The who's who of New Zealand music are nursing sore heads after a huge night out at the NZ Music Awards, with two bands in particular emerging as the big winners of the show.
On Thursday morning, Opshop were still getting over the shock of winning four Tuis at the ceremony.
"The heart jumps into the throat - that sort of thing, and I think we all thought, 'What the hell?', haha..." Matt Treacy (guitarist) and Clint Harris (bassist) said.
The band won awards for Radio Airplay Record of the Year, Highest Selling Album and single, as well as Single of the Year for One Day. They were the first band to go straight to number one on iTunes New Zealand in its history
Casual listeners might recognise it from the New Zealand Post ad, but the song very nearly didn't make it onto the band's album. Perhaps selling themselves short, they said they weren't sure if fans would like it.
"We don't know what we're talking about! Yeah, that's the thing, we just write the songs and you just don't know what people are gonna like." Treacy laughs.
Unfortunately, the lead singer of the band missed the big night. Jason Kerrison is overseas at a family wedding, but his bandmates say he was surprised and "stoked" at the accolades. "You never do expect to win anything, and I think there was a touch of sadness that he couldn't be there."
Also overseas on the night were Flight of the Conchords. They won Album of the Year, Best Group, Breakthrough Artist and the International Achievement award, accepting their awards via the big screen.
"Oh Mum, we've won another one! Oh, this is amazing we've won four awards...Yeah, turn on your TV now, it's on TV now," joked Bret MacKenzie in a pre-recorded acceptance "speech" filmed in the style of their successful HBO sitcom, as Jermaine Clement, his partner in crime, emailed his mother on the comedy-folk duo's clapped-out computer.
Back in New Zealand, a summer tour is next on the list for Opshop. And mums and dads with young children and high hopes for their musical abilities can take heart - the band proudly admit they started off by playing the recorder at primary school.
The full list of 2008 winners are below:
Album of the Year: Flight Of The Conchords -
Flight of the Conchords
Single of the Year: Opshop - One Day
Best Group: Flight Of The Conchords -
Flight of the Conchords
People's Choice: Parachute Band
Best Male Solo Artist: Liam Finn: I'll be
Lightning
Best Female Solo Artist: Anika Moa: In Swings the
Tide
Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Flight of the
Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords
Best Music Video: Ian Hart: Her Hairagami Set (The
Brunettes)
Best Rock Album: Shihad: Beautiful Machine
Best Urban/Hip Hop Album: Scribe - Rhymebook
Best Aotearoa Roots Album: Tiki Taane - Past,
Present, Future
Best Dance/Electronica Album: Recloose - Perfect
Timing
Best Maori Album: Ruia - 12:24 Tekau Ma Rua, Rua
Tekau Ma Wha
Best Gospel/Christian Album: All Left Out - The
Conquest
Best Classical Album: Michael Houstoun -
Inland
Legacy Award: Straitjacket Fits
International Achievement Award: Flight of the
Conchords and Savage
Highest Selling NZ Single: Opshop-- One Day
Highest Selling NZ Album: Opshop-- Second Hand
Planet
Radio Airplay Record of the Year: Opshop -
Maybe
Technical awards already presented:
Best Album Cover: Barny Bewick - Keep Me On
Your Side (Goodnight Nurse)
Best Engineer: Lee Prebble - Happy Ending (The
Phoenix Foundation)
Best Producer: Lee Prebble - Happy Ending (The
Phoenix Foundation)
