Finalists announced for 2026 APRA Silver Scroll Awards

APRA AMCOS Aotearoa are excited to announce the songs, waiata, and compositions chosen as finalists for all categories at the 2026 APRA Silver Scroll Awards | Kaitito Kaiaka. The winners will be announced and celebrated at the annual awards ceremony – this year hosted in Tāmaki Makaurau at the Aotea Centre on Wednesday 14 October where APRA will also be marking their 100th year.

Head of APRA AMCOS Aotearoa, Anthony Healey says “This year’s finalists are a celebration of us – our stories, our languages, our communities and the many different ways music is made and shared across Aotearoa. They remind us of the depth, diversity and heart of New Zealand music, and the extraordinary people who bring it to life”.

Voted by APRA members from a longlist of 20 songs, this year’s finalists for the APRA Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka see familiar Scroll names alongside newcomers. With his name already etched on the trophy in 2021 Troy Kingi is again up for the coveted award. Kingi is joined by co-writer Maarire Brunning-Kouka aka MĀ for their song Afters from Kingi’s most recent album in the 10 | 10 | 10 series, Night Lords. Hannah Topp (AKA Aldous Harding), won in 2019 with the song The Barrel, this year’s nominated song One Stop is the first single from recently released album Train on the Island.

After making the shortlist 4 times previously, Deva Mahal enters the Top 5 for the first time, with co-writer Chris Wethey for their song Someone’s Daughter from the EP Future Classic Vol II: Future. David Feauai-Afaese, Navakatoa Tekela-Pule, Levi Gemmel, and Larsen Winiata Taylor perform as LEAO and are first time Silver Scroll Award finalists for their song LALELEI, which is the first song written and performed entirely in gagana Samoa to reach the top five. Fazed on a Pony, the recording project of Tāmaki-based songwriter Peter McCall is also a first time Scroll finalist with Wrong Party being voted onto the Top Five list by APRA members.

The APRA Maioha Award | Tohu Maioha celebrates the growing community of kaitito puoro creating and releasing new waiata in te reo Māori. This year’s Top Three finalists were voted in by APRA members from a longlist of 11 waiata.

Tawaroa Kawana (Ngāti Rangitāne) who performs as TAWAZ reaches the Top Three list alongside co-writer and Māori scholar, Professor Rangi-Ānehu Mātāmua (Tāhoe, Ngāi Tūhoe). Their nominated song Mānawa Maeia Matariki has quickly become an anthem for the Māori New Year, a celebration of identity and whakapapa. Husband and wife Emily Looker and Charles Looker (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Te Ata, Ngāti Mutunga), perform as Aro. Two of their waiata landed on the Top 11 list this year, with Puna Ora voted by APRA members as a worthy finalist. Puna Ora comes from Aro’s latest album Tāwauwau which explores fantasy, faith, beauty, and longing.

Producer, beatmaker, and vocalist Geneva Alexander-Marsters aka Geneva AM (Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Aitutaki, Palmerston), is nominated this year for Toitū Te Tiriti composed alongside longtime friend and collaborator Eric Scholes and performed with seven-piece string group, Ngā Whetu Ensemble. The song is a call to action for everyone to honour Te Tiriti and an invitation for everyone to speak Māori.

Te Tihi o te Maunga Tito | Kapa Haka Songwriting Award is brand-new award introduced for 2026 to celebrate kapa haka songwriters whose original compositions in te reo Māori carry language, culture, and identity across generations.

The inaugural finalists are all leading figures in the world of waiata Māori and have played a significant role in rising success of their own kapa haka, as well as furthering the impact of te ao haka. For their second finalist spot Tawaroa Kawana aka TAWAZ has collaborated with Dr Hinurewa Poutu (Ngāti Rangi, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Maniapoto), to write Ka Mutu Te Aroha for Bay of Plenty group Te Whare Haka o Te Puku.

They are recognised alongside former Silver Scroll Award and Tohu Maioha winner Rob Ruha. Of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and Ngāti Porou descent, Rob brings the power, precision and collective energy of kapa haka into a bold contemporary sound that he calls Haka Soul. His composition Te Tapuni for East Coast group Te Taumata o Apanui (TOA) is dedicated to the late Ricky Lee Tapuni Mitai of Te Whakatōhea. And rounding out the list is the impressive collaborative group of Tā Derek Lardelli, Te Rauhuia Ngata, Ani Piki Tuari, and Hamiora Tuari. They combined their diverse artistic talents to create Wai Ka Tuku Wai Ka Hono for another East Coast kapa, Te Kapa Haka o Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti.

The SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Te Tohu Auaha is New Zealand’s premier composition award, celebrating excellence in contemporary composition. This year, four composers have received a nomination.

