A swinging blues number about a woman unable to resist the charms of a 'no-good' man has won the top song-writing prize in New Zealand.
Local country star Tami Neilson and her brother, Joshua Neilson, won the 2014 APRA Silver Scroll for their song 'Walk (Back to Your Arms)' at a ceremony held at Wellington's TSB Arena last night.
Speaking after her win, Ms Neilson said she was inspired by female blues singers from the past.
"I was listening to a lot of Big Momma Thornton, and some of those amazing blues torch singers of the '50s and '60s and it kind of rubbed off on me," she said. "I really wanted to kind of capture and kind of pay homage to those women."
Neilson was presented her award by last year's winner, Ella Yelich-O'Connor (better known as Lorde).
Lorde and Joel Little won the 2013 Silver Scroll for 'Royals'.
Lorde accepts the Most Performed Work Award for the songs 'Team' and 'Royals'. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
More on this year's Silver Scroll contenders
This year, the Neilson siblings beat out The Phoenix Foundation, Tiny Ruins, Louis Baker, and Broods - another pair of siblings, also featuring Mr Little - to take home the top prize.
Rob Ruha of Te Whanau a Apanui and Ngati Porou won the Maioha Award for music in Te Reo Maori for his song 'Tiki Tapu', which is about male facial moko.
"It's really a song that I wrote to encourage more Maori men to wear facial moko and for it to be reinstated as a natural part of our society."
Michael Norris won the SOUNZ Contemporary Award for 'Inner Phases', a piece written for Chinese instrument ensemble and string quartet.
A classical composer and electroacoustic pioneer, the late Douglas Lilburn, was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. He was the first classical composer to receive the honour, joining a host of other treasured local musicians, including Dave Dobbyn, Herbs, Johnny Devlin and the Topp Twins.
Lilburn biographer Philip Norman, who presented the award, highlighted Lilburn's desire to create a musical voice for New Zealand.
"He composed an enduring body of work that has come to represent 'New Zealand-ness' in music. Not only that, he proved it was possible for music of quality and distinctiveness to be written here, far away from the musical capitals of the world."
The 49th Silver Scroll Awards also saw the introduction of two new awards: Tane Mahuta, for the best original music in a feature film, which went to Victoria Kelly for 'Field Punishment No 1', and Te Matua Ngahere, for best original music in a series, which went to Tom McLeod for 'Girl vs Boy Season 2'.
Caleb Nott, left, Joel Little and Georgia Nott of Broods Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Joel Little and wife Gemma Robinson Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Robert Ruhu Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Louis Baker and manager Cushla Aston Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
