APRA Maioha Award finalists include MOHI, Tuari Brothers and Jordyn with a Why

Waiata by MOHI, Jordyn with a Why, and the Tuari Brothers have been selected as finalists for the APRA Maioha award.

The prize, which was first awarded in 2003, celebrates excellence in popular Māori composition, and has been passed through the hands of some of Aotearoa’s most respected songwriters including Ngahiwi Apanui, Whirimako Black, Stan Walker, Tiki Taane and Rob Ruha.

MOHI’s Me Pēhea Rā, Jordyn with a Why’s Raumati and the Tuari Brothers’ E Tama have been recognised for their storytelling in the language of te ao Māori.

The finalists represent the expansion of the bilingual music industry, highlighting a new generation of waiata reo Māori champions, while also showcasing the power of collaboration.

Jordyn Rapana (Tainui Āwhiro, Ngāti Koata, Mulifanua Lalovi, Falelatai, Vaimoso ), the writer and singer of the summer goddess-inspired Raumati, is excited to be held alongside the other nominees as a “super new artist”.

Rapana is a first time finalist of the Maioha award. The release of Raumati marks Jordyn’s third time releasing original music, but is her first single in the Māori language which was translated with the help of Te Kuru Dewes.

Having grown up without te reo Māori in her whānau, she sees contemporary Māori songwriting as a means of reclamation and remixing of the urban influences as part of her upbringing.

“Language reclamation has been a massive part of my life”, said Rapana. “Songwriting has really been a fruit of [it] and I suppose it’s really reflective of the modern Māori who’s reclaiming te reo Māori.

“It’s obviously not a traditional waiata sound. It’s influenced by the kind of music that I enjoy and consume,” she says referring to her R&B and neo-soul groove.

“This is probably [coming from] five years of completely committing to fully immersing myself alongside my family in te reo Māori – like really turning up to wānanga and committing to classes”, she said.

“It’s the first language of my second son, and so we’ve really been able to turn our worlds around in the last five years.”

The other finalists have also leaned into their unique styles of musical storytelling in te reo Māori.

MOHI’s Me Pēhea Rā was co-written produced with Amy Boroevich (HINA), Noema Te Hau III, and Hēmi Kelly. The single is his most intimate offering to date, and touches on the complexities of love, from falling in and out of love and everything in between.

E Tama came out of the Tuari Brothers’ (Hamiora, Tame, and Tatana) debut EP, Rongo. Co-written by Ani Piki Tuari and Matt Sadgrove, E Tama encourages important values of manaaki tāngata (kindness), whakapono (faith), tūmanako (hope), and aroha (love).

The winner will be announced at the 2023 APRA Silver Scroll Awards | Kaitito Kaiaka on Wednesday 4 October at Auckland’s Spark Arena.