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Stadium rockers Six60 strutted their stuff with best record honors while Bic Runga was confirmed as an “icon” at the 2023 Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards, held Wednesday, Sept. 20 at Auckland’s Matthew-In-The-City.

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The Auckland band, which played filled stadiums up and down the country during the pandemic, when most other countries were stuck in lockdown, won for Castle St., their fourth studio album.

Also on the night, indie act the Beths took out the global award, judged by the music title’s global team to acknowledge the Kiwi artist “they just can’t get enough of,” reads a statement.

Reggae outfit L.A.B. snagged best single for “Take It Away,” and COTERIE, based on Australia’s west coast and formed around the core of Māori brothers Tyler, Joshua, Brandford and Conrad Fisher, took out the best new artist category – and completed their victory lap with a live performance.

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Now in its second year, the Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards celebrates New Zealand’s finest.

The star of the night was, naturally, Bic Runga, who received the prestigious Rolling Stone Icon Award, and performed for the gathering.

Following the release of her debut single, “Drive”, in 1996, Runga (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine) has won almost every major musical honor in her homeland, including the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll Songwriting Award. She has won 20 Tui Awards (New Zealand Music Awards), more than any individual, including best female vocalist on four occasions. Bic’s first LP Drive was certified seven-times platinum and contained the hit “Sway”.

“The fact that we are here, tonight, once again, honoring Aotearoa music and celebrating so many of you that have joined us here… it’s not something I take lightly,” Poppy Reid, The Brag Media’s editor-in-chief, told guests.

She continued, “there’s one thing that I would love all of the nominees in the room tonight to know, and it’s that your music has been listened to, and judged by the best, most influential music critics in the world, because Rolling Stone’s global editors took part in the judging process.”

For those who went home empty handed, Reid added, “please know that your music is now on the radar of some of the leading voices in music journalism.”

Rolling Stone AU/NZ is published by Sydney-based The Brag Media, whose portfolio of titles includes Tone Deaf, The Music Network, and Variety Australia. Brewery Panhead returned as headline sponsor for the awards.

2023 Panhead Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards Winners:

Best Record

Six60 – Castle St (WINNER)

Princess Chelsea – Everything Is Going To Be Alright

COTERIE – Coterie

The Beths – Expert In A Dying Field

TE KAAHU – Te Kaahu O Rangi

Marlon Williams – My Boy

Fazerdaze – Break!

Stan Walker – All In

Best Single

L.A.B. – ‘Take It Away’ (WINNER)

Daily J ft. Boo Seeka – ‘Lost In Time’

lilbubblegum – ‘af1’

Princess Chelsea – ‘Forever Is A Charm’

SXMPRA feat. Ski Mask the Slump God – ‘COWBELL WARRIORS!’

Tami Neilson – ‘Beyond The Stars’ ft Willie Nelson

Kaylee Bell – ‘Boots N All’

Fazerdaze – ‘Break!’

Best New Artist

COTERIE (WINNER)

Georgia Lines

Hanbee

TE KAAHU

Luca George

Teo Glacier

33 Below

NO CIGAR

Rolling Stone Global Award

The Beths (WINNER)

UMO 

Six60

Bic Runga

BENEE 

Mitch James

MELODOWNZ

L.A.B. 

Rolling Stone Icon Award

Bic Runga (WINNER)