New Zealand Music Awards | |
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Awarded for | Excellence in New Zealand music |
Sponsored by | Vodafone New Zealand |
Date | 1965 |
Country | New Zealand |
Presented by | Recorded Music NZ |
Reward(s) | Tui award trophy |
Website | http://www.nzmusicawards.co.nz |
Television/radio coverage | |
Network | TV3 |
The New Zealand Music Awards are conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ, for outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording field. The awards are one of the most significant awards that a group or artist can receive in music in New Zealand, and have been held annually since 1965. The awards show is presented by Recorded Music NZ, and Vodafone New Zealand is the current principal sponsor. A range of award sponsors and media partners also support the event each year.
The first awards for New Zealand recorded music were the Loxene Golden Disc awards, launched in 1965. The awards were created by soap powder manufacturer Reckitt & Colman's advertising agency, with support from the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC), the New Zealand Federation of Phonographic Industries and the Australasian Performing Rights Society (APRA), with the awards named after Reckitt & Colman's anti-dandruff shampoo, Loxene.
While initially only one prize was given, other awards were added, including categories for record cover, recording artist of the year, and a producer award. From 1970, two awards were given - one to a solo artist, the other to a group however there was still just one supreme award, selected from these two.
The Loxene Golden Disc awards continued until 1972 when the New Zealand Federation of Phonographic Industry decided to institute its own system; these awards became known as the Recording Arts Talent Awards (RATA). From 1978 the awards became known as the RIANZ Awards after the NZFPI changed its name to the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).
In 1996 and 1997 the awards were merged with the Entertainer of the Year Awards and were known as the Clear Music and Entertainment Awards, sponsored by Clear Communications. From 1998 the awards reverted to music only, with the name going back to the New Zealand Music Awards and the award trophy nicknamed the Tui. Also in 1999 Coca-Cola New Zealand became the naming rights sponsor of the awards, known as the Coca-Cola New Zealand Music Awards for one year only.
Since 2004, the show's principal sponsor has been Vodafone New Zealand. With Vodafone's sponsorship, the awards became known as the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards (VNZMA's).