L.A.B have already bagged the first Aotearoa Music Award
The popular New Zealand band will pick up the Te Manu Mātārae Tūi for their massive contribution to the local music landscape in the last year.
New Zealand band L.A.B have been revealed as early winners at the Aotearoa Music Awards (AMAs), marking a massive year for the group.
The band will pick up this year's Te Manu Mātārae Tūi, which recognises artists who made a significant impact on the music landscape locally, and abroad, during the awards' eligibility period.
In the 2024 judging window, L.A.B released their sixth album, L.A.B VI, which went to number 1 in the official top 40 albums chart (rare for a Kiwi album). They owned five of the top 10 most played tracks on NZ radio, two of the top 10 tracks in Spotify’s 2024 global impact list for NZ and two of five most streamed tracks in Aotearoa. The also sold out a US tour and a series of massive NZ summer shows.
VI by L.A.B
Related stories:
Frontman Joel Shadbolt is on lead vocals and guitar, Miharo Gregory plays the keyboard, Stuart Kora plays the guitar and keyboard along with providing backing vocals, Ara Adams-Tamatea plays the bass and Brad Kora does backing vocals and drums.
Shadbolt said the news of the Te Manu Mātārae Tūī was "really special ... (and) humbling"
"We are grateful not only for the award, but also to be able to share the stage with just a taste of some of the incredible artists we have in Aotearoa.”
L.A.B will be presented with the award on Thursday night at the AMAs in Tāmaki Makaurau, where they are also up for Album of the Year and Best Group. The awards are streaming live from 6pm on rnz.co.nz.
The band will perform on the night, alongside a line-up including Aaradhna, Anna Coddington, CHAII, Fazerdaze, Stan Walker and all-femme supergroup Atomic.
The very first Te Manu Mātārae Tūī were awarded last year to Stan Walker and Kaylee Bell.
