Rules, Conditions, Aims, Vision & Mission.
The Waiata Māori Music Awards seeks to develop, encourage and honour the achievements of outstanding traditional and contemporary musical compositions and performances annually.
THE MANDATE of the Waiata Māori Music Awards is to produce and maintain a music competition that is open to all Māori music industry professionals i.e. all composers and artists.
OUR AIM is to have all entries secretly judged in a non-biased way by active members of the Māori music industry and audited by a chartered accountant.
OUR VISION is to produce a gala awards ceremony that will focus on the diversity and excellence of Māori Music in Aotearoa (New Zealand) featuring performances by current, or past finalists, and winners.
THE MISSION of the Waiata Māori Music Awards is to acknowledge and honour the keepers, teachers, promoters, creators and performers of Māori music; to continue to develop and promote the diversity of all Māori music; to showcase and celebrate the excellence of Māori music; to recognise the unique vision of Māori composers and musicians; and to enrich this rich cultural voice.
AWARD CATEGORIES
Award Categories for this year's Waiata Māori Music Awards are:
To nominate, click links below
Te Tohu Kōpae Reo Māori Autaia
Best Te Reo Māori Album
Te Tohu Kaipūoru Māori Noho Taone Autaia
Best Hip Hop Album by a Māori Artist
Te Tohu Kaipūoru Māori Autaia
Best RnB Album by a Māori Artist
Te Tohu Kōpaeroa Autaia
Best Māori Urban Roots Reggae Album
Te Tohu Kaipūoru Aratini Māori Autaia
Best Pop Album by a Māori Artist
Te Tohu Manu Tioriori Tāne Autaia
Best Māori Male Solo Artist
Te Tohu Manu Tioriori Wahine Autaia
Best Māori Female Solo Artist
Te Tohu Rōpū Māori Autaia
Best Māori Group
Te Tohu o te Waiata Māori Hira
Best Single by a Māori Artist
Te Tohu Ataata Autaia
Best Music Video by a Māori Artist
Te Tohu o te Kaitito Waiata
Best Māori Songwriter
Te Tohu Kōpae Irirangi Kaipūoru Māori o te Tau
Radio Airplay Song of the Year by a Māori Artist in Te Reo Māori (Determined by NZ On Air)
Tohu Kōpae Irirangi Kaipūoru Reo Māori o te Tau
Radio Airplay Song of the Year by a Māori Artist (Determined by NZ On Air)
RULES & ELIGIBILITY
1. Only recordings released in New Zealand during the period from 1st July 2023 - 30th June 2024 are eligible.
2. Release date is defined as the date the recording was officially commercially available through physical and/or digital outlets.
3. Entry into Best Te Reo Māori Album, Best Hip Hop Album by a Māori Artist, Best RnB Album by a Māori Artist, Best Roots Reggae Album by a Māori Artist, Best Pop Album by a Māori Artist, Best Māori Male Solo Artist, Best Māori Female Solo Artist, Best Māori Group, Best Single by a Māori Artist, Best Music Video by a Māori Artist, and Best Māori Songwriter would not affect entry into the Aotearoa Music Awards – The AMAS.
4. Multi-artist compilations are not eligible. For the avoidance of doubt, this is where multiple artists contribute individual tracks to an album project and are listed individually on the album packaging.
5. All recordings must be commercially available for sale through recognised physical or digital retail channels. Sales through artist websites or artist performances may be included at the discretion of the Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust.
6. Re-released recordings are not eligible.
7. Previously entered material will not be accepted unless the previously entered category did not qualify due to a lack of entries. Where categories lack sufficient entries; submissions will be carried over into the subsequent Awards round.
8. Where the entered release comprises more than one disc, the disc must be sold only as ‘one set’ to qualify.
9. An album constitutes audio recordings (or a recording) with a playing time of over 25 minutes or of five (5) different songs or more. Videos included on an album will not be considered when determining the duration of the album or the total number of tracks on the album.
10. A single is an individual recording and may have been released as part of a physical or digital album, a physical single, a digital bundle or as an individual digital track.
11. Any entry not conforming to proper copyright licensing conditions i.e. any clearances or permission required from copyright owners, APRA AMCOS or Recorded Music New Zealand will be disqualified.
12. The Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust and Recorded Music New Zealand are to be indemnified from any subsequent action that may be directed against the Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust, Recorded Music New Zealand or APRA should any entries be found to not conform to normal copyright licensing conditions.
13. All entries will be reviewed for eligibility by the Eligibility Sub-committee of the Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust, which reserves the right to make the final judgment on category, artist and product eligibility. The Eligibility Sub-committee will provide notice citing reasons for any entries being deemed ineligible. The entrant will have five (5) days from such notice to respond, at which time the Eligibility Sub-committee will review the entry and make a final decision.
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
1. Entry is free and is open to all Māori Music composers and artists. Lyrics can be in English or Te Reo Māori. Artists must be Māori by birth, adoption or community acceptance.
2. All nominees: must be New Zealand citizens (by birth or citizenship) OR have been granted permanent residency in New Zealand.
3. A group or duo will be considered Māori if the person or persons who are the leading creative force are members of the Māori community as set out above.
4. All entered materials must have been recorded within two years prior to the deadline. To be eligible for the 2024 competition, entries must have been distributed for public sale from 1st July 2023 - 30th June 2024.
5. For a category to qualify there needs to be a minimum of three (3) entries. If there are fewer than 3 entries, it is at the discretion of Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust to decide whether or not that category goes forward.
6. All entries will be accepted online through the Waiata Māori Music Awards nominations portal. No manual entries will be accepted.
7. All submissions must be received by 5:00 pm 12th July 2024.
8. The official entry form must be signed by the nominating company or person acknowledging they have fully read and complied with the terms and conditions of entry.
HOW TO ENTER
1. Please click here to complete the nomination form.
2. Nominations in the following categories must be accompanied by audio files uploaded into the Waiata Māori Music Awards nominations portal - Best Te Reo Māori Album, Best Hip Hop Album by a Māori Artist, Best RnB Album by a Māori Artist, Best Roots Reggae Album by a Māori Artist, Best Pop Album by a Māori Artist, Best Māori Male Solo Artist, Best Māori Female Solo Artist, Best Māori Group, Best Single by a Māori Artist, Best Music Video by a Māori Artist, and Best Māori Songwriter.
3. Nominations for Best Music Video by a Māori Artist must be accompanied by a link (ie: Youtube) to a high-quality video file.
4. All nominations for compositions or recordings in Te Reo Māori must be accompanied by a copy of lyrics with English translations.
5. One photograph of the composer/artist(s) in a jpeg file format. NB: It may be pertinent to include photography of both the composer and artist for the compositions submitted.
6. Please also include two (2) letters of reference from home, community (urban or iwi) affirming that the composer/artist(s) is Māori. Letters of reference are kept on file with the Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust.
7. It is important for the success of the event that nominees are available to attend the awards presentation. Nominees are required to meet all costs (accommodation, transport, etc.) for their personnel and whānau to attend the Waiata Māori Music Awards presentation.
8. All nominees agree to accept the decision of the judges as final. Under no circumstances will correspondence be entered into with entrants, any other person, or any interviews granted in respect of judging decisions. All publicity in respect of the awards shall be the prerogative of the Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust. Any entries shall constitute full acceptance of these conditions. These conditions will be the basis for the terms of reference of the judging panel.
9. Anyone found lobbying the panel for their votes will have their entries disqualified.
10. All nominees permit the Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust and any person the Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust authorises to the performance of the works entered, as part of the Waiata Māori Awards presentation and to record it for those purposes.
11. All nominees permit the Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust and any person the Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust authorises to the performance of the works entered, as part of the Waiata Māori Music Awards presentation and to record it for those purposes.
12. Final entry is at the absolute discretion of the Eligibility Sub-committee of the Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust.
13. The Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust must receive all entries, signed by 5.00 pm 12th July 2024.
JUDGING
1. The judges will be asked to consider a number of elements in the judging process.
2. Emphasis will be placed on artistic merit, use of Te Reo Māori language, lyric content, originality and ethnicity.
3. The Waiata Māori Awards Charitable Trust selects the judging panel and the identity of the panellists will remain confidential.
4. All panellists are required to submit their decisions through the Waiata Māori Music Awards judging portal.
ORIGINALITY
All Music submitted to the Awards must have at least 60% original songs/tracks.