2025 winner, Ihlara McIndoe is back as a finalist this year for curio written for the 2025 Composers Conference at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute (New Hampshire, USA). The piece which explores “the act of holding and examining one’s own heart within a specimen jar”, was premiered by the Conference Ensemble with soprano Sharon Harms and conducted by Tian Hui Ng. Dylan Lardelli receives a finalist spot this year for his first work for string trio, Light Lines, inspired by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus and his fragment, “The fairest order in the world is a heap of random sweepings.”

Canadian/New Zealand composer-cellist Nicholas Denton Protsack and former finalist and winner New Zealand composer Michael Norris are co-composers for Partial Forms, an hour-long sonic journey for cello and live electronics. Eight movements are each shaped by themes, textures and gestures drawn from the natural landscapes and soundscapes of Aotearoa and Canada. Tāmaki Makaurau composer and educator, Samuel Holloway debuts on the SOUNZ Contemporary Award finalist list for his work Soft Logic, written for pianist Stephen De Pledge.

The APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film | Tohu Pūmanawa and Best Original Music in a Series | Tohu Paerangi awards recognise the work of our composers that lend their expertise to screen composition. This year’s finalists feature returning nominees and past winners with an array of emotive scores for film and TV.

Karl Sölve Steven is a multiple time former winner and finalist and returns to be a finalist twice for his film score work this year. Once composing for the emotional Pike River dramatization, and a second time as a collaborator with fellow former finalist and winner, renowned Māori anthropologist, taonga pūoro musician, and composer Rob Thorne (Ngāti Tumutumu, Tainui) on gothic revenge horror Mārama. Acclaimed pianist and composer Jonathan Crayford joins the film finalist list this year for the score for his daughter Chelsie Preston Crayford’s debut feature film Caterpillar.

When it comes to the series finalists, all three are former finalists and local screen composer luminaries based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Theatre, ballet, and screen composer Claire Cowan, who last won this category in 2017, returns this year for her inventive work on the score for Bust Up – a refreshing local crime drama with a dark comedic streak. Lachlan Anderson, also known to many as the bass player for post-punk band Die! Die! Die!, is recognised for his score for HBO Max series Crackhead, a show diving into addiction issues with dark humour. And award-winning composer and violinist Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper, also a former winner, is nominated this year for his gripping score on bilingual drama series Tangata Pai – ThreeNow’s first ever drama series that features at least 30% reo Māori.

APRA Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka finalists

Afters, written by Troy Kingi* and Maarire Brunning-Kouka, performed by Troy Kingi feat. MĀ (*LOOP Publishing / Kobalt Music)
LALELEI, written by David Feauai-Afaese*, Navakatoa Tekela-Pule*, Levi Gemmell, Larsen Taylor, and performed by LEAO  (*Heard & Seen Publishing)
One Stop, written by Hannah Topp, performed by Aldous Harding (BMG Publishing)
Someone’s Daughter, written by Deva Mahal and Chris Wethey, performed by Deva Mahal
Wrong Party, written by Peter McCall, performed by Fazed on a Pony

APRA Tohu Maioha | Maioha Award finalists

Mānawa Maiea Matariki, written by Tawaroa Kawana and Rangi-Ānehu Mātāmua, performed by TAWAZ, Stan Walker, Hera, Hone, Nepia, Rani, and Hops.
Puna Ora, written by Charles Looker and Emily Looker, performed by Aro
Toitū Te Tiriti, written by Geneva Alexander-Marsters and Eric Scholes, performed by Geneva AM

Te Tihi o te Maunga Tito | Kapa Haka Songwriting Award finalists

Ka Mutu Te Aroha written by Dr Hinurewa Poutū and Tawaroa Kawana, performed by Te Whare Haka o Te Puku
Te Tapuni written by Rob Ruha, performed by Te Taumata o Apanui (TOA)
Wai Ka Tuku Wai Ka Hono written by Tā Derek Lardelli, Te Rauhuia Ngata, Ani Piki Tuari, and Hamiora Tuari, performed by Te Kapa Haka o Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti

SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Te Tohu Auaha finalists

curio by Ihlara McIndoe
Light Lines by Dylan Lardelli
Partial Forms by Michael Norris and Nicholas Denton Protsack
Soft Logic by Samuel Holloway

APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award | Tohu Paerangi finalists:

Claire Cowan for Bust Up
Lachlan Anderson for Crackhead
Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper for Tangata Pai

 APRA Best Original Music in a Film Award | Tohu Pūmanawa finalists:

Jonathan Crayford for Caterpillar
Karl Steven and Rob Thorne for Mārama (Heard & Seen Publishing)
Karl Steven for Pike River (Heard & Seen Publishing)