Silver Scroll Winner Announced

Publish Date
Friday, 18 September 2015, 7:36AM

Brothers Ruban Nielson and Kody Nielson have won the 2015 Apra Silver Scroll Award for the Unknown Mortal Orchestra song Multi-Love.

Ruban, the frontman and songwriter for UMO, is on tour in the UK and couldn't be at the star-studded Vector Arena ceremony to accept the award.

His brother Kody, who isn't a member of the group but is credited as the song's co-writer, was there to pick up the trophy and give a brief acceptance speech.

The psychedelic pop song is the title track from UMO's latest album, and a perfect example of the singular, inventive, original work that both brothers are known for.

Between the two of them, they've been finalists five times for the Silver Scroll.

This is the first time they've won the prestigious award, which is voted for by Apra's 10,000 local songwriter members.

The pair made a name for themselves in troublegum four-piece The Mint Chicks in the 2000s, winning six New Zealand Music Awards, and releasing three albums before deciding to go their separate ways in 2010.

Since then, Ruban has been based in Portland, and UMO has become widely acclaimed and in demand on the international touring circuit, while Kody formed first Opossom, and then Silicon in New Zealand, while also establishing himself as a producer.

The ceremony also marked the Silver Scroll's 50th birthday, with Apra awarding an extra Silver Scroll to a song from 1981 - a "lost scroll", as the award was mysteriously never given out that year.

The award went to Counting The Beat by The Swingers - Phil Judd, Wayne Stevens and Mark Hough. The Kiwi classic became a No. 1 hit in both New Zealand and Australia, and was immortalised in a decade of L&P ads which ran through the 1990s and 2000s.

The 2015 Apra Maioha Award was won by Stan Walker, Vince Harder and Troy Kingi for their anthem in te reo Māori Aotearoa, while Chris Watson won the coveted SOUNZ Contemporary Award for his composition Sing Songs Self.

Grayson Gilmour won the Apra Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award with his score for Consent, and Tom McLeod won the Apra Best Original Music in a Series Award for the second year in a row for his work on Girl vs Boy.

Unsurprisingly Ella Yelich O'Connor (Lorde) and Joel Little (neither of whom were able to be there) took out the Most Performed New Zealand Work Internationally for Royals, while Six60 won the Most Performed New Zealand Work in New Zealand for Special.

Alongside the award presentations, 92 year-old bandleader, composer and master of the slide-guitar Bill Sevesi was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, with Mike Chunn paying tribute to Bill Sevesi, and a special performance of Steel Guitar Haunt.

During the ceremony Jordan Luck also paid tribute to the late Graham Brazier, which was followed by an emotional rendition of Billy Bold by troubadour Delaney Davidson.

Lydia Jenkin - NZ Herald

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