Finalists for the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards have been announced.

Mana Reo

MOHI – Ka Rea (feat. Pare)

Best Rock / Metal Artist

Te Manu Taki Rakapīoi / Rakatū Pāorooro o te Tau

Dick Move – Dream, Believe, Achieve

Best Solo Artist

Te Tino Reo o te Tau

Tami Neilson – Neon Cowgirl

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

Tami Neilson – Neon Cowgirl

Best Engineer

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro

Mark Perkins – Te Whare Tīwekaweka (Marlon Williams)

Best Group

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau

Phoebe Rings – Aseurai

Best Jazz Artist

Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau

Clear Path Ensemble – Black Sand

Best Alternative Artist

Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau

Grecco Romank – Arts Colony

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

Reb Fountain – How Love Bends

Best Group

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau

Ringlets – The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time for Walkies)

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

Marlon Williams – Te Whare Tīwekaweka

Best Classical Artist

Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau

Moth Quartet – Tundra

Best Group

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau

The Beths – Straight Line Was A Lie

Best Rock / Metal Artist

Te Manu Taki Rakapīoi / Rakatū Pāorooro o te Tau

Alien Weaponry – Te Rā

Best Album Artwork

Te Taumata o te Toi

Elliot O'Donnell, Jamie Robertson – New Tomorrows (Sola Rosa)

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

Tami Neilson – Neon Cowgirl (feat. Neil Finn)

Best Solo Artist

Te Tino Reo o te Tau

Geneva AM – Pikipiki

Best Roots Artist

Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau

Te Wehi – various

Mana Reo

Marlon Williams – Te Whare Tīwekaweka

Best Solo Artist

Te Tino Reo o te Tau

Tom Scott – ANITYA

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

Hori Shaw, Te Wehi – Ready To Ride

Best Producer

Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa

Leroy Clampitt – various (Lily Allen)

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

Fazerdaze – Motorway

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

The Phoenix Foundation – Vampire Class

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

There’s A Tuesday – Margo

Best Engineer

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro

Ben Lawson – ANITYA (Tom Scott)

Best Soul/RnB Artist

Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau

A.R.T – Blank Canvas

Best Roots Artist

Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau

Three Houses Down – Lovers Roots

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

Paige – twenties

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

The Beths – Metal

Best Hip Hop Artist

Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau

Troy Kingi – Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords

Best Folk Artist

Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau

Mel Parsons – various

Best Māori Artist

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau

TAWAZ – various

Best Roots Artist

Te Manu Taki Taketake o te Tau

Hori Shaw – various

Best Folk Artist

Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau

Nadia Reid – Enter Now Brightness

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

MOKOMOKAI – PONO

Best Pop Artist

Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau

Lorde – Virgin

Best Hip Hop Artist

Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau

Diggy Dupé, choicevaughan – Brown Velvet

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

Lorde – Virgin

Best Pop Artist

Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau

BENEE – Ur an Angel I'm Just Particles

Best Electronic Artist

Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau

Sanoi – Augenblick: Side A

Best Solo Artist

Te Tino Reo o te Tau

Lorde – Virgin

Best Album Artwork

Te Taumata o te Toi

Laura Williams – ANITYA (Tom Scott)

Best Classical Artist

Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau

Jade String Quartet, Anthony Ritchie – Melencolia

Best Rock / Metal Artist

Te Manu Taki Rakapīoi / Rakatū Pāorooro o te Tau

Beastwars – The Ship // The Sea

Best Māori Artist

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau

Marlon Williams – Te Whare Tīwekaweka

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

Alien Weaponry – Mau Moko

Best Producer

Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa

Ben Lawson – ANITYA (Tom Scott)

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

Marlon Williams – Aua Atu Rā

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

Tom Scott – ANITYA

Best Pop Artist

Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau

Borderline – Chrysalis

Best Electronic Artist

Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau

Geneva AM – Pikipiki

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

Kaylee Bell – Cowboy Up

Best Māori Artist

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau

MĀ – Blame It On The Weather

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

Troy Kingi – Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords

Best Group

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau

MOKOMOKAI – PONO

Mana Reo

Rob Ruha, Troy Kingi, Kaylee Bell – Matariki Hunga Nui

Best Group

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau

Dick Move – Dream, Believe, Achieve

Best Music Video Content

Te Taumata o te Ataata

Tom Grut – Ed’s Sun (Aidan Fine)

Best Country Music Artist

Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau

Tami Neilson – Neon Cowgirl

Best Folk Artist

Te Manu Taki Ahurea o te Tau

Ny Oh – Wildwood

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

Ladi6 – Le Vā

Best Soul/RnB Artist

Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau

Tom Scott – ANITYA

Best Hip Hop Artist

Te Manu Taki Ātete o te Tau

MOKOMOKAI – PONO

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

The Beths – Straight Line Was A Lie

Best Solo Artist

Te Tino Reo o te Tau

Ladi6 – Le Vā

Best Music Video Content

Te Taumata o te Ataata

Stan Walker, Abe Mora – Mō Āke Tonu (Stan Walker feat. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke)

Best Country Music Artist

Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau

Jenny Mitchell – Forest House

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

MĀ – Blame It On The Weather

Best Producer

Te Taumata o te Kaiwhakaputa

Marlon Williams, Mark Perkins – Te Whare Tīwekaweka (Marlon Williams)

Best Alternative Artist

Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau

MĀ – Blame It On The Weather

Best Soul/RnB Artist

Te Manu Taki Manako o te Tau

Sam V – Take A Chance On V: Deluxe

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

Ladi6 – LightBulb

Best Alternative Artist

Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau

Phoebe Rings – Aseurai

Best Electronic Artist

Te Manu Taki Tāhiko o te Tau

Caru, Brandn Shiraz – Back 2 Back

Best Māori Artist

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau

Hori Shaw – various

Best Album Artwork

Te Taumata o te Toi

Nick Keller – The Ship // The Sea (Beastwars)

Album of the Year

Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau

Geneva AM – Pikipiki

Mana Reo

Hamo Dell – Tā Roha

Best Solo Artist

Te Tino Reo o te Tau

Marlon Williams – Te Whare Tīwekaweka

Mana Reo

Nikau Grace – He Aha Te Aha (feat. Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue)

Best Jazz Artist

Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau

Darren Pickering Small Worlds – Three

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

Lorde – What Was That

Best Classical Artist

Te Manu Taki Tuauki o te Tau

Michael Norris – Rerenga

Best Māori Artist

Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau

Te Wehi – various

Best Country Music Artist

Te Manu Taki Tuawhenua o te Tau

Kaylee Bell – Cowboy Up

Single of the Year

Te Tino Waiata o te Tau

Tom Scott – till then

Best Engineer

Te Taumata o te Pūkenga Oro

James Goldsmith – The Ship // The Sea (Beastwars)

Best Music Video Content

Te Taumata o te Ataata

Stella Reid – Scared Old Men (Dick Move)

Best Jazz Artist

Te Manu Taki Tautito o te Tau

Louisa Williamson – Groundwork

Best Group

Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau

Alien Weaponry – Te Rā

Mana Reo

Stan Walker – Mō Āke Tonu (feat. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke)