The finalists for the 2012 Pacific Music Awards have been announced with David Dallas and Adeaze both securing four nominations each, while Kas Futialo – a.k.a. Tha Feelstyle – is nominated in three categories.
Dallas is nominated in Best Pacific Male Artist for his critically-acclaimed 2011 album The Rose Tint. The album also earns Dallas nominations for Best Pacific Urban Artist, Best Pacific Song for ‘Take A Picture’ and Best Pacific Music Album.
The Tupa’i brothers, otherwise known as Nainz and Viiz of RnB/Soul group Adeaze, will go head-to-head with Dallas in three of those four categories.
The duo’s self-released 2011 album Rise and Shine is up for Best Pacific Music Album while the brothers will also contest Best Pacific Urban Artist and Best Pacific Group. Their single ‘Paradise’ is also nominated for Best Pacific Song.
Kas Futialo joins Dallas and Adeaze in the battle for Best Pacific Music Album with his 2011 release Good Morning Samoa, an album based on the concept of a radio station that energizes the island of Samoa.
The winner of the Best Pacific Music Album category will be presented with a Tui and recognised at the New Zealand Music Awards later this year.
The velvety voice of Wellington-based music veteran Bella Kalolo has seen her 2011 album Without The Paper gain her a third successive nod for Best Pacific Female Artist. Kalolo’s joined in the category by RnB queen MzJ for Love Changes Everything and jazz/funk songstress Iva Lamkum with Raise Your Glass.
Veteran group Te Vaka return to the nominees circle with their seventh album Havili. Made up of musicians and dancers from Tokelau, Tuvalu, Samoa, Cook Islands and New Zealand, Te Vaka are joined by Adeaze and The Hypnotics in the Best Pacific Group category. They will also face off against Kas Futialo and 2PouzFynist in the Best Pacific Language category.
A total of 14 artists and groups were announced as finalists at a function in Auckland on 16 April, hosted by the Pacific Awards Music Trust and Auckland Council, at the University of Auckland’s Fale Pasifika venue.
“This year’s line-up of finalists represent another exciting group of talented musicians and are a true testament to the talent and creativity of Pacific artists here in Aotearoa,” says Pacific Music Awards Trust spokesperson Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua.
“The finalists demonstrate an exceptionally high standard, a strong community and language component and industry excellence.
“We have a great mix of established and emerging artists nominated across the categories and combined they show us that Pasifika music and as a culture itself are alive and well in New Zealand.”
The awards are in their eighth year and winners are to be announced at an event celebrating and honouring Pacific music and artists at Manukau City’s TelstraClear Pacific venue on May 28.
3 News