WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2017 APRA SILVER SCROLL AWARDS

Lorde has won the 2017 APRA Silver Scroll Award for her international hit song 'Green Light'.
 
Ella Yelich O’Connor, along with her co-writers Jack Antonoff and Joel Little were unable to be at the ceremony held at the Dunedin Town Hall last night, but were thrilled to win the award, and Ella sent this message from America.
 
“I can’t believe it. I really wanted to win the Silver Scroll Award, I just feel like it’s so prestigious and important. I always love and respect the songs that end up in the Silver Scrolls.
 
“Thank you for honouring 'Green Light', which is a song I love so much, and am so proud of. The second it came out, I knew it felt like a bit of my heart, right in the song. Thank you so much, I wish I was there!”
 
It’s the third time Lorde has been a finalist in her short career, and her second win with co-writer Joel Little, after being awarded the trophy for 'Royals' in 2013. The award acknowledges excellence in songwriting and has been given to some of the most recognisable names and songs in New Zealand music during its 52 year history, from the Swingers’ ‘Counting The Beat’ and Bic Runga’s ‘Drive’ to Scribe and P Money’s ‘Not Many’.
 
“As a song, 'Green Light' instantly hit its mark. Ella has captured that moment in her life and shared it beautifully with us all” says Anthony Healey, Head of NZ Operations for APRA AMCOS. “Along with Joel and Jack she’s crafted something that’s been critically acclaimed all over the world. But the acclaim of your peers is special, it’s the highest praise and in this case a well-deserved accolade.”
 
Critically acclaimed musician and songwriter Shayne Carter (Straitjacket Fits and Dimmer) was the musical director of tonight’s 52nd APRA Silver Scrolls ceremony, which saw a host of other Kiwi songwriters collect awards.
 
Newcomers Alien Weaponry (Henry de Jong, Lewis de Jong, and Ethan Trembath) took the esteemed APRA Maioha Award, recognising exceptional waiata featuring te reo Māori, for their heavy metal anthem 'Raupatu'. The song raises awareness of land confiscations by the colonial government with a startling performance.
 
Wellington composer and violinist, Salina Fisher, won the SOUNZ Contemporary Award for the second year in a row, with her haunting composition 'Torino', which was inspired by the work of taonga puoro artist Rob Thorne. Rob was able to accept the award on Salina’s behalf, because she is currently based in New York, studying at the Manhattan School of Music.

First time finalist Claire Cowan received the APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award for her rich and varied soundtrack for TV mini-series 'Hillary', which celebrated the life of Sir Edmund Hillary .
 
The APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award was won by Tim Prebble for his emotive work on beautiful independent film 'One Thousand Ropes'.
 
Rounding off the evening was the induction of The Clean into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, with a wonderful tribute to the iconic Dunedin band from poet David Merritt, film-maker Stuart Page, and musicians Astro Children and Billy TK.
 
The winner of all awards were:
APRA Silver Scroll Award: Ella Yelich O’Connor, Jack Antonoff, Joel Little (Lorde) – Green Light
APRA Maioha Award: Henry de Jong, Lewis de Jong, Ethan Trembath (Alien Weaponry) – Raupatu
SOUNZ Contemporary Award: Salina Fisher – Torino
APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award: Claire Cowan – Hillary
APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award: Tim Prebble – One Thousand Ropes
Hall of Fame: The Clean – Hamish Kilgour, David Kilgour, Robert Scott, and Peter Gutteridge
 

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR MAIOHA, SOUNZ AND SCREEN AWARDS - TO BE PRESENTED AT THE SILVER SCROLLS

Some of New Zealand’s best songwriters and composers have been shortlisted for four prestigious awards to be presented at the 2017 APRA Silver Scroll Awards.

The APRA Maioha Award, the SOUNZ Contemporary Award, the APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award and APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award will all be presented at an invite-only awards ceremony at the Dunedin Town Hall on Thursday, September 28.

APRA MAIOHA AWARD

The APRA Maioha Award recognises the art of contemporary Māori songwriting and honours composers who are telling their stories in the language of Te Ao Māori.

2017 finalists:

Atua Whiowhio by Kingi Kiriona

Raupatu by Alien Weaponry (Lewis de Jong, Henry de Jong, and Ethan Trembath)

Taku Mana by Maisey Rika

Atua Whiowhio by first time finalist Kingi Kiriona challenges the boundaries of tradition, blending haka and hip hop, presented through the lens of kapahaka group Te Iti Kahurangi.

