Pacific Music Award Winners Announced

The annual Vodafone Pacific Music Awards were held over the weekend, with Auckland duo Cydel taking home three awards for their second album Memoirs of a Midnight Cowboy.

Cydel won the awards for Nui FM Best Pacific Artist, Radio 531PI Best Pacific Group and Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album.

The NZ On Air Radio Airplay award was presented to Brooke Fraser for Kings & Queens, while Three Houses Down won the Vodafone People’s Choice Award, the only award voted for by the public.

Reggae group Herbs was awarded with the Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of it success and influence over the past 36 years, specifically in relation to their releases What's Be Happen? and Light of the Pacific. This is the second legacy award Herbs have received this year, following the NZ Classic Award they won at the Taite Music Prizes.

Operatic trio Sol3 Mio received the Special Recognition Award after a hugely successful couple of years - the group's debut album has gone seven times platinum and they continue to tour internationally.

2015 Vodafone Pacific Music Awards winners by category:

Virgin Australia Best Pacific Female Artist
Erakah Organised Chaos

NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist
TJ Taotua Magnified

Niu Fm Best Pacific Urban Artist
Cydel Memoirs of a Midnight Cowboy

Radio 531PI Best Pacific Group
Cydel Memoirs of a Midnight Cowboy

NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video
Smashproof Survivors (featuring Pieter T)

APRA Best Pacific Song           
Smashproof Survivors (featuring Pieter T)

Tagata Pasifika Best Pacific Language
Word of Life South Auckland Choir Toele I La'u Auaunaga

Best Pacific Gospel Artist
TJ Taotua Magnified

Flava Best International Pacific Artist
Maryanne Ito Waking Up

NZ On Air Radio Airplay Award
Brooke Fraser Kings & Queens

Vodafone People’s Choice Award  - Best Pacific Artist
Three Houses Down

Phillip Fuemana Award - MOST Promising Pacific Artist
Donell Lewis

Manukau Institute Of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award
Herbs

Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album
Cydel Memoirs of a Midnight Cowboy

Special Recognition Award
Sol3 Mio