17 November 2016 - 0 Comments
Muzic.net.nz was at Thursday night's Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards. Our regular live updates came from our on-site reporter Terianne Grady.
6.30pm- I have just arrived at Vector Arena. The atmosphere is buzzing with excitement! The sun is out, and everyone is amped for the biggest night of the year for the New Zealand music industry.
6.45pm- Aaradhna has just arrived, and is taking her time talking to fans and media. She is looking very graceful in a full length black gown, and has a huge smile on her face! The crowd are patiently waiting for the limos to disclose who is inside.
7.00pm - Dave Baxter of Avalanche City is looking relaxed and casual. The legend himself Dave Dobbyn is slowly making his way up the red carpet and has the crowd screaming out his name! Dave is chatting with the media and taking selfies with fans. I note he is wearing a pretty sweet pair of Dr. Martens.
7.15pm - The fans are taking a very Kiwi approach to getting the celebs attention - asking very politely for photos. Four seasons in one day as the sun turns to rain! It doesn't seem to be dampening anyone's spirits though.
7.30pm - Paul and Nail of Devilskin have just rocked up, beards blazing. The hosts Jono and Ben seem to be receiving more attention than the musicians! They are jumping about all over the place, having a good time in the rain.
8.00pm - It is time to head inside, as the show is about to begin. I will hopefully be able to catch up with the winning artists after they come off stage!
8.30pm - Shapeshifter kick things off with a phenomenal performance of their new single Stars and Tami Neilson brings her fiery energy hammering out her song Holy Moses.
9.00pm - Artist;Kings just passed through the media room with his Tui for Breakthrough Artist of the Year. I managed to ask him if he has any words for struggling musicians out there - he replied "If you have a dream, chase it!"
9.30pm - Aaradhna takes out the Best Female Solo Artist award for her album Brown Girl and brother/sister duo Broods accept the Best Group award via live video (and here was me waiting in the rain for them on the red carpet!)
10.00pm - Last years star Marlon Williams announces Best Roots Album and Unity Pacific take home the golden Tui award.
10.30pm - The lady of the night - Bic Runga receives a moving tribute from Dave Dobbyn for her contributions to New Zealand music. Everyone is feeling the emotion as Bic takes the stage to accept her award, bringing tears to Hollie Smith's eyes. Backstage golden gongs are being waved around and everyone is having a great time celebrating!
11.00pm - It has been another great year of achievement for New Zealand musicians, Bic Runga performs a beautiful rendition of sway to end the ceremony. I had a wee yarn with Dave Dobbyn, who informs me that he's a huge fan of Hamilton. The after party is in full swing, and there is a real family feel backstage - with everyone in the industry showing alot of love and appreciation for one another!
Congratulations to all the winners!
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