Teenage thrash metal trio Alien Weaponry are also first time finalists for Raupatu, a political song focusing on land confiscations by the colonial government.

Working in a completely different genre, but just as deep and powerful in her composition is previous Maioha Award winner Maisey Rika. Taku Mana comes from her fourth album ‘Tira’, and revolves around the idea of joy and praise, a celebration of ancestors and mana.

SOUNZ CONTEMPORARY AWARD

The SOUNZ Contemporary Award celebrates excellence in contemporary composition.

2017 finalists:

Incident Tableaux Part One by Chris Gendall

Serendipity Fields by Jeroen Speak

Tōrino - echoes on pūtōrino improvisations by Rob Thorne by Salina Fisher

This is the fifth nomination for Chris Gendall, former winner of the SOUNZ Contemporary Award, for his orchestral work Incident Tableaux Part One.

Prodigious Wellington composer and 2016 winner Salina Fisher is a finalist once again, this time for her string quartet Tōrino, which was inspired by the music of Taonga Pūoro artist Rob Thorne.

UK-based NZ composer Jeroen Speak, who has been working around the world for twenty years, is a second time finalist for his piano trio Serendipity Fields.

APRA BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A FILM AWARD

2017 finalists:

Marc Chesterman for Spookers

Peter Hobbs for Jean

Tim Prebble for One Thousand Ropes

Sound designer and composer Marc Chesterman has been collaborating with film director Florian Habicht for most of his career, and is nominated for his work on the soundtrack and score for Habicht’s recent documentary hit Spookers, about the diverse people who work at the legendary south Auckland horror entertainment attraction.

A man of many pursuits, Peter Hobbs has done everything from performing in Dunedin bands Kitset and Lesley Speaker, to setting up a recording studio and running youth music workshops in Bosnia. He is a finalist for his work in Jean, which tells the tale of pioneering aviator Jean Batten.

Tim Prebble has 50 years experience, becoming an award winning sound designer with credits on over 40 feature films, and more recently working as a composer, completing his third feature film score. He is a finalist for One Thousand Ropes, a new drama from Tusi Tamasese (The Orator) about a Samoan man atoning for the violence that divided his family and exiled him to solitude.

APRA BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A SERIES AWARD

2017 finalists:

Claire Cowan for Hillary

Karl Steven for 800 Words

Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper for Terry Teo

Claire Cowan is widely known for her work as a contemporary composer and collaborator, as well her works for screen. She’s a finalist for the first time for her work on the local TV series Hillary, which charted the life of our iconic hero Sir Ed.

Last year’s winner Karl Steven (front man for Queen Neptune, Supergroove, Drab Doo Riffs) is a finalist once again for his work on popular Kiwi/Aussie TV series 800 Words, which charts the gentle drama and comedy of life in a rural west coast town.

Having won the APRA Best Original Music in a Film award last year for his work on Mahana, this year Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper has turned his talents towards the small screen, and is a finalist for his work on classic Kiwi comeback comedy Terry Teo.

. All awards will be presented during a ceremony at the Duendin Town Hall on Thursday September 28th. As a part of the celebrations, APRA will also be inducting a songwriter/s into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.
 
The awards are proudly supported by Panhead Custom Ales, Quartz Reef Wines, and NZ On Air.

METAL GIANTS HEAD NORTH

Northland metal fans are in for a treat this weekend, with two of the country’s top metal bands playing in Kaitaia and Whangarei.

On Saturday May 6, Northland’s own metal heroes, Alien Weaponry, will be joining forces with Wellington’s Bulletbelt for the first ever heavy metal show in the Far North. 

Promoter Francis Malley decided to organize the event at the Waipapakauri Hotel, North of Kaitaia, so that local metal fans wouldn’t have to travel long distances to see “some decent metal.” 

Alien Weaponry were an obvious choice – the Waipu teenagers made history in 2016 by winning the National finals of both the Smokefree Rockquest and Pacifica Beats competitions with their unique brand of thrash metal and Te Reo Maori. They have released two singles since the win – ‘Urutaa’ and ‘Raupatu’ – and their music has been embraced by iwi radio stations and metal fans throughout New Zealand and beyond.

