Breakthrough Artist of the Year is an Aotearoa Music Award that honours New Zealand music artists for outstanding recordings. Artists who have previously been nominated for a New Zealand Music Award (excluding Critics' Choice Prize and technical awards) or has had a previous album reach the top 20 of the Official New Zealand Music Chart are ineligible.[1] The award was first awarded in 1973 as Best New Artist.

Recipients

Best New Artist (1973-1976)

Year Winner Ref.
1973 Shona Laing [2]
1974 Bunny Walters [3]
1975 Space Waltz [4]
1976 Dr Tree [5]
1977 No awards held —

Most Promising (1978-2000)

Year Award Winner Finalists Ref.
1978 Most Promising Male Artist Dennis O’Brien — [6]
Most Promising Female Artist Kim Hart
Most Promising Group Citizen Band
1979 Most Promising Male Artist Jon Stevens [7]
Most Promising Female Artist Tina Cross
Most Promising Group Street Talk
1980 Most Promising Male Artist Jon Stevens [8]
Most Promising Female Artist No award presented
Most Promising Group The Crocodiles
1981 Most Promising Male Artist Dave McArtney
  • Paul Schreider
  • David Hollis
  • Richard Eriwata
 [9]
Most Promising Female Artist Anne Dumont
Most Promising Group Dave McArtney
1982 Most Promising Male Vocalist Dave Dobbyn (DD Smash) — [10]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Jodi Vaughn
Most Promising Group Dance Exponents
1983 Most Promising Male Vocalist Andrew McLennan (Coconut Rough)
  • Dick Driver (Hip Singles)
  • Gary Smith (The Body Electric)
 [11]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Sonya Waters
  • Rhonda Jones
  • Bronwyn Jones (Precious)
Most Promising Group Coconut Rough
  • Hip Singles
  • The Body Electric
1984 Most Promising Male Vocalist Martin Phillipps (The Chills)
  • Ross McKenzie (The Idles)
  • Wayne Gillespie
 [12]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Meryl Yvonne
  • Janice Lampen
  • Sharon Dubont
Most Promising Group The Chills
  • Jive Bombers
  • You're a Movie
1985 Most Promising Male Vocalist Mark Loveys (Satellite Spies) [13]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Debbie Harwood
Most Promising Group Satellite Spies - "Destiny In Motion"
  • Everything That Flies - "Bleeding Hearts"
  • Katango - "Dial L for Love"
1986 Most Promising Male Vocalist Tex Pistol
  • Simon Alexandra
  • Lyonel Grant
 [14]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Tania Rowles
  • Ainsley Day
  • Liz Diamond
Most Promising Group Ardijah
  • Chrome Safari
  • Wentworth Brewster & Co
1987 Most Promising Male Vocalist Al Hunter [15]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Moana
  • Darlene Adair
  • Kara Pewhairangi
Most Promising Group Monga and Harwood
1988 Most Promising Male Vocalist Peter Marshall
  • Rikki Morris
  • Thom Nepia
 [16]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Mara Finau
  • Tracey Birnie
  • Helen Mulholland
Most Promising Group Holidaymakers
1989 Most Promising Male Vocalist Paul Ubana Jones [17]
Most Promising Female Artist Janet Roddick
  • Belinda Bradley
  • Julie Collier
Most Promising Group The Front Lawn
1990 Most Promising Male Vocalist Guy Wishart
  • Alan Galloway
  • John Kempt
 [18]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Merenia
  • Ngaire
  • Caroline Easther
Most Promising Group Strawpeople
  • Merenia & Where's Billy
  • D-Faction
1991 No awards held —
1992 Most Promising Male Vocalist David Parker (Parker Project) [19]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Teremoana Rapley (Moana and the Moahunters)
  • Christina Fuemana (House Party)
  • Lorina Harding
Most Promising Group Shihad
1993 Most Promising Male Vocalist Ted Brown
  • Jay Rei
  • Kevin Greaves
 [20]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Jan Hellriegel
  • Jules Issa
  • Maree Sheehan
Most Promising Group Head Like a Hole
  • Dead Flowers
  • Kantuta
1994 Most Promising Male Vocalist Matty J (Matty J and the Soul Syndicate)
  • Michael Gregg and Brendan Gregg (Holy Toledos)
  • Jason Ioasa (Grace)
 [21]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Emma Paki
  • Jan Preston
  • Rima Te Wiata
Most Promising Group Urban Disturbance
1995 Most Promising Male Vocalist Brent Milligan (Pumpkinhead)
  • Peter Daube (Bilge Festival)
  • Evan Woodruffe (Melon Twister)
 [22]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Sulata Foai
  • Chloe Reeves
  • Helen Goudge (Melon Twister)
Most Promising Group Sisters Underground
1996 Most Promising Male Vocalist Pauly Fuemana (OMC) [23]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Bic Runga
Most Promising Group OMC
1997 Most Promising Male Vocalist Daniel Haimona (Dam Native) [24]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Lole Usoalii
  • Andrea Cook
  • Maryanne Antonuvich (D-Faction)
Most Promising Group Dam Native
1998 Most Promising Male Vocalist Darcy Clay [25]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Alesha Siosiua (Moizna)
Most Promising Group Moizna
1999 Most Promising Male Vocalist Andrew Tilby (Breathe) [26]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Boh Runga (Stellar)
  • Liz Faalogo (NV)
  • Sina Saipaia
Most Promising Group Stellar
2000 Most Promising Male Vocalist Aaron Tokona (Weta)
  • Sama Feo (AKA Brown)
  • Conan Wilcox (Salmonella Dub)
 [27]
Most Promising Female Vocalist Vanessa Kelly (Deep Obsession)
Most Promising Group Weta

Best New Act (2001-2002)

Year Winner Album Other finalists Ref.
2001 Betchadupa —
  • Splitter
  • Dan Sperber and Luke Casey
 [28]
2002 Goodshirt Good [29]

Breakthrough Artist of the Year (2003-current)

Year Winner Album Other finalists Ref.
2003 The Datsuns The Datsuns [30]
2004 Brooke Fraser What to Do with Daylight [31]
2005 The Checks "What You Heard [32]
2006 Bleeders As Sweet as Sin [33]
2007 Hollie Smith Long Player [34]
2008 Flight of the Conchords Flight of the Conchords [35]
2009 Ladyhawke Ladyhawke [36]
2010 Gin Wigmore Holy Smoke [37]
2011 The Naked and Famous Passive Me, Aggressive You [38]
2012 Kimbra Vows [39]
2013 Lorde The Love Club EP [40]
2014 Broods Broods [41]
2015 Marlon Williams Marlon Williams [42]
2016 Kings "Don't Worry Bout It"
  • Leisure – "All Over You"
  • Nomad – "Oh My My"
  • Sachi – Lunch with Bianca (EP)
 [43]
2017 TBA — [44]

References

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