26 Finalists for the 2022 Pacific Music Awards!

We're just under a week away from the 2022 Pacific Music Awards, with 26 finalists across 13 awards categories!

This year the Pacific music celebration will honour Connection, Collaboration and Community.

After a challenging two years for awards, artists and industry, the Pacific Music Awards are returning to a live awards event, Thursday 4th August at the Vodafone Events Centre, Auckland!

Across 13 awards categories, this year’s 26 finalists are a mix of new musicians debuting music, established Pacific music icons and everything in between!

Leading the finalist nominations this year are Tomorrow People who are up for four awards including Flava Best Pacific Group, One Love Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist and Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album for 21. 

The producers responsible for this album are also nominated for Best Producer - IKON MUSIC: Avina Kelekolio, Hennie Tui and Tana Tupai.
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With such a strong local movement, it’s only natural hip hop has a presence at this year’s awards. Kings and SWIDT are both nominated for three awards this year.

Furthermore, Poetik and Team Dynamite are both finalists for two awards, with Harry (Haz Beats) Huavi also nominated for Best Producer for his work on Team Dynamite’s album Respect The Process.

Last year Tree was nominated, and won, Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Album for Mrs Tree and NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video for 'Afio Ane Loa'. 

This year, she is back as a finalist for 531pi Best Gospel Artist and Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist for the track ‘No Fear ft. Junior Soqeta’. 

Show some love and support for Pacific music and this year's finalists...

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​2022 Pacific Music Awards finalists:

Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist:

• Emily Muli - ‘Break’
• Mo Etc. - Oceanbed
• Tree - ‘No Fear ft Junior Soqeta’

NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist:

• Diggy Dupé - ‘WEON’
• Kings - Raplist, ‘Young 4Eva’
• Poetik - Poetik Justice

Flava Best Pacific Group:

• SWIDT - ‘Seize the Day ft Savage’, ‘Kelz Garage’, ‘312 Day’
• Team Dynamite - Respect The Process
• Tomorrow People - 21

NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video:

• Diggy Dupé, choicevaughan & P. Smith - ‘Ain't The Same ft. Melodownz & Summer Vaha'akolo’ 
  • Directed by Tom Hern and Timena Apa
• House of Misfits - ‘Tā Te Manawa’
  • Directed by Abigail Dougherty
• Vallé - ‘Swing Low’
  • Directed by Connor Pritchard

APRA Best Pacific Song:

• Kings - ‘Young 4Eva’
  • Written by Kingdon Chapple-Wilson
• Samson Squad - ‘Amene’
  • Written by Jacob Samson, Tautape Samson & Jayjay Samson 
• SWIDT ‘Kelz Garage’
  • Written by Daniel Latu, Amon McGoram. Lomez Brown, Samuel Verlinden

SunPix Best Pacific Language:

• Kas Futialo - Grandmasta Kas
• Lani Alo - ‘Tua i manu’
• Samson Squad - ‘Kainga’, ‘Amene’
• Shepherds Reign - ‘Nga Ao E Rua ft Swizl Jager’

Base FM & Island Base FM Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist:

• Poetik - Poetik Justice
• SWIDT - ‘Seize the Day ft Savage’, ‘Kelz Garage’, ‘312 Day’
• Team Dynamite - Respect The Process

Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist:

• Emily Muli - ‘Break’
• Sam V - ‘Wired’, ‘Biker Boy’
• TJ Taotua - Overdue

One Love Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist:

• Foundation - ‘Closer’
• Sammielz - ‘Okay’
• Tomorrow People - 21
• Victor J Sefo - ‘Pele Ea’, ‘Ride’, ‘Shots’

531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist:

• Anthem - Anthem
• Tree - ‘No Fear ft Junior Soqeta’
• House of Misfits ‘Tā Te Manawa’

Niu FM Best International Pacific Artist:

• Bina Butta & Kennyon Brown - ‘Lady Love’
• Jaro Local - ‘Kamanda Amanda’, ‘First Time’, ‘Single Papa’, ‘25 Minutes’
• Lisi - ‘Good Life’, ‘Dreams’, ‘Til the Death’, ‘Baby We On’

Best Producer

• Diggy Dupé, choicevaughan & P. Smith - The Panthers OST 
  • Producers: Diggy Dupé, choicevaughan, P Smith
• Team Dynamite - Respect The Process
  • Producer: Harry (Haz Beats) Huavi
• Tomorrow People - 21
  • Producers: IKON MUSIC - Avina Kelekolio, Hennie Tui, Tana Tupai

Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album:

• Diggy Dupé, choicevaughan & P. Smith - The Panthers OST
• Kings - Raplist
• Tomorrow People - 21  

There will be six other awards announced for the 2022 Pacific Music Awards: Phillip Fuemana Most Promising Pacific Artist, NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award, NZ On Air Streaming Award, SunPix People’s Choice Award – Best Pacific Artist, Ministry for Pacific Peoples Special Recognition Award and the Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award.

Good luck everyone!