Features
Six60, Kimbra Dominate
NZ Music Awards
Drum and bass band
Six60 won an impressive six “Tuis,” including best group, people’s choice and highest-selling album for its self-titled debut, which was certified triple platinum.
The act’s double-platinum single, “Don’t Forget Your Roots,” which on the week of the awards notched up its 52nd week in the official charts, took single of the year, highest-selling NZ single and radio airplay of the year.
Kimbra, on the back of being featured on Gotye s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” found her own success – with a platinum album in Australia, a No. 14 debut in the U.S. and airplay in the UK and through Europe. She was nominated for five Tuis.
The singer, who is now based in Melbourne, took best female solo artist and breakthrough artist. Her Vows album won international achievement, album of the year and best pop album.
“It’s nice to be acknowledged by the country where it all started,” Kimbra said, adding she remembered the early days “when there’d be five people at the shows.”
Kimbra and Six60 performed at the ceremony, along with Gin Wigmore Home Brew The Black Seeds and Annah Mac International presenters included Mumford & Sons and Ben Harper.
Controversial hip-hop act Home Brew arrived dressed in Biblical costumes and led a goat, which was soon banished when it soiled the red carpet.
At their acceptance speech, they thanked “God for not existing” and attacked NZ Prime Minister John Kay “for not supporting the working class.”
Home Brew took best urban album for its self-titled album.
Other winners were The Naked and Famous (international achievement, best music video), Unknown Mortal Orchestra aka Oregon-based Ruban Nielson (male solo), The Checks who split up in September after 10 years (rock album), reggae dub band The Black Seeds (roots album), Opossum (alternative album), Concord Dawn (electronica album), Ria Hall (Maori album) Parachute Band (gospel / Christian album) and Christopher Blake (classical album).
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand managing director Chris Caddick, who pointed out that most of the recipients were first-time winners, added, “It’s exciting to see a new generation of New Zealand artists connecting so strongly with Kiwi music fans and tonight’s event demonstrates that New Zealand music is continuing to flourish.”