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Tame Iti presents Dean & Matthew Hapeta with the Independent Music NZ Classic Record award

Multi-instrumentalist Kody Nielson (The Mint Chicks, Opossum) new project under the name Silicon has won the Taite Award for 2016, while Aotearoa’s first rap hit E Tu from Upper Hutt Posse was performed live by co-founding members Dean Hapeta &  brother Matthew Hapeta also known as MC Wiya who received the Independent Music NZ Classic Record award, acknowledging a defining NZ record from our yesteryear.

Named after the late Dylan Taite, one of the countrys most highly respected music journalists, this is the seventh year for the award. The Taite Music Prizes’ purpose is to recognise outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music contained on one album. The winner to receive a cash prize of $10,000 to be spent as they wish. The cash prize is kindly supplied by the Founding Partner Recorded Music NZ. The winner will also receive free recording time at Red Bull Studio Auckland and a years supply of Red Bull product.

This years eight finalists, from a lengthy list of 52 nominations submitted by record labels both independent and major from across the country, were:

SJD / Saint John Divine (Round Trip Mars)

Nadia Reid / Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs (Spunk Records)

Unknown Mortal Orchestra / Multi-Love (Jagjaguwar / Rhythmethod)

Princess Chelsea / The Great Cybernetic Depression (Lil’ Chief Records)

The Phoenix Foundation / Give Up Your Dreams (The Phoenix Foundation)

Anthonie Tonnon / Successor (Canapé King Records / Southbound)

Marlon Williams / Marlon Williams (Universal Music)

Silicon / Personal Computer (Weird World Recording Co / Universal Music NZ)