The Inaugural Taite Music Prize - in Search of 2009's Best Album

March 2010 sees the commencement of a new and very special award on the New Zealand music landscape, which will be known as The Taite Music Prize.

Named after the late Dylan Taite, one of the country's
most highly respected music journalists, the award will be
a first for New Zealand in its format. Acknowledging
originality, creativity and musicianship regardless of sales
figures or genre, The Taite Music Prize has been
established to champion the finest release by a New
Zealand artist or group, specifically focusing on the artistic
merit and creative excellence of one album released in the
previous calendar year.
 
In a similar vein to several international awards, The Taite
Music Prize's purpose is to recognise outstanding creativity
for an entire collection of music contained on one album.
The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000, to be spent
as they wish.
 
Five nominated albums released in the previous calendar year (Jan to Dec 2009), will be announced
on February 3rd 2010 alongside a ten person judging panel comprising record label representatives,
music journalists and radio staff as well as a member of the Taite family. The judges will make their
decision based entirely on the music on the album. Sales, genres, artist recognition or popularity are
not contributing factors in their decision making process. The winner will then be announced in
Auckland on the 31st March. 
 
Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ) and Phonographic Performances New Zealand (PPNZ) are
the principal music industry supporters of the Taite Music Prize in conjunction with the Taite family. 
 
Dylan's son John says that the family are ecstatic about the new award, which acknowledges both the
work of the respected journalist and great New Zealand talent. “Never mind the bollocks… here's the
Taite Music Prize,” he says. “Dylan and music went together like gunpowder and matches. He was
always ahead of the bounce, a creative pioneer who took risks and believed in the long shots…the
same qualities all great New Zealand music has at its core. I often meet musicians who say they're
gutted they never got their “Dylan piece” before he shuffled off this mortal coil. Perhaps this is the
next best thing.”
 
www.taitemusicprize.co.nz