THE TAITE MUSIC PRIZE FINALISTS (2021): The independent spirits

 |   |  2 min read

THE TAITE MUSIC PRIZE FINALISTS (2021): The independent spirits

Named after the late Dylan Taite, one of New Zealand’s most respected music journalists, the Taite Music Prize recognises outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music contained on one recording.

The award is open to all genres of music and judged on artistic merit regardless of genre, sales, or record label.

Any New Zealand album released during the calendar year of 2020 was eligible for nomination for the Taite Music Prize 2021.  The winner receives a newly increased cash prize of $12,500, thanks to Founding Partner Recorded Music NZ and supporting partner NZ Music Commission. 
A voting academy of all current members of IMNZ, musicians, and music industry personnel voted to produce the shortlisted finalist albums. An independent panel debates and scrutinises the shortlisted albums to decide the winner. That panel comprises musicians, journalists, and music industry professionals with a wide variety of different professional backgrounds and personal tastes.

The announcement of the winner will happen in Auckland at Auckland's Q Theatre on 20th April 2021.

This year’s ten finalists, from a list of nominations submitted by record labels both independent and major from across the country, are as follows (and highlighted albums link to Elsewhere's review):

.

Anna Coddington - Beams (Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa)
L.A.B - L.A.B IV (Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa)
Nadia Reid - Out Of My Province (Slow Time Records)
Reb Fountain - Reb Fountain (Flying Nun Records)
Ria Hall - Manawa Wera (Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa)
Tami Neilson - Chickaboom! (Neilson Records)
The Beths - Jump Rope Gazers (Carpark Records)
The Phoenix Foundation - Friend Ship (The Phoenix Foundation Ltd. / Universal NZ)
Troy Kingi - The Ghost of Freddie Cesar (AAA Records)
Wax Chattels - Clot (Flying Nun Records)

The Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award celebrates the freshest talent of Aotearoa.

The winner receives a $2000 cash prize plus a performance or technical upskilling opportunity thanks to Auckland Live.
The three albums nominated for the 2021Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award: 

Amamelia - WOW! (Sunreturn)
Dick Move - Chop! (1:12 Records)
Na Noise - Waiting For You (1:12 Records)



Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Something Elsewhere articles index

FISTFUL OF VINYL: Records ride back over the horizon

FISTFUL OF VINYL: Records ride back over the horizon

A true coincidence? Within half an hour of speaking with my son in London about some wonderful on-line world which allows streaming access to what seems like a billion songs, a familiarly shaped... > Read more

RECORD STORE DAY 2015: Back to black

RECORD STORE DAY 2015: Back to black

The annual Record Store Day is an opportunity to show the love for vinyl as artists local and international issue good old fashioned records, many of them limited editions and often coming in... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Cecil Taylor Unit/Roswell Rudd Sextet: Mixed (Impulse!/Universal)

Cecil Taylor Unit/Roswell Rudd Sextet: Mixed (Impulse!/Universal)

Just as composer, multi-instrumentalist and, for want of a better word, "jazz" musician Ornette Coleman has undergone critical and public rehabilitation this past couple of decades, so... > Read more

Various Artists: So Frenchy So Chic 2016 (Cartell/Border)

Various Artists: So Frenchy So Chic 2016 (Cartell/Border)

For many decades the punchline was,"French pop" . . . because when it came to pop music it seemed the French -- stuck somewhere between cool chanson and fashion chic -- didn't quite... > Read more