The band sings only original material, about half of which is in Te Reo Maori, and were recently named one of the top 10 metal acts in New Zealand by UK based Metal Hammer magazine. 

Alien Weaponry is double billing with Wellington Black Metal band Bulletbelt, who are infamous for writing and performing the title track to the cult zombie movie ‘Deathgasm’, and have just released their second album, ‘Rise of the Banshee’. 

“It will be our first time playing with Bulletbelt,” says Alien Weaponry frontman and lead guitarist Lewis de Jong, who celebrated his 15th birthday recently, “and it will also be our first time that far North. We actually haven’t played a full show in Northland for three years, and a lot has happened in that time, so we’re looking forward to blowing the place apart.”

The night promises to be an unforgettable one, with a large number of tickets already sold and interest high.

“Accommodation and camping are available at the venue,” says promoter Francis Malley, who expects many fans to stay over. “It’s more of a mini festival than a gig.”

Bulletbelt will also be playing at the Old Stone Butter Factory in Whangarei on Friday May 5, where it is rumoured Alien Weaponry may be making a surprise guest appearance along with Whangarei locals Eolithic Relapse.

Saturday May 6 – Waipapakauri Hotel, Kaitaia. Tickets $20 at the door or $15 pre-sales (contact Francis Malley - malley64nz@hotmail.com)

ALIEN WEAPONRY RELEASE THUNDEROUS NEW SINGLE

New Zealand’s youngest thrash metallers, Alien Weaponry (Hammerhead), are kicking off 2017 with a thunderous new single, ‘Raupatu’.

Staying true to Alien Weaponry’s modus operandi - to make and play loud, in-your-face, hard-core rock - ‘Raupatu’ follows on from the success of last year’s epic single, ‘Urutaa’. 

Funded by NZ on Air as part of the band’s prize pack for winning last year’s Smokefree Pacifica Beats, ‘Raupatu’ is further proof that the teenage three-piece from Northland are a fierce force to be reckoned with.

Consisting of 14-year-old Lewis de Jong, his 16-year-old brother Henry and 14-year-old Ethan Trembath, Alien Weaponry have not only taken the New Zealand rock scene by storm, they’ve impressed critics and fans alike with their use of Te Reo Māori in their music and their focus on socio-political issues.

The new single ‘Raupatu’ centres around the Government confiscation of Maori land in the 1800s - specifically on three significant confiscations in Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki - and the prominent chiefs who resisted.

Appropriately, it will be released on Waitangi Day, Monday, February 6. Alien Weaponry will also play a free gig in Auckland’s Aotea Square this Waitangi weekend, on Sunday, February 5, at 12:30pm.

Alien Weaponry have gone from strength-to-strength since bursting onto the local music scene last year. 

They made New Zealand music history when they won both the 2016 Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Pacifica Beats competitions. 

ALIEN WEAPONRY TO OPEN FOR AUSSIE HELLRAISERS AIRBOURNE

Airbourne are taking Kiwi teen metallers Alien Weaponry (Hammerhead de Jong) on the road with them when they tour New Zealand early next year.
 
Presented by The Rock FM, Australia’s raucous rockers Airbourne (Joel O’Keeffe, Ryan O’Keeffe, David Roads and Justin Street) will play the Kings Arms in Auckland on Thursday, January 26, the San Francisco Bath House in Wellington on Friday, January 27 and CPSA in Christchurch, on Saturday, January 28.

Airbourne left a trail of destruction with their first three albums RUNNIN’ WILD; NO GUTS. NO GLORY and BLACK DOG BARKING. Now their latest, 2016’s BREAKIN’ OUTTA HELL is inflicting the same sort of damage, with the kick-ass track ‘Rivalry’ being blasted on The Rock.

Alien Weaponry (14-year-old Lewis de Jong, his 16-year-old brother Henry and 14-year-old Ethan Trembath) will open for Airbourne at all three gigs. The young thrash metal band from Northland made New Zealand music history this year when they won both the Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Pacifica Beats competitions. Their stonking new tune ‘Urutaa’ is out now.
 

Get amongst the madness with Airbourne and Alien Weaponry – tickets on sale now and selling fast from  www.ticketmaster.co.nz

Thursday 26 January - Kings Arms, AUCKLAND (R18+)
Friday 27 January - San Francisco Bath House, WELLINGTON (R18+)
Saturday 28 January - CPSA, CHRISTCHURCH (R18+)

ALIEN WEAPONRY 'URUTAA'

Thrash metal band Alien Weaponry (Niel Hammerhead) made New Zealand music history this year when they won both the Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Pacifica Beats competitions. Now, they’re about to launch an assault on the airwaves with their single ‘Urutaa’.

