(Picture caption: The 20th edition of the Pacific Music Awards will be celebrated on 29 August 2024, in Auckland.)
The Pacific Music Awards have reached a milestone this year, with the 20th edition of the awards ceremony planned for August.
In March of 2005, the inaugural Pacific Music Awards were staged at Auckland’s Pasifika Festival, creating a highly anticipated event celebrated by the Pacific, arts and music communities alike.
A Pacific Music Awards Trust spokesperson says the Trust is proud to reach the 20th anniversary and to have been celebrating Pacific music and honouring Pacific artists for two decades.
It is planning a “very special” ceremony at Due Drop Events Centre, Manukau, Auckland, on 29 August 2024.
To honour the 20th year, the Pacific Music Awards Trust through its Tautua Programme, will host events throughout the year in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, to celebrate and connect with communities around Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Trust has begun celebrations, by supporting performances by Pacific artists at the Waitangi ki Manukau, Waitangi Day ki Tamaki and Portage Crossing events in Auckland.
It also has plans for a signature music project, supporting new original songs in Pacific languages.
At the 2005 Pacific Music Awards, seven awards were presented to Tha Feelstyle (winning three awards), Adeaze, Ardijah, Sarah Jane Auva’a and Phillip Fuemana who was posthumously recognised with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Performers on the night included Nesian Mystik, Adeaze, Tha Feelstyle, Alphrisk and Sela Mahe.
Held as part of the opening night for Pasifika, the next year the awards moved to the Telstra Clear Events Centre (now Due Drop Events Centre) in Manukau, where it has been held ever since.
The Trust encourages everyone to celebrate and honour Pacific music this year – past, present and future.
Entries for the 13 Pacific Music Awards categories are now open, with a further eight awards to be presented at the awards ceremony.
Visit the Pacific Music Awards website for more information as it becomes available.