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Award winning recording artist Olivia Foa’i and rapper and poet MELOWDOWNZ, have led the way winning big at this year’s 2023 Pacific Music Awards.
At the Due Drop Event Centre in Manukau on wednesday night, Pacific musicians came together for a night of celebration and to recognise Pacific music across New Zealand, the Pacific region and around the globe.
Oliva Foa’i who took out the award for Best Pacific Album at the Aotearoa Music Awards in 2019 and Best Female Artist at the Pacific Music Awards in 2020, has done it again winning Best Female Artist and Best Pacific Language awards for her hit song Sunlight.
Bronson Price aka MELOWDOWNZ took out three awards on the night with Male Artist for 2023 for his hit Lone Wolf and took away the award for Best Pacific Music Award for ‘Pray For More ft Lisi, and Mikey Dam’, and Best Pacific Music Album for Lone Wolf.
Grammy nominee Josh Tatofi won the Best Pacific International Artist for ‘Prisoner of Love’, ‘Sweet Loven’, ‘Landslide’, ‘Still the One’, ‘Pua Ahih’i, ‘Good Morning Beautiful’, ‘Tomorrow.
Other winners on the night included Punialava’a named Best Pacific Gospel Artist for Tagi Le Atunu’u Pele and hip hop Royalty Deceptikonz, won Best Pacific Group for their album In Perpetuity.
Well known artist from Cannons Creek, Porirua, Wayno, was named Best Pacific Artist and Victor J Sefo took out Best Pacific Song for his popular hit ‘685’ Written by Victor J Sefo, Ventry Parker and Elijah Tovio.
‘They Don’t Know’, released in 2005 by award winning musicians Savage ft Araradhna, won the NZ On Air Streaming Award. The song peaked at number three in New Zealand and number 26 in Australia and was the country’s 48th most successful single in 2005.
A well known crooner from the 1950s and 60s, the late Toni Williams from Rarotonga, who co-founded one of Auckland’s first skiffle groups, The Housewarmers, received the Pacific Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.
Across the 13 award categories there were 24 finalists from a wide range of new artists and established musicians, including 10 first time finalists and 13 previous award winners.
2023 Pacific Music Awards Winners
Auckland Council Best Pacific Female Artist: Olivia Foa’i – ‘Sunlight’
NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist: MELODOWNZ – Lone Wolf
Flava Best Pacific Group: Deceptikonz – In Perpetuity
531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist: Punialava’a – Tagi Le Atunu’u Pele
Matai Watches Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist: Poetik – Hamofied Tre
Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist: Sam V – The one, the lonely EP, ‘Come Through,’ ‘Love Again’
Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist: Three Houses Down – ‘The Dream’, ‘She Loves Me’
Niu FM Best International Pacific Artist: Josh Tatofi – ‘Prisoner of Love’, ‘Sweet Loven’, ‘Landslide’, ‘Still the One’, ‘Pua Ahih’I’, ‘Good Morning Beautiful’, ‘Tomorrow’
MPG/SAE Best Producer: Mareko x Ricky Paul – Untitled: ACT 1 (Producer: Ricky Paul Musik)
NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video: MELODOWNZ – ‘Pray For More ft Lisi, Mikey Dam’ (directed by Connor Pritchard)
APRA Best Pacific Song: Victor J Sefo – ‘685’ (Written by Victor J Sefo, Ventry Parker, Elijah Tovio)
SunPix Best Pacific Language: Olivia Foa’i- ‘Sunlight’
Recorded Music NZ Te Pukaemi Toa O Te Moana Nui A Kiwa | Best Pacific Music Album Award: Melodownz – Lone Wolf
NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award: SWIDT ft Lomez Brown – ‘Kelz Garage’
NZ On Air Streaming Award: Savage ft Aaradhna – ‘They Don’t Know’
SunPix People’s Choice Award – Best Pacific Artist: Wayno
Phillip Fuemana Award – Most Promising Pacific Artist: Teo Glacier
Creative New Zealand Award: Lady Shaka
Ministry for Pacific Peoples Special Recognition Award: 531pi
Ministry for Pacific Peoples Special Recognition Award: Mark Vanilau
Arch Angel Independent Music Award: Victor J Sefo
Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Te Pukenga Achievement Award: Toni Williams