No ordinary three-piece, these young metallers from Northland – 14-year-old Lewis de Jong (guitar/vocals), his 16-year-old brother Henry (drums) and 14-year-old Ethan Trembath (bass) – have achieved more in the space of a few short years than some bands dare to dream of in a lifetime.
 
With a live show that both startles and awes their audiences, Alien Weaponry have more than earned their right to be called the ‘next big thing’ in New Zealand’s thriving metal scene. And if three teenagers with kick-ass attitude, commanding as much attention as a five-piece band three times their age, wasn’t enough to warrant hard out respect, the fact that many of their songs feature Te Reo Māori absolutely is.
 
The band explains that ‘Urutaa’ was originally about a clash of ideas and expectations, leading to stress and unhappiness, which was likened to a plague or urutaa. The Māori lyrics refer to specific events, which occurred in the Bay of Islands in the 1800s, in which a pocket watch was inadvertently dropped into the harbour culminating in what is now notoriously known as ‘The Burning of the Boyd’. The historic incident is used as a metaphor for the misunderstandings between cultures and generations and individuals who torment each other through lack of understanding.
 
Fittingly, ‘Urutaa’ (produced by Shihad drummer Tom Larkin) is a powerful, moving track filled with contrasts, that showcases the skill and craft Alien Weaponry apply to both their lyricism and instrumentation.
 
Hailing from the small Northland town of Waipu, the lads from Alien Weaponry honed their refreshingly unique sound and vibe while attending Bream Bay College and Otamatea High School.  Last year, the band received a $10,000 grant from NZ On Air and this year, their blood, sweat and toil paid off with their history-making double whammy win at Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Pacifica Beats.
 
Smokefreerockquest judge Jeff Newton from NZ on Air: “[Alien Weaponry’s] use of Te Reo was impressive. There’s really nothing like this in the world at the moment.”
 
And, the world is taking notice already, with the acclaimed UK magazine Metal Hammer recently including the trio in its “10 Best Metal Bands from New Zealand” feature (Oct 2016), describing them as “One for the future.”
 
The release of ‘Urutaa’ just adds weight to the powerful statement these three Northland teenagers have already made and continue to make. Alien Weaponry is like no other band that’s been before. Brace yourselves for the storm that’s coming!
 
Alien Weaponry’s ‘Urutaa’ is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, etc. from Friday December 2.
 

HISTORY MADE AS TE REO METAL BAND ALIEN WEAPONRY CLEAN UP AT SMOKEFREE ROCKQUEST AND PACIFICA BEATS

Northland thrash metal band Alien Weaponry (Hammerhead de Jong) are still recovering from the shock of winning both the 2016 Smokefree Rockquest and Smokefree Pacifica Beats.

Comprising 14-year-old Lewis de Jong (guitar/vocals), brother Henry, 16 (drums), and Ethan Trembath, 14 (bass) - Alien Weaponry have made NZ music history as the first band to win both competitions, the youngest band to win either final, and the only metal band to win Pacifica Beats.

“We are speechless,” the band posted on its Facebook page shortly after the Smokefree Rockquest winners were announced at the conclusion of the National Final on Saturday 24 September.

“We were already surprised to win Smoke free Pacifica Beats [the previous night],” says Henry de Jong. “There are such great musicians in both competitions, and we don’t really fit the mould. We play thrash metal, we’re political and we sing in te reo Maori.”

However, it was these very differences that impressed the judges and earned the band the top prizes. 

“They believed in their identity as a metal band, their use of Te Reo was impressive, there’s really nothing else like this in the world at the moment,” said one of the judges, Jeff Newton from NZ On Air.

The band is humbled by the recognition. “We feel very privileged to get these awards,” says guitarist and lead singer Lewis de Jong. “The NZ On Air funding and gear from the Rockshop will really help us to achieve our goals, and we plan to make the most of the opportunity.”

These plans include recording with Shihad drummer and producer Tom Larkin.

“One of the things I am really excited to see is how they develop in the next three to five years,” says Larkin “They already have such strong identity and combined with their level of skill we are going to see some really interesting musical changes as they mature.”