Since 1965, music awards have been conferred annually in New Zealand to recognise artistic achievement in the recording industry. The awards, which were initially called the Loxene Golden Disc Awards, underwent name changes and are now known as the Aotearoa Music Awards {AMA) since 2020.
Over the years, the range of awards has increased from the one category (Single of the Year) available in 1965. You can search AMA's Awards History Database by Year or Award Category to find the full list of nominees and the winners: https://aotearoamusicawards.co.nz/archive?year=2024&award=&artist=
The following celebrates those women who were nominees and winners during the first twenty years of the awards ceremonies.
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Guess who was the first person to win the Top Female Vocalist Award 3 years in a row, which occurred from 1978-1980!
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1965-1972: Loxene Golden Disc Awards
1965: Dinah Lee - Nominee for Single of the Year - 'I'll Forgive You Then Forget You''
(The ten singer/groups nominated included two women)
NZ On Screen
1965: The Chicks - Nominee for Single of the Year - 'Hucklebuck'
Winner: Ray Columbus and the Invaders – 'Till We Kissed'
Alexander Turnbull Library
1966: Maria Dallas - Winner for Single of the Year - 'Tumblin' Down'
(The ten singers/groups nominated also included Gwyne Owen for 'In my room')
NZ On Screen
1967: Sandy Edmonds - Nominee for Single of the Year - 'Daylight Saving Time'
(The nine singer/groups nominated included two female singers)
Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage
1967: Maria Dallas - Nominee for Single of the Year - 'Handy Man'
Winner: Mr. Lee Grant – 'Thanks to You'
AudioCulture
1968: The Shevelles - Nominee for Single of the Year - 'Beat The Clock'
(The eleven singer/groups nominated included three female singers/groups)
AudioCulture
1968: The Chicks - Nominee for Single of the Year - 'River Deep-Mountain High'
Alexander Turnbull Library
1968: Allison Durbin - Winner for Single of the Year - 'I Have Loved Me A Man'
NZ On Screen
1969: The Chicks - Nominee for Single of the Year - 'Miss You Baby'
Winner: Shane – 'Saint Paul' (Ten singer/groups had been nominated)
AudioCulture
1969, 1970, 1971: Hamilton County Bluegrass Band with Colleen Bain (Trenwith) on fiddle - Nominee for Single of the Year
Song: 'Barefoot Nellie' (1969), 'Carolina On My Mind' (1970) & 'Hey Boys' (1971)
AudioCulture
1970, 1971, 1972: Suzanne - Nominee for Single of the Year
Song: 'Yesterday When I Was Young' (1970), 'Stand By Your Man' (1971) & 'Sunshine Through A Prism' (1972)
Auckland Libraries
1972: Rangi Parker - Nominee for Single of the Year 'Every Day Is Sunday'
Winner: Creation - 'Carolina' (The 12 singers/groups nominated included two women)
Alexander Turnbull Library
1972: Suzanne - Winner for Solo Artist with 'Sunshine Through A Prism'
Christchurch City Libraries
1973-1976: RATA (Recording Arts Talent Awards)
1973: Shona Laing - Nominee for Top Female Vocalist ('Show Your Love')
NZ On Screen
1973: Erana Clark - Nominee for Top Female Vocalist ('Circle Game')
Alexander Turnbull Library
1973: Shona Laing - Winner for Recording Artist of the Year & Breakthrough Artist ('1905')
NZ On Screen
1975: Annie Whittle - Winner for Top Female Vocalist
MOTAT
1976: Suzanne Prentice - Nominee for Top Female Vocalist ('Sweet Country Music')
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AudioCulture
1976: Anna Leah - Nominee for Top Female Vocalist ('Be A Child Again')
Upper Hutt City Library
1976: Annie Whittle - Winner for Top Female Vocalist ('When You Walk In The Room')
NZ On Screen
1978-1982: RIANZ (Recording Industry Association of New Zealand) AWARDS
The Awards were not presented during 1977: "... the oil crisis and a sales tax increase spelt gloom for the recording industry and no awards were made in 1977."
