AND THE VNZMA ARTISAN FINALISTS ARE? (2019): Behind the scenes, the makers and creatives

Music which connects with an audience doesn't just drop from the heavens courtesy of a bandcamp or Soundcloud posting.

Hundreds of songs out of bedrooms and cheap studios arrive on those portals every day, so somewhere along the line the music needs professional shaping and sharpening, a bit of promotion (video is logical) and a nice bit of packaging if it is an album.

This year's finalists at Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards in the Artisan category are those who have had a hand in that process.

The awards in each category will be held at Massey University’s School of Music and Creative Media Production in Wellington on 4 November.

Five New Zealand Music Awards will be presented: Massey University Best Producer, Best Engineer, NZ On Air Best Music Video, Best Album Artwork and Music Teacher of the Year.

Album cover of the year finalists are

Jamie Robertson (for A Quiet Divide, Rhian Sheehan), Mike Braid (Raised In The Dark, Villainy), Tim Harper and Dick Frizzell (Offering).

And here they are.

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The Massey University Best Producer finalists are 

Josh Fountainfor his work with BENEE, Foley, LEISURE, and MAALA, Simon Gooding, Ji Fraser, and Eli Paewai for their production of Mitch James’ self-titled debut album, and Tom Healy for his work on Tiny Ruins’ Olympic Girls.

Finalist for Best Engineer are

LEISURE’s Josh Fountain, two-times Tui winner Simon Gooding for Mitch James' Mitch James album, and Ben Lawson and Vivek Gabriel for Avantdale Bowling Club’s self-titled album.

Finalists for the Music Teacher of the Year are

Jane Egan from Gisborne Girls High School (her second year in a row), Duncan Ferguson from St Andrews College in Christchurch and Sue Banham from Rosehill College in Papakura, Auckland.

In addition to the five Tui awarded on the night, this year the MMF (NZ) will present the Recorded Music NZ Music Manager of the Year at the Artisan Awards.

The finalists are

Lorraine Barry (Avantdale Bowling Club, Th’ Dudes, Dave Dobbyn and nomad)

Paul McKessar of CRS Music Management (MAALA, Jon Lemmon, Openside, BENEE)

Niel de Jong and Oliver Kraemer (Alien Weaponry)

NZonAir Best Music Video finalists are

Jason Brock for ‘Feeling Free’ by LEISURE, Martin Sagadin for ‘The Barrel’ by Aldous Harding, Vision Thing for ‘Rock Bottom’ by Randa).

And here they are

The 2019 Artisan Awards begin at 7pm on Monday 4 November and will be streamed on both the Massey University College of Creative Artsand the official NZ Music AwardsFacebook pages, so people can tune in from anywhere in Aotearoa to celebrate alongside the Kiwi music industry.