Indie pop rockers The Beths win acclaim at APRA Silver Scroll Awards

Auckland indie pop rockers The Beths have won New Zealand’s top songwriting award, for a song about struggling to let go.

The Beths were announced as the winners of the APRA Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Wednesday night, for their song Expert in a Dying Field.

Band members Liz Stokes, Jonathan Pearce, Benjamin Sinclair and Tristan Deck were unable to attend the awards due to a US tour but APRA managed to surprise them with news of the win before they left.

Stokes, the band’s lead vocalist and songwriter, said it meant a lot to win the Silver Scroll, which is decided by fellow Kiwi musicians and songwriters.

“You never think you’re going to win the Scroll. I felt confident that it [Expert in a Dying Field] was a good song, and it was the best shot we’ve ever had.”

Stokes said it was an honour to be alongside other songwriters on the trophy, with previous winners including Kiwi music royalty like Lorde, Neil Finn, Dave Dobbyn, Bic Runga, Che Fu and Scribe.

Expert in a Dying Field is about the intimate knowledge of a person you love, which remains when they are no longer there or no longer in your life, she explained.

The idea for the song began with the title, which was later carried as the title of The Beths’ latest album.

The Silver Scrolls also celebrated Don McGlashan, who was welcomed into the NZ Music Hall of Fame | Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa.

From his time in The Mutton Birds to his solo achievements, McGlashan was recognised as a songwriter, advocate and leader in the New Zealand music community, reaching a broad spectrum of genres.

Neo-soul artist Mohi Allen took home the 2023 APRA Maioha Award for his heartfelt waiata Me Pēhea Rā, which was co-written with Hēmi Kelly and Amy Boroevich (HINA), and produced by Noema Te Hau III.

The waiata was created at the 2022 Reo Māori SongHubs, a songwriting camp curated by Bic Runga and Sir Tīmoti Karetu.

The SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Te Tohu Auaha was awarded to Victoria Kelly for her expansive piece ‘Requiem’.

The arrangement for soprano, tenor, choir and orchestra is based on poems by Bill Manhire, Sam Hunt, Ian Wedde, Chloe Honum and James K Baxter.

Multi-award-winning composer Karl Sölve Steven scooped up another APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award | Tohu Pūmanawa for his work on The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%! – a film based on the bestselling book of the same name by Mark Manson.

APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award | Tohu Paerangi was awarded to Pōneke/Wellington-based composer Tom McLeod for his tense, string-heavy score on Blood, Sex and Royalty.