Ladyhawke dominates at Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards
October 8, 2009
The Masterton-born, UK-based singer carried off Tuis for Vodafone Single of the Year, Vodafone Album of the Year, International Achievement, Mazda Best Female Solo Artist, Pacific Blue Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Best Dance/Electronica Album.
The debut album from Ladyhawke, whose off-stage name is Pip Brown, has gone gold in the UK, Australia and New Zealand and reached number 16 on the UK album chart.
Other big winners were Midnight Youth and Hip Hop trio Smashproof. Midnight Youth took home awards for Steinlager Pure Best Group and PPNZ Best Rock Album while Smashproof picked up Tuis for C4 Best Music Video (director Chris Graham), Highest Selling NZ Single and Vodafone People’s Choice.
Legendary 60s group Ray Columbus and The Invaders has been honoured for its contribution to New Zealand Music, receiving the New Zealand Herald Legacy Award and being inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. The band took the country by storm in the 1960s and was the first winner of a New Zealand Music award for its hit Til We Kissed.
At tonight’s awards, The Mint Chicks performed a version of the Invaders’ hit She’s a Mod and simultaneously the Mint Chick’s recording of the song was released as a digital single to raise money for the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre.
Tuis also went to:
• Best Male Solo Artist: Savage
• 42Below Best Urban / Hip Hop Album: Ladi 6 for Time is Not Much
• Kiwi FM Best Aotearoa Roots Album: Fat Freddy’s Drop for Dr Boondigga and the Big BW.
• Best Gospel / Christian Album: Mumsdollar for Ruins
• Best Classical Album: David Bremner for Gung Ho.
• Highest Selling NZ Album: the feelers – The Best: 1998-2008
• NZ on Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year: Tiki Taane – Always On My Mind
• International Achievement: Ladyhawke and Brooke Fraser
New Zealand Music Awards spokesperson Campbell Smith says the awards celebrate the great wealth of New Zealand music and this year they particularly honoured a shining star.
“Ladyhawke is a terrific artist and her debut album is an incredibly strong record. To see an album scoop six awards is rare, but an outstanding work such as hers is worthy of all the plaudits that it has received.
“However, let’s not forget the strength of our other winners and finalists. Our artists and our industry produced a wide and diverse range of music in 2009 that again undeniably shows just how creative and talented our musicans are.
“It was also fantastic to be able to honour Ray Columbus and The Invaders. These guys kick-started the New Zealand Music scene, they were real trailblazers. They toured with some of the greats such as Roy Orbison and the Rolling Stones, while delivering hit after hit in New Zealand and overseas. They fully deserved the honours they received tonight.”
Catch the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards 2009 tonight (October 
on C4 from 8.30pm and on TV3 on Saturday at 10.30pm.
For more information about the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards go to www.nzmusicawards.co.nz
ends
Issued for the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand by Pead PR
About RIANZ: The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) is a non-profit organisation representing major and independent record producers, distributors and recording artists throughout New Zealand. RIANZ works to protect the rights and promote the interests of creative people involved in the New Zealand recording industry.
About the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards: The Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards 2009 is owned and hosted by RIANZ and produced for RIANZ by Justine McKay and Andy Dowding of J&A Productions Limited. The Awards take place at the Vector Arena, Auckland on October 8. The event will be televised on the night live on C4 from 8.30pm. The sponsors lending their support to the awards this year are Vodafone, NZ On Air, Auckland City, Mazda, Steinlager Pure, 42Below, Pacific Blue, PPNZ, Glaceau vitaminwater, Schwarzkopf, MAC, Vector Arena, Langham Hotel Auckland, MAINZ, Gravity Coffee, KIWI FM, NZ Herald and C4.