Source: RIANZ, URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20110914072406/http://rianz.org.nz/awards2008/history.asp
1978: Sharon O'Neill - Winner for Top Female Vocalist
NZ On Screen
1979: Tina Cross - Winner for Most Promising Female Vocalist
NZ On Screen
1980: Sharon ONeill - Winner for Top Female Vocalist & also won Album of the Year with 'Sharon O'Neill'
Sharon was the first person to win an award three years in a row: 1978, 1979 & 1980
NZ On Screen
1980: Crocodiles with lead singer Jenny Morris - Winner for Top Group & Most Promising Group
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
1981: Suzanne Prentice - Winner for Top Female Vocalist
Also nominated: Jenny Morris & Tina Cross
South Canterbury Museum
1981: Nominees for Most Promising Female Vocalist: Anne Dumont (the Winner), Celine Toner, & Jenny Morris
AudioCulture
1983-1985: New Zealand Music Awards
1982: Patsy Riggir - Winner for Top Female Vocalist
Also nominated: Suzanne Prentice, & Trudi Green (lead singer with The Neighbours band)
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
1983: Sonya Waters - Winner of Most Promising Female Vocalist
Also nominated: Rhonda Jones & Bronwyn Jones ('Precious')
AudioCulture
1983: Suzanne Prentice - Winner for Top Female Vocalist & Country Record of the Year 'When I dream'
Also nominated: Top Female Vocalist (Trudi Green & Patsy Riggir); & Country Record (Patsy Riggir & Brendan Duggan)
NZ On Screen
1983: Patsy Riggir - Winner of Most Popular Song 'Beautiful Lady'
NZ On Screen
1983: Louise Malloy - Winner Classical Record Of The Year ('Louise')
Also nominated: Kiri Te Kanawa / National Youth Choir of NZ, & Schools Polyphonics of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
![Image: SMASH PALACE [TRAILER]](https://thumbnailer.digitalnz.org/?resize=770x&src=https%3A%2F%2Fi.vimeocdn.com%2Fvideo%2F552170975-d96525d53daa5401807fda35e001ef982758e34abb92bc8e176db77268d290aa-d%3Fregion%3Dus_640x360&resize=368%253E "SMASH PALACE [TRAILER]")
1983: Sharon O'Neill - Winner Film Soundtrack / Cast Recording / Compilation for the film 'Smash Palace'
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
1984: Patsy Riggir - Winner of Best Country Album & Top Female Vocalist, & nominated for Album of the Year
Meryl Yvonne was the winner of Most Promising Female Vocalist
AudioCulture
1985: Margaret Urlich - Winner of Best Female Vocalist
Also nominated: Patsy Riggir & Jacqui Fitzgerald
Alexander Turnbull Library
1985: Debbie Harwood - Winner of Most Promising Female Vocalist
Also nominated: Dianne Swann ('Everything That Flies') & Betty Monga ('IQU')
NZ On Screen
1985: Patsy Riggir - Winner of Country Album of the Year: 'You remind me of a love song'
Also nominated: Suzanne Prentice ('I Wish I Was Waltzing With You') & Richie Pickett & The Inlaws ('Gone For Water')
AudioCulture
1985: Shona Laing - Nominee for Album of the Year: 'Genre'
(Winner: Netherworld Dancing Toys - 'Painted Years')
NZ On Screen
1985: Peking Man with Margaret & Pat Urlich nominated for Single of the Year: 'Lift Your Head Up High'
(Winner: Netherworld Dancing Toys - 'For Today')
AudioCulture
1985: Kiri Te Kanawa - International Achievement
Also nominated: DD Smash, & Dalvanius Prime & The Pātea Māori Club
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
Until 1990, the awards continued to be known a the New Zealand Music Awards; then there were name changes:
1991: The Awards were not presented
1992-1993: Pepsi New Zealand Music Awards
1996-1997: Clear Music and Entertainment Awards
1998: New Zealand Music Awards (From 1998, the award trophy was nicknamed the Tui)
1999: Coca-Cola New Zealand Music Awards
2000-2003: New Zealand Music Awards
2004-2019: Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards
2020- Aotearoa Music Awards
To view the nominees and winners, see: https://aotearoamusicawards.co.nz/archive?year=2024&award=&artist=
Find out more:
AMA (Aotearoa Music Awards):https://aotearoamusicawards.co.nz/
Wikipedia: Aoteroa Music Awards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aotearoa_Music_Awards
This DigitalNZ Story was updated in May 2025