Presenting the finalists for the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards

Recorded Music NZ, producer and kaitiaki of the Aotearoa Music Awards (AMA), today reveals a remarkable group of 2026 Tūī finalists who will be celebrated on Thursday 28 May at The Civic in Tāmaki Makaurau. The event will close out Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa | New Zealand Music Month.

Marlon Williams leads this year’s AMA nominations, with a total of seven for his first fully te reo Māori album Te Whare Tīwekaweka. The album debuted at #1 on the Top 40 Albums Chart, one of only three local albums to do so in 2025 – and the first album of original waiata reo Māori by a solo artist to top the tiketike (chart) ever. The 2026 Taite Music Prize finalist and 2025 APRA Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka winner – alongside cowriter Kommi – is up for NZ On Air Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of The Year; Spotify Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year – for Aua Atu Rā; and Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist. He is also a finalist for Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa | Best Producer alongside Mark Perkins (artist name Merk) for the pair’s work on Te Whare Tīwekaweka – and Perkins receives a nomination for Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer.

Marlon Williams is also a finalist for Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo, which recognises albums or singles with at least 50% te reo Māori content. He is joined in the category by Hamo Dell (Ta Roha), Mohi (Ka Rea feat. Pare), Nikau Grace (He Aha Te Aha feat. Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue), Rob Ruha, Troy Kingi & Kaylee Bell (Matariki Hunga Nui), and the award’s 2025 winner Stan Walker. Having also won Te Māngai Pāho Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist in 2025, Walker is up for the Tūī again in 2026 – alongside Williams as well as Hori Shaw, MĀ, Te Wehi and 2024 winner Tawaz.

2025 Single of the Year winner Lorde returns in the same category in 2026, for her Top 40 #1 single What Was That, the only song by a New Zealander to go to #1 on the Singles Chart in Aotearoa in 2025. The global superstar’s other 2026 finalist nods include Album of the Year, for Virgin – which also topped the local Top 40 Albums Chart on debut – as well as Best Solo Artist and Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist. In the Pop category the 19-time Tūī winner runs alongside indie pop sensation Borderline (Chrysalis) and BENEE (Ur An Angel I’m Just Particles), who previously won the category in four consecutive years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).

Alien Weaponry are also up for Single of the Year for Mau Moko, alongside Fazerdaze for Motorway; Hori Shaw & Te Wehi for Ready To Ride; Ladi6 for LightBulb; Paige for Twenties; Tami Neilson for Neon Cowgirl; The Beths for Metal; The Phoenix Foundation for Vampire Class; There’s A Tuesday for Margo; and Tom Scott for Till Then.

In addition to his Single of the Year nomination, Tom Scott secures three other artist nominations – for Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist and Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB – as well as receiving nods in three of four Artisan categories for his debut solo album, Anitya. The project sees Laura Williams up for Te Taumata o te Toi | Best Album Artwork and 2019 Best Engineer Ben Lawson up for both Best Producer and Best Engineer. LA-based New Zealander Leroy Clampitt is the remaining contender for Best Producer, for his work on Pussy Palace, Sleepwalking, Fruity Loops and Beg For Me from UK star Lily Allen’s 2025 album West End Girl.

Having won Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau | Best Country Music Artist a total of seven times, including in 2025, Tami Neilson is back in the category – also vying for Album of the Year for Neon Cowgirl, Single of the Year for title track Neon Cowgirl feat. Neil Finn, and Best Solo Artist. 2019 Best Country Music Artist winner Jenny Mitchell is also up for the Tūī for Forest House, as is 2024 and 2014 winner Kaylee Bell for Cowboy Up, which also collects a nomination for Album of the Year.

The remaining candidates for Album of the Year are artist producer Geneva AM and the sublime Ladi6 – both of whom are also up for Best Solo Artist – as well as emerging enigma MĀ, Mokomokai, Reb Fountain, The Beths and Troy Kingi.

Geneva AM’s bilingual breakout album Pikipiki also nabs her a finalist nod for BurgerFuel Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau | Best Electronic Artist, alongside Caru & Brandn Shiraz for their much-hyped Back 2 Back collab, and prolific DJ producer Sanoi for Augenblick: Side A.

2024 JD Sports Tā te Iwi | People’s Choice and 2025 Te Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year winner Hori Shaw is a finalist for Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau for the first time, as well as Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau | Best Roots Artist – and Single of the Year alongside frequent collaborator Te Wehi for their local chart-topper Ready To Ride. Te Wehi is also up for Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau and Best Roots Artist; genre legends Three Houses Down collect the final nomination for Best Roots for their 2025 EP Lovers Roots.

Mokomokai (Pono), Phoebe Rings (Aseurai), Ringlets (The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time for Walkies)) and The Beths (Straight Line Was A Lie) are up for Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group, alongside Alien Weaponry (Te Rā) and Dick Move (Dream, Believe, Achieve).

