local artists, emerging talent, and independent music.[1]
Evans ran The Wine Cellar from 2004 until mid-2024, when it was physically merged with the neighbouring Whammy Bar to form Double Whammy.[14]
Award ceremony
The 2025 Taite Music Prize ceremony, on 15 April, was the seventh to be held at Auckland's Q Theatre. Performers on the night included two previous winners of the Best Debit Album award, Jazmine Mary and JUJULIPPS.[1] Attendees included Government minister Chris Bishop and Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d Bhatt, Jogai (15 April 2025). "Mokotron wins 2025 Taite Music Prize". RNZ. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ "Terms & Judging Criteria". Independent Music NZ. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Taite Music Prize 2025 Award Winners announced: Shihad, Mokotron take out top gongs". New Zealand Herald. 15 April 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ Waiwiri-Smith, Lyric (17 April 2025). "'I'll dedicate it to David Seymour': Taite Music Prize winner Mokotron on what comes next". The Spinoff. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ a b Johns, Max (28 February 2025). "All 81 albums nominated for the 2025 Taite Music Prize, reviewed". The Spinoff. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ "Independent Music NZ presents Taite Music Prize 2025 Finalists Announced". New Zealand Music Commission. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ "Independent Music NZ Announces Taite Music Prize 2025 Nominations Are Now OPEN". New Zealand Music Commission. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ "The 2025 Taite Music Prize Winner is Mokotron!". Muzic.NZ. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ Webb-Liddall, Alice (21 October 2020). "Meet the duo behind some of The Beths' coolest music videos". Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ Cudby, Chris (19 May 2025). "The Official NZ Music Month Summit - 2025 Timetable Announced". Under The Radar. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Taite Music Prize 2025 Announcement". Muzic.NZ. 27 March 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d "The 2025 Taite Music Prize Winner is MOKOTRON - WAEREA". Auckland Live. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ Schulz, Chris (16 April 2025). "I won something?!? I won something!!!". Substack. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ Lardies, Gabi (20 August 2024). "The good and bad of Auckland's newest venue Double Whammy!". The Spinoff. Retrieved 13 March 2026.