Lorde Dominates NZ 'Tui' Awards

A month after winning New Zealand’s most prestigious songwriter award, the Golden Silver Scroll, Lorde dominated at the New Zealand Music Awards with four wins.

Also known as the “Tuis” and held for their 48th year, the awards ceremony took place at Auckland’s Vector Arena Nov. 21. The 17-year-old, who was virtually unknown 12 months ago, kicked the night off performing the global chart-topping track “Royals,”which topped the U.S. charts for its eighth week and has sold 3 million worldwide.

She received standing ovations as she made four treks to the podium. She collected the International Achievement Award, Single of the Year, and Breakthrough Artist of the Year for her debut EP The Love Club. Lorde also won the publicly voted People’s Choice Award.

The video for “Royals” was a win for director Joel Kefali, who took the award for Best Music Video.

During one acceptance speech, she said, “I feel like it’s a sign of my age that I’m the only one reading my speech off my iPhone.”

In another instance, she thanked her mother and sister “for letting me drag you halfway around the world to chaperone me” and “for staying the same in a world for me that is always changing.”

Curiously, she didn’t win the award for Highest Selling Single, which went to Flight of the Conchords’ charity single “Feel Inside.” Nor did “Royals” win the Radio Airplay award, which went to “Take It Easy” by Stan Walker, whose domestic popularity escalated after he was a judge of “The X-Factor NZ.” He was also the evening’s co-host.

Other multi-winners of the night were soulful R&B singer Aaradhna and electro-rock band Vector Arena.

Aaradhna spent much of 2013 touring the United States after signing in January to U.S.-based Republic Records. Her comeback album, Treble & Reverb, won Album of the Year, Best Urban/Hip-Hop Album and helped her win Best Female Solo Artist.