Lorde Beat By
NZ Opera Act

It helped her score four Grammy nominations and likely turned the 17-year-old into a millionaire by the year’s end.

But in her native New Zealand, the biggest domestic-selling (and fastest-selling) album for 2013 was by Auckland-based opera trio SOL3 MIO.

Their debut self-titled album, released in the home market Nov. 15, was certified gold in its first week.

Within three weeks it was triple platinum.

Pure Heroine was certified platinum and ranked second-biggest seller of 2013, according to Recorded Music New Zealand.

Her The Love Club EP ranked No. 5.

In the list of best-selling singles between Jan. 1 and Dec. 20, Lorde was No. 1 with “Royals,” No. 3 with “Tennis Court,” No. 7 with “Team’ and No. 11 with “Love Club.”

“Her reaching these heights in New Zealand and abroad is incredibly encouraging for our other talented local acts – you only have to look at the official charts every week to see the roll-on effect,” Recorded Music NZ CEO Damian Vaughan said. “Look at Sol3 Mio for example.”

The Samoan-New Zealand classically trained SOL3 MIO consists of two tenor brothers, Pene and Amitai Pati, and their baritone cousin, Moses Mackay.

“We’re very grateful, humbled and taken aback by the support people have shown us,” Mackay said. “It has been an incredible journey and funnily enough, it’s only just beginning.”

SOL3 MIO outsold international acts including Bruno Mars, Pink and Ed Sheeran as well as five other New Zealand No. 1s.

More than 20 percent of hit albums this year were by local acts.