The Tui award for Best Album - how often do they get it right? (Part 2)
A lot less than you might think - lets look at it year on year since the turn of the century ... today: 2012 to 2022, and the final score!
In case you missed it, yesterday I bemoaned the fact that - as we head into the Aotearoa Music Awards 2024 on Thursday - it feels like the awards have lost some of their prestige of late. And while there are multiple reasons for that decline in popularity, I think some of the reason is the perceived discrepancy between the most deserving winners and the actual winners.
To see whether that theory bears out, I started looking back at the Album Of The Year winners since the turn of the century, exploring that award between 2000 and 2011, and seeing how often the Aotearoa Music Awards judges got it right.
The score so far: by my reckoning, 4 deserving winners out of 12 awards. Yeesh.
Let’s take a look through the final ceremonies of the century so far and see if the judges can redeem themselves. And of course, lets remember that this is all subjective; I’ll try to be as objective as I can, but you should feel free to disagree. If you do, post it in the comments below!
Okay, enough waffling. Let’s do this.
2012:
Winner: Kimbra – Vows
Shoulda been: Home Brew – Home Brew (Score: 4/13)
Also nominated:
Opossom – Electric Hawaii
Six60 – Six60
The Adults – The Adults
A somewhat interesting year, to be honest: Kimbra won after a star guest turn on Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know”; The Adults debut started life as a solo project for Shihad’s Jon Toogood before expanding into a supergroup featuring Dimmer’s Shayne Carter, Fur Patrol’s Julia Deans and Ladi6; Kodi Nielsen’s Unknown Mortal Orchestra missed a nomination, as did Bic Runga’s Belle, which he produced; and Six60’s first-of-four-self-titled albums (and probably their best) missed a win too. And in the background of all of this was Home Brew, the collective led by rap wunderkind Tom Scott, the deserving winner who would have to wait till 2024 for another nomination.
2013:
Winner: Aaradhna – Treble & Reverb
Shoulda been: nah, they got this one right (Score: 5/14)
Also nominated:
Fat Freddy's Drop – Blackbird
Shapeshifter – Delta
The Phoenix Foundation – Fandango
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – II
A few other missed nominees: Lawrence Arabia’s The Sparrow, Villainy’s Mode Set Clear, Kora’s Light Years, and Maisey Rika’s Whitiora. But despite all of that, I think Aaradhna is the deserving winner here - after a string of hits alongside the likes of Adeaze and Savage, and some success in Australia, Aaradhna returned home and made her best album.
2014:
Winner: Lorde – Pure Heroine
Shoulda been: nah, they got this one right (Score: 6/15)
Also nominated:
Tiny Ruins – Brightly Painted One
The Naked and Famous – In Rolling Waves
Sol3 Mio – Sol3 Mio
Ladi6 – Automatic
I mean, it’d be unhinged for me to argue with a winner that wasn’t just acclaimed here, but critically acclaimed internationally.
2015:
Winner: Broods – Evergreen
Shoulda been: Marlon Williams – Marlon Williams (Score: 6/16)
Also nominated:
Shihad – FVEY
Six60 – Six60 (2)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love
Shihad’s FVEY and UMO’s Multi-Love would both have been deserving winners here, and both Cairo Knife Fight’s The Colossus and Tami Neilson’s Dynamite! were deserving of more recognition. But Marlon Williams’ debut is something special, a marvellous album. And the fact that it didn’t win is a travesty.
2016:
Winner: Broods – Conscious
Shoulda been: Aaradhna – Brown Girl (Score: 6/17)
Also nominated:
Fat Freddy's Drop – Bays
Hollie Smith – Water or Gold
Tami Neilson – Don’t Be Afraid
The Phoenix Foundation – Give Up Your Dreams
I have no idea how or why but Broods - a duo that have some talent, but benefited more from Joel Little’s involvement - won twice in a row. But they did. Meanwhile, Aaradhna missed out with her fourth album and first NZ number one album. Not to mention Tami Neilson missing out again.