Alien Weaponry and Dick Move are also finalists in the newly updated Te Manu Taki Rakapīoi / Rakatū Pāorooro o te Tau | Best Rock / Metal Artist category along with Beastwars – who collect additional nominations for Best Engineer c/o James Goldsmith and Best Artwork c/o Nick Keller for their respective work on The Ship // The Sea. Elliot O’Donnell & Jaime Robertson close out the nominations for Best Artwork for their work for New Tomorrows by Sola Rosa.

2025 Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau | Best Folk Artist finalist Mel Parsons is up for the Tūī again in 2026, for a series of singles released across the year. She’s joined by the now Manchester-based Nadia Reid (Enter Now Brightness) and ex-Harry Styles backing vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Naomi Ludlow AKA Ny Oh (Wildwood).

2024 Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau | Best Alternative Artist finalists Grecco Romank are back in the category, this time for their Arts Colony LP. The operatic dungeon techno act is nominated alongside jazz-informed dream pop act Phoebe Rings for their debut album Aseurai, and MĀ for Blame It On The Weather.

As well as his Album of the Year nomination, four-time Tūī winner Troy Kingi secures a finalist nod for Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau | Best Hip Hop Artist for Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords, the ninth record in his 10:10:10 project. He runs alongside Diggy Dupé & choicevaughan for Brown Velvet, and Mokomokai for Pono – the latter of whom are also up for Album of the Year and Best Group.

Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB Artist finalist Sam V is back after multiple prior nominations with Take A Chance On V: Deluxe, alongside 2025 Breakthrough Artist of the Year finalists A.R.T for their Blank Canvas EP and Tom Scott for Anitya.

Best Group and Best Rock/Metal finalists Dick Move appear in the NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Music Video Content category, for Stella Reid’s video for Scared Old Men. Tom Grut is also up for his video for Ed’s Sun by Aidan Fine, and Stan Walker and Abe Mora close out the category for their video for Mō Āke Tonu feat. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke.

2024 Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau | Best Jazz Artist finalist and 2025 APRA Best Jazz Composition Award winner Clear Path Ensemble is again nominated in the category, for Black Sand, alongside AMA newcomers Louisa Williamson for Groundwork and Darren Pickering Small Worlds for Three.

Composer Michael Norris (Rerenga), Jade String Quartet & Anthony Ritchie (Melencolia) and Moth Quartet (Tundra), are all finalists for Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau | Best Classical Artist.

Recorded Music NZ CEO, Jo Oliver says:

“Congratulations to the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards finalists. The finalists are a shining example of the range and diversity of musical talent here in New Zealand. From the biggest musical successes of the year to exciting new emerging artists and their music, it is a privilege to promote and celebrate Aotearoa music and to see local artists succeed here and overseas.

“The Aotearoa Music Awards is the perfect way to end New Zealand Music Month at the iconic Civic in Tāmaki Makaurau – I can’t wait for music fans across Aotearoa to celebrate this year’s finalists and winners on the RNZ livestream.”

The 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards will take place on Thursday 28 May at The Civic in Tāmaki Makaurau. The event will be livestreamed via AMA Official Media Partner RNZ. The broadcast is brought to our screens with the invaluable support of sponsorship and broadcast partner Irirangi Te Motu | NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho.

Te Taumata o te Hokona | Highest Selling Artist and NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Horapa | Radio Airplay Record of the Year are decided based on data provided by the Official Aotearoa Music Charts and will be announced and awarded on the night. Further information about the Tā te Iwi | People’s Choice and Te Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year Tūī will be released ahead of the event. An artist will also be inducted into Te Whare Taonga Puoro O Aotearoa | NZ Music Hall of Fame.

Aotearoa Music Awards 2026 Finalists
(by category)

NZ On Air Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year

Geneva AM – Pikipiki
Kaylee Bell – Cowboy Up
Ladi6 – Le Vā
Lorde – Virgin
MĀ – Blame It On The Weather
Marlon Williams – Te Whare Tīwekaweka
Mokomokai – Pono
Reb Fountain – How Love Bends
Tami Neilson – Neon Cowgirl
The Beths – Straight Line Was A Lie
Tom Scott – Anitya
Troy Kingi – Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords

Spotify Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year

Alien Weaponry – Mau Moko
Fazerdaze – Motorway
Hori Shaw & Te Wehi – Ready To Ride
Ladi6 – LightBulb
Lorde – What Was That
Marlon Williams – Aua Atu Rā
Paige – Twenties
Tami Neilson – Neon Cowgirl Feat. Neil Finn
The Beths – Metal
The Phoenix Foundation – Vampire Class
There’s A Tuesday – Margo
Tom Scott – Till Then

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group

Alien Weaponry – Te Rā
Dick Move – Dream, Believe, Achieve
Mokomokai – Pono
Phoebe Rings – Aseurai
Ringlets – The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time for Walkies)
The Beths – Straight Line Was A Lie

Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist

Geneva AM – Pikipiki
Ladi6 – Le Vā
Lorde – Virgin
Marlon Williams – Te Whare Tīwekaweka
Tami Neilson – Neon Cowgirl
Tom Scott – Anitya

Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo

Hamo Dell – Tā Roha
Marlon Williams – Te Whare Tīwekaweka
Mohi – Ka Rea Feat. Pare
Nikau Grace – He Aha Te Aha Feat. Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue
Rob Ruha, Troy Kingi & Kaylee Bell – Matariki Hunga Nui
Stan Walker – Mō Āke Tonu Feat. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke

Te Māngai Pāho Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist

Hori Shaw – I Know A Place, Ready To Ride w/ Te Wehi, Catch A Wave
MĀ – Blame It On The Weather
Marlon Williams – Te Whare Tīwekaweka
Stan Walker – Bulletproof, Soul Deep, Could You Be Loved – from Live From Parachute Studios, 2025
Tawaz – Tuituia Rā w/ Chris Tamwoy & Marei, E Ipo w/ Mereana & Hera, Te Wahine w/ Emily Wurramara
Te Wehi – Ready To Ride w/ Hori Shaw, Unfortunately, Raining, Didn’t Change A Thing, Oh Ah, Far Far Away, Light Up, Masterly Man

Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau | Best Alternative Artist

Grecco Romank – Arts Colony
MĀ – Blame It On The Weather
Phoebe Rings – Aseurai

Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau | Best Classical Artist

Jade String Quartet & Anthony Ritchie – Melencolia
Michael Norris – Rerenga
Moth Quartet – Tundra

Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau | Best Country Music Artist

Jenny Mitchell – Forest House
Kaylee Bell – Cowboy Up
Tami Neilson – Neon Cowgirl

BurgerFuel Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau | Best Electronic Artist

Caru & Brandn Shiraz – Back 2 Back
Geneva AM – Pikipiki
Sanoi – Augenblick: Side A

Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau | Best Folk Artist

Mel Parsons – Don’t Leave the Light On, Be Here Now, Brick By Brick’, Post High Slide
Nadia Reid – Enter Now Brightness
Ny Oh – Wildwood

Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau | Best Hip Hop Artist

Diggy Dupé & choicevaughan – Brown Velvet
Mokomokai – Pono
Troy Kingi – Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords

Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau | Best Jazz Artist

Clear Path Ensemble – Black Sand
Darren Pickering Small Worlds – Three
Louisa Williamson – Groundwork

Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist

BENEE – Ur an Angel I’m Just Particles
Borderline – Chrysalis
Lorde – Virgin

Te Manu Taki Rakapīoi / Rakatū Pāorooro o te Tau | Best Rock / Metal Artist

Alien Weaponry – Te Rā
Beastwars – The Ship // The Sea
Dick Move – Dream, Believe, Achieve

Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau | Best Roots Artist

Hori Shaw – I Know A Place, Ready To Ride w/ Te Wehi, Catch A Wave
Te Wehi – Ready To Ride w/ Hori Shaw, Unfortunately, Raining, Didn’t Change A Thing, Oh Ah, Far Far Away, Light Up, Masterly Man
Three Houses Down – Lovers Roots

Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau | Best Soul/RnB Artist

A.R.T – Blank Canvas
Sam V – Take A Chance On V: Deluxe
Tom Scott – Anitya

ARTISAN AWARDS

Te Taumata o te Toi | Best Album Artwork

Elliot O’Donnell, Jaime Robertson – New Tomorrows (Sola Rosa)
Laura Williams – Anitya (Tom Scott)
Nick Keller – The Ship // The Sea (Beastwars)

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro | Best Engineer

Ben Lawson – Anitya (Tom Scott)
James Goldsmith – The Ship // The Sea (Beastwars)
Mark Perkins – Te Whare Tīwekaweka (Marlon Williams)

NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Music Video Content

Stan Walker & Abe Mora – Mō Āke Tonu (Stan Walker feat. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke)
Stella Reid – Scared Old Men (Dick Move)
Tom Grut – Ed’s Sun (Aidan Fine)

Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa | Best Producer

Ben Lawson – Anitya (Tom Scott)
Leroy Clampitt – Pussy Palace, Sleepwalking, Fruity Loops, Beg For Me (Lily Allen)
Marlon Williams, Mark Perkins – Te Whare Tīwekaweka (Marlon Williams)

Finalists and recipients in the following categories are yet to be announced:

Te Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist (finalists TBA prior to event)

Tā te Iwi | People’s Choice (winner TBA at AMA 2026)

Te Taumata o te Hokona | Highest Selling Artist (winner TBA at AMA 2026)

NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Horapa | Radio Airplay Record of the Year (winner TBA at AMA 2026)

Te Manu Mātārae (recipient/s TBA at AMA 2026)

Te Whare Taonga Puoro O Aotearoa | NZ Music Hall of Fame (awarded at AMA 2026)