Pacific Music Awards Celebrates 22 Years – 2026 Finalists Announced

The finalists for the 2026 Pacific Music Awards were announced last night at the Mangere Arts Centre in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.

This year, 33 artists have been recognised as finalists across 13 categories, highlighting the depth and diversity of Pacific music talent in Aotearoa and across the Moana.

Leading the pack with five nominations are A.R.T and Sam V.

A.R.T, the Porirua trio, is nominated for FLAVA Best Pacific Group, Pacific Media Network Best Pacific Language, Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist, NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video for Over Now, directed by Michael Hunt, and Recorded Music NZ Te Tino Pukaemi Moana Nui a Kiwa o te Tau | Best Pacific Music Album for Blank Canvas.

The group released their Nana’s Garage EP, followed by Blank Canvas EP, marking a new chapter in their sound and building on the momentum of their 2024 breakout singles When He Was Mine and Easy.

RnB singer Sam V is nominated for NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist, Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist, APRA Best Pacific Song for Small Taste, Recorded Music NZ Te Tino Pukaemi Moana Nui a Kiwa o te Tau | Best Pacific Music Album for Take A Chance On V: Deluxe, and MPG Aotearoa/SAE Creative Media Institute Best Producer along with EDY and Astro.

The Auckland artist’s nostalgic take on contemporary RnB has earned him a growing following, with Take A Chance On V: Deluxe following a busy year of touring across New Zealand and Australia.

Hip hop heavyweight Scribe has four nominations for NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist, ONErpm Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist, APRA Best Pacific Song for Glowstick, and Recorded Music NZ Te Tino Pukaemi Moana Nui a Kiwa o te Tau | Best Pacific Music Album for Scribe is Dead.

Ladi6 also returns to the Pacific Music Awards with four nominations for Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist, Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist, and Recorded Music NZ Te Tino Pukaemi Moana Nui a Kiwa o te Tau | Best Pacific Music Album for Le Vā. The producers of her album are also nominated this year.

Le Vā explores themes of legacy, loss and renewal, with Ladi6 describing it as exploring “the space between – between life and death, between who I was and who I’m becoming.”

Receiving three nominations this year are Iva Lamkum, Junior Soqeta, Tree, and Three Houses Down.

Iva Lamkum is nominated for Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist, APRA Best Pacific Song for Don’t Mind If I Do, and NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video for Don’t Mind If I Do, directed by David Truasheim.

Junior Soqeta receives three nods for NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist, Pacific Media Network Best Pacific Language, and Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist.

Tree is nominated in the Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist, Pacific Media Network Best Pacific Language and 531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist categories for The Rose Era.

Three Houses Down receives three nominations for FLAVA Best Pacific Group, Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist for their Lovers Roots EP and NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video for Turn Around.

Other finalists this year include Kenzie From Welly (Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist, ONErpm Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist), MELODOWNZ (NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist, ONErpm Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist), Brotherhood Musiq (FLAVA Best Pacific Group, 531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist), Signature Choir (FLAVA Best Pacific Group, 531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist), Island Vibes (Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist, APRA Best Pacific Song), Lepani (NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist, APRA Best Pacific Song), Diggy Dupé & choicevaughan (ONErpm Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist), Myshaan (Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist), Shane Walker (Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist), Brandn Shiraz (NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video), Shepherds Reign (NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video), Vallé (NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video), GLEN JXN JACKSON (Pacific Media Network Best Pacific Language), Taonepuna Lakatani, Malcolm Lakatani & Pacific Kids Learning (Pacific Media Network Best Pacific Language), Punialava’a (531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist), and Village 90 (FLAVA Best Pacific Group).

There are also four nominees for MPG Aotearoa/SAE Creative Media Institute Best Producer, including Brent Park-Tamati and Brandon Haru for Le Vā by Ladi6, EDY, Astro, and Sam V for Take A Chance On V: Deluxe by Sam V, Josh Fountain for Don’t Mind If I Do by Iva Lamkum, and Nathan Judd for Disco Witch by Lou’ana.

This year’s Niu FM Best International Pacific Artist finalists represent music from around the globe, with finalists Jaro Local, etu, Jahboy, Wameblood and the late Fiji.

Finally, the finalists for NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video are Brandn Shiraz (Youngin from Kuki II, directed by Esther Mauga), Shepherds Reign (Samoa Mo Samoa, directed by Twayne Laumua), Vallé (Hold Me, directed by John Ross), A.R.T (Over Now, directed by Michael Hunt), Iva Lamkum (Don’t Mind If I Do, directed by David Truasheim), and Three Houses Down (Turn Around, directed by Three Houses Down).

Pacific Music Awards Trust spokesperson Rev Mua Strickson-Pua said: “The Pacific Music Awards Trust are committed to celebrating and bringing together our Pacific music community. We recognise this significant moment in time, where we can announce and celebrate the 2026 finalists. We also acknowledge the village that comes with each artist and thank everyone who has contributed to their music journey. It’s a challenging time for our communities and for our awards event. With each step of the process, it is our artists and their music that inspires and motivate us to keep going. We encourage everyone to get behind the finalists and their music, and to journey with us as we build towards the 2026 Pacific Music Awards celebration on 12 August.”