2017:
Winner: Lorde – Melodrama
Shoulda been: nah, they got this one right (Score: 7/18)
Also nominated:
Aldous Harding – Party
David Dallas – Hood Country Club
Fazerdaze – Morningside
Leisure – LEISURE
SWIDT – Stoneyhunga
Pure Heroine was good. Melodrama was better.
2018:
Winner: Alien Weaponry - Tu
Shoulda been: Nadia Reid - Preservation (not nominated) (Score: 7/19)
Also nominated:
Julia Deans - We Light Fire
Marlon Williams - Make Way For Love
Six60 - Six60
Tami Neilson - Sassafrass!
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Sex & Food
I found this to be a pretty tricky decision as well. Alien Weaponry’s Tu is a brilliant album. So is Tami Neilson’s Sassafrass! So is Marlon Williams’ Make Way For Love. But Nadia Reid’s Preservation is a step above, a beautiful and creative and emotive record from an artist who doesn’t get nearly enough recognition for her work.
2019:
Winner: Aldous Harding - Designer
Shoulda been: Avantdale Bowling Club - Avantdale Bowling Club (Score: 7/20)
Also nominated:
Broods - Dont Feed The Pop Monster
Marlon Williams - Live at the Town Hall
Mitch James - Mitch James
The Beths - Future Me Hates Me
I’m torn on this one as well. Aldous Harding’s Designer is a really good album. But, like, Avantdale Bowling Club might be Tom Scott’s best album - a jazz rap album which he described as a more grown up version of his group Home Brew, and one of the best hiphop albums this country has ever produced.
2020:
Winner: The Beths - Jump Rope Gazers
Shoulda been: Tiny Ruins - Olympic Girls (not nominated) (Score: 7/21)
Also nominated:
L.A.B - L.A.B III
Nadia Reid - Out Of My Province
Reb Fountain - Reb Fountain
Six60 - Six60
Tami Neilson - Chickaboom!
Any year where both L.A.B. and Six60 miss out is a good year, amirite! The Beths’ Jump Rope Gazers is a good’n, but I reckon Tiny Ruins’ Olympic Girls is a better’n. The third album from the group led by Hollie Fulbrook built on the work of their two previous albums (also not nominated in their eligible years). Its brilliant. That it didn’t even get a look in is tragic.
2021:
Winner: L.A.B - L.A.B IV
Shoulda been: BENEE - Hey u x (Score: 7/22)
Also nominated:
Crowded House - Dreamers Are Waiting
The Phoenix Foundation - Friend Ship
TEEKS - Something To Feel
Troy Kingi - The Ghost of Freddie Cesar
In the end of year NZ Albums chart for both 2020 and 2021, L.A.B. and Six60 hold the entire Top 5 and 7 of the Top 10 albums. This isn’t really related, just something I thought was bothersome. In terms of this years nominees, L.A.B. IV is (depending on how you feel about Crowded House) either the fifth or sixth best album here. BENEE and Teeks are my favourites here, though Troy Kingi’s Ghost Of Freddie Cesar is also a pretty deserving winner.
2022:
Winner: L.A.B - L.A.B V
Shoulda been: Aldous Harding - Warm Chris (Score: 7/23)
Also nominated:
Lorde - Solar Power
Reb Fountain - IRIS
Rob Ruha - Preservation of Scenery
Tami Neilson - Kingmaker
L.A.B. won the award for the second year in a row - and, on the end of year NZ Albums chart, L.A.B. and Six60 made up 9 of the Top 10 albums. It troubles me no end that two bands who essentially sound the same dominate the music industry in this country. Meanwhile, Aldous Harding’s Warm Chris is her best album to date, and has a pretty great name to boot. Reb Fountain and Lorde put in solid entries too, while Troy Kingi’s Black Sea Golden Ladder, Alien Weaponry’s Tangaroa and Fat Freddys Drop’s Wairunga didn’t get nominated.
Final Score: 7 out of 22
Well, I mean, that score kind of speaks for itself.
Check back tomorrow for a look at this years awards.
Cheers for reading everyone - see you tomorrow!
Chris