Savage Picks Up Two More Domestic Awards

Savage, who in 2007 became New Zealand’s first hip hop act to sell 1 million copies in the United States with his track “Swing,” remains an important figure at home.

Photo: Rishi C

performing in Australia in 2007

At the Mai NZ Hip Hop and R&B Awards May 29, he took awards for hottest international achievement and hottest hip-hop song for “Take These Shots.” In recent years, Savage continued his chart run Down Under.

A 2013 remix of “Swing” by Australian producer Joel Fletcher reached No. 2 on the Australian ARIA chart and went triple platinum. His collaboration on EDM act Timmy Trumpet’s “Freaks” topped the New Zealand charts and went double platinum, and No. 3 in Australia for a triple platinum certification.

Stan Walker, the Sony Music Australia-signed singer whose popularity rose after stints as judge on the reality TV series “The X Factor NZ,” had three wins. He won hottest R&B act, hottest R&B song for “Holding You” and “Aotearoa” won the music video category.

Katchafire took home two trophies: hottest reggae act and hottest reggae song for “Down With You.” The act returns to the United States for a run of West Coast club dates July 15-26 in between four European festival slots in early July and club stops Aug. 7-23. Other winners were David Dallas for hottest hip-hop act, Six60’s self-titled release for hottest album, and Nikki Montana in the breakthrough stakes.