New Zealand Music Award for Critics' Choice Prize

Critics' Choice Prize
Awarded for	Up-and-coming acts in New Zealand music
Location	King's Arms Tavern
Country	New Zealand
Presented by	Recorded Music New Zealand
Reward	$10,000 NZ On Air grant, $2000 music voucher, industry mentoring
First awarded	2010
Official website	nzmusicawards.co.nz/category/events/critics-choice-prize/

The Critics' Choice Prize is a New Zealand Music Awards prize awarded to artists who are expected to be successful in the music industry in the future. To be eligible for the award, an artist must have neither released a studio album nor have been nominated for a New Zealand Music Award in the past.^[1]

The prize is judged by a panel of 13 music-industry critics. The winner is decided a live event held at the Kings Arms tavern in Auckland. Each of the three shortlisted artists performs, then the judges deliberate and the prize is presented. The prize includes a $10,000 NZ On Air grant and mentoring from industry professionals.^[2][3] The prize was first awarded in 2010 to Street Chant.

Recipients

Year	Date	Artist	Other nominees	Ref.
2010	15 September	Street Chant	Home Brew The Naked and Famous	[4]
2011	6 October	Kimbra	Popstrangers The Unfaithful Ways	[5]
2012	17 October	Watercolours	Beach Pigs Loui The Zu	[6]
2013	6 November	Sheep, Dog & Wolf	Janine and the Mixtape Paquin	[7]
2014	29 October	Randa	Estere Lake South	[8]
2015	5 November	Bespin	Boycrush New Gum Sarn	[9]

References

1. "NZ Music awards set for changes". The New Zealand Herald (APN News & Media). 22 July 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
2. "Critics Choice Prize". NZMA. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
3. "Critics Choice Prize 2012". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
4. Sundae, Hugh (16 September 2010). "Street Chant win inaugural Critics' Choice Prize". The New Zealand Herald (APN News & Media). Retrieved 22 November 2010.
5. "Kimbra takes home Critics' Choice Prize". NZ Herald. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
6. "2012 Critics’ Choice Prize winner announced". Four. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
7. Jenkin, Lydia (22 October 2013). "NZ Music Awards: And the nominees are...". NZ Herald. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
8. Duff, Michelle (30 October 2014). "Rapper Randa wins Critics' Choice gong". NZ Herald (APN). Retrieved 30 October 2014.
9. "Critics' Choice Prize finalists face off tonight". NZ Herald. NZMA. Retrieved 5 November 2015.