The SunPix People’s Choice Award voting is open now, and all artists nominated for the 2026 Pacific Music Awards are eligible. The winner will be decided entirely by public vote, which can be cast through the voting poll on the PMA website. Voting will close on Wednesday 22 July.

To listen to all the nominees, here’s the official PMA 2026 Finalist Playlist This year’s Pacific Music Award winners will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 12, at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau.

2026 Pacific Music Awards finalists:

Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist

Iva Lamkum – Don’t Mind If I Do
Kenzie From Welly – Greenstone Door
Ladi6 – Le Vā
Lou’ana – Disco Witch
Talia Perese – Talia Perese
Tree – The Rose Era

NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist

Junior Soqeta – So Amazing, Girl I Surrender, Lomaloma, I Daulomani (Etu feat. Junior Soqeta), All Over Again, Sweet Sensation
Lepani – Young Gun, Feel It, Y, Never Meet Your Dreams, Young Gun (Acoustic)
MELODOWNZ – Melo & Bass (EP), Same As Before, Kavafied feat. Revus
RNZŌ – RNZŌ SZN
Sam V – Take A Chance On V: Deluxe, Small Taste, Pay No Mind
Scribe – Scribe is Dead

Flava Best Pacific Group

R.T – Nana’s Garage (EP), Blank Canvas (EP)
Brotherhood Musiq – Amazing Love, Got It Right
Signature Choir – Reach the Sky EP
Three Houses Down – Lovers Roots EP
Village 90 – On My Way, All I Want

Pacific Media Network Best Pacific Language

R.T – Nana’s Garage (EP), Blank Canvas (EP)
Glen JXN Jackson – Niue 1976
Junior Soqeta – So Amazing, Girl I Surrender, Lomaloma, I Daulomani (Etu feat. Junior Soqeta), All Over Again, Sweet Sensation
Taonepuna Lakatani, Malcolm Lakatani & Pacific Kids Learning – Ulihega, Vevela Mai He Lā
Tree – The Rose Era

531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist

Brotherhood Musiq – Amazing Love, Got It Right
Punialava’a – Sauaga i Aiga, Samoa Ua Potopoto, Aiga Sa Petaia, Lo’u Alofa Afulumemea, Manatua le Mananoa, Le Lalolagi Fa’atalitali
Signature Choir – Reach the Sky EP
Tree – The Rose Era

ONErpm Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist

Diggy Dupé & choicevaughan – Brown Velvet (EP)
Kenzie From Welly – Greenstone Door
MELODOWNZ – Melo & Bass (EP), Same As Before, Kavafied feat. Revus
Scribe – Scribe is Dead

Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist

R.T – Nana’s Garage (EP), Blank Canvas (EP)
Ladi6 – Le Vā
Myshaan – Missed Your Chance, Inside My Head, Pacific Beauty Feat. Kennyon Brown, Angel, Paint Them With You
Sam V – Take A Chance On V: Deluxe, Small Taste, Pay No Mind

Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist

Fejoint, Switch.E & Folau – Oiaue
Island Vibes – Remember Who You Are, Umu, Samoa O Oe Le Penina, Tonga Tu ketau Tue, Hiki Nima, Sunshine
Junior Soqeta – So Amazing, Girl I Surrender, Lomaloma, I Daulomani (Etu feat. Junior Soqeta), All Over Again, Sweet Sensation
Shane Walker – Mama, Waima Girl, Whakapara Girl
Three Houses Down – Lovers Roots EP

APRA Best Pacific Song

Island Vibes – Tonga Tu Ketau Tue
Written by: Island Vibes

Iva Lamkum – Don’t Mind If I Do
Written by: Iva Lamkum, Diaz Grimm, Josh Fountain, James Newman

Lepani – Young Gun
Written by: Lepani Tuifagalele

Sam V – Small Taste
Written by: Sam Verlinden, Edward Liu, Jaedyn Randall, Sam Nakamura

Scribe – Glowstick
Written by: Malo Luafutu, Zac Harding

NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video

R.T – Over Now
Director: Michael Hunt

Brandn Shiraz – Youngin from Kuki II
Director: Esther Mauga

Iva Lamkum – Don’t Mind If I Do
Director: David Truasheim

Shepherds Reign – Samoa Mo Samoa
Director: Twayne Laumua

Three Houses Down – Turn Around
Director: Three Houses Down

Vallé – Hold Me
Director: John Ross

MPG Aotearoa/SAE Creative Media Institute Best Producer

Brent Park-Tamati & Brandon Haru – Le Vā, Ladi6
EDY, Astro, Sam V – Take A Chance On V: Deluxe, Sam V
Josh Fountain – Don’t Mind If I Do, Iva Lamkum
Nathan Judd – Disco Witch, Lou’ana

Recorded Music NZ Te Tino Pukaemi Moana Nui a Kiwa o te Tau | Best Pacific Music Album

R.T – Blank Canvas
Ladi6 – Le Vā
Sam V – Take A Chance On V: Deluxe
Scribe – Scribe is Dead

NIU FM Best International Pacific Artist

Etu – Sunflower
Fiji – Daydream
Jahboy – Rockstar EP
Jaro Local – Aburongo, Olbaut Olbaut (remix)
Wameblood – Puki, Kumul Fly, Batchiba