2005 APRA Silver Scroll Awards
Author: Melanie Selby (photography by Topic Photography)
Wellington had a time in the APRA Silver Scroll Awards spotlight last year, but with 2005 being the 40th awards ceremony for the local chapter of the Australasian Performing Right Association, it was back to the familiarity of Auckland's Town Hall this September.
At its heart the Silver Scroll night is a celebration of Kiwi songwriting genius and a welcome annual get together for APRA's songwriter membership. That used to be enough of an excuse, but nowadays there are five quite varied awards dispensed. Not only did our Prime Minister sing the praises of the creative community represented, but Brett Cottle, the Australian head of APRA, even joined in with his own praise of the NZ awards evening. American songwriting legend Jimmy Webb was another very special guest and added a welcome freshness to the annual presentation of the Most Performed Work Overseas trophy to Neil Finn for Don't Dream It's Over.
Pitch Black performed a great electronic version of Evermore's It's Too Late. Creative Wellington collective Plan 9 had a unique take on Pluto's Long White Cross, Batucada Sound Machine found a new energy for their version of The Mint Chicks' Opium for the People and The Checks showed their class with commendable restraint for Goldenhorse's Out of the Moon. Stepping in very last-minute - to replace Che Fu who did a no-show on the morning of the awards - Jordan Luck, Victoria Kelly and Bryan Bell didn't mess much with Dave Dobbyn's Welcome Home, but nonetheless earned rapturous applause.
Although the sound engineer did his best to give the game away there was still plenty of surprise in the room when songwriting legend Chris Knox announced the three youngest finalists (Evermore's Hume brothers Jon, Peter and Dann), as deserved winners of the coveted Silver Scroll.
Although ignored in this year's academy-voted Tui Awards, Evermore are five category finalists in the Australian ARIA Awards so could well be adding to their 2005 trophy haul.
Other award winners were:
2005 Most Performed Work in NZ - Tim and Neil Finn Won't Give In.
2005 Maioha Award - Anituatua Black and Whirimako Black Tini Whetu presented by Toi Maori's Garry Nicholas. This waiata was interpreted jazz-style by Kathy Phillips and the Kevin Field Trio.
The 2005 SOUNZ Contemporary Award (see opposite) was presented by Prime Minister Helen Clark to Ross Harris for 'Labyrinth for Tuba and Orchestra'. The Brassouls performed an arrangement of Harris' piece.
