Aotearoa Music Award for Single of the Year
# Aotearoa Music Award for Single of the Year

Single of the Year is an Aotearoa Music Award that honours New Zealand music artists for outstanding singles. For the purpose of the award, a single is defined as a song released separately from an album, either for sale or as a music video serviced to New Zealand television. The award was first awarded in 1973, following the Loxene Golden Disc award from 1965-1972. Lorde is the biggest winner in this category with four victories.

## Recipients

### Loxene Golden Disc (1965-1972)

| Year | Artist | Song | Award |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1965 | Ray Columbus & the Invaders | "Till We Kissed" | — |
| 1966 | Maria Dallas | "Tumblin' Down" | — |
| 1967 | Mr Lee Grant | "Thanks to You" | — |
| 1968 | Allison Durbin | "I Have Loved me a Man" | — |
| 1969 | Shane | "Saint Paul" | — |
| 1970 | Craig Scott | "Let's Get a Little Sentimental" | Solo |
| 1970 | Hogsnort Rupert | "Pretty Girl" | Group and Golden Disc |
| 1971 | Craig Scott | "Smiley" | Solo and Golden Disc |
| 1971 | Chapta | "Say a Prayer" | Group |
| 1972 | Suzanne | "Sunshine Through a Prism" | Solo |
| 1972 | Creation | "Carolina" | Group and Golden Disc |

### Single of the Year (1973-current)

| Year | Winner | Song | Other finalists | Ref. |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1973 | John Hanlon | "Damn the Dam" | — | |
| 1974 | John Hanlon | "Is It Natural" | — | |
| 1975 | Rockinghorse | "Through the Moonlight" | — | |
| 1976 | No Single of the Year award given | No Single of the Year award given | — | |
| 1977 | No awards held | No awards held | No awards held | No awards held |
| 1978 | Golden Harvest | "I Need Your Love" | — | |
| 1979 | Th' Dudes | "Be Mine Tonight" | — | |
| 1980 | Jon Stevens | Montego Bay | — | |
| 1981 | Coup D'État | "Doctor, I Like Your Medicine" | Blam Blam Blam - "No Depression in New Zealand" Screaming Meemees - "See Me Go" | |
| 1982 | Prince Tui Teka | "E Ipo" | — | |
| 1983 | DD Smash | "Outlook For Thursday" | Monte Video and the Cassettes - "Shoop Shoop Diddy Wop Cumma Cumma Wang Dang" Coconut Rough - "Sierra Leone" | |
| 1984 | The Narcs | "You Took Me Heart and Soul" | Pātea Māori Club and Dalvanius Prime - "Aku Raukura" Dance Exponents - "I'll Say Goodbye (Even Though I'm Blue)" | |
| 1985 | Netherworld Dancing Toys | "For Today" | The Mockers - "Forever Tuesday Morning" Peking Man - "Lift Your Head Up High" | |
| 1986 | Peking Man | "Room That Echoes" | Ardijah - "Give Me Your Number" Pātea Māori Club featuring Dalvanius - "E Papa" | |
| 1987 | Dave Dobbyn | "You Oughta Be In Love" | Shona Laing - "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" The Chills - "Leather Jacket" | |
| 1988 | Holidaymakers | "Sweet Lovers" | Dave Dobbyn - "Love You Like I Should" Tex Pistol/Rikki Morris - "Nobody Else" | |
| 1989 | Margaret Urlich | "Escaping" | Fan Club - "I Feel Love" Double J and Twice the T/Ray Columbus - "She's a Mod/Mod Rap" | |
| 1990 | The Chills | "Heavenly Pop Hit" | Margaret Urlich - "Number One" Ngaire - "To Sir With Love" | |
| 1991 | No awards held | No awards held | No awards held | No awards held |
| 1992 | The Exponents | "Why Does Love Do This To Me" | Headless Chickens - "Cruise Control" Push Push - "Trippin'" | |
| 1993 | The Mutton Birds | "Nature" | Annie Crummer - "See What Love Can Do" Greg Johnson Set - "Isabelle" | |
| 1994 | Headless Chickens | "Juice"/"Choppers" | Strawpeople - "Love Explodes" Straitjacket Fits - "Cat Inna Can" | |
| 1995 | Purest Form | "Message to My Girl" | 3 The Hard Way - "Hip Hop Holiday" Headless Chickens - "George" Sisters Underground - "In the Neighbourhood" Supergroove - "Can't Get Enough" | |
| 1996 | OMC | "How Bizarre" | D-Faction - "Down in the Boondocks" Herbs - "French Letter '95" Jan Hellriegel - "Manic (Is a State of Mind)" The Exponents - "La La Lulu" Strawpeople - "Sweet Disorder" | |
| 1997 | DLT featuring Che Fu | "Chains" | Bic Runga - "Drive" Garageland - "Beelines to Heaven" Strawpeople - "Taller Than God" The Mutton Birds - "She's Been Talking" | |
| 1998 | Bic Runga | "Sway" | Shihad - "Home Again" The Feelers - "Pressure Man" Darcy Clay - "Jesus I Was Evil" Moizna - "Just Another Day" | |
| 1999 | Che Fu | "Scene III" | The Feelers - "Venus" Ardijah - "Love So Right" | |
| 2000 | Stellar | "Violent" | AKA Brown - "Something I Need" Shihad - "My Mind's Sedate" The Mutton Birds - "Pulled Along By Love" Breathe - "Landslide" | |
| 2001 | Fur Patrol | "Lydia" | Eye TV - "One Day Ahead" Shihad - "Pacifier" Tadpole - "Alright" Zed - "Renegade Fighter" | |
| 2002 | Che Fu | "Fade Away" | Aaria - "Kei A Wai Ra Te Kupu" Anika Moa - "Youthful" Nesian Mystik - "Nesian Style" Salmonella Dub - "Love Your Ways" | |
| 2003 | Goodshirt | "Sophie" | Che Fu - "Misty Frequencies" Bic Runga - "Get Some Sleep" Anika Moa - "Falling In Love Again" Nesian Mystik - "It's On" | |
| 2004 | Scribe | "Stand Up" | Brooke Fraser - "Lifeline Dimmer - "Getting What You Give" Goldenhorse - "Maybe Tomorrow" Goodshirt - "Buck It Up" | |
| 2005 | Breaks Co-Op | "The Otherside" | Brooke Fraser - "Arithmetic" Dave Dobbyn - "Welcome Home" Finn Brothers - "Won't Give In" P-Money – "Stop the Music" | |
| 2006 | Pluto | "Long White Cross" | Bic Runga - "Winning Arrow" Goldenhorse - "Out of the Moon" Mt Raskil Preservation Society featuring Hollie Smith - "Bathe In the River" The Feelers - "Stand Up" | |
| 2007 | Evermore | "Light Surrounding You" | Brooke Fraser - "Deciphering Me" Liam Finn - "Second Chance" Opshop - "Maybe" The Tutts - "K" | |
| 2008 | Opshop | "One Day" | Liam Finn - "Gather to the Chapel" Shihad - "One Will Hear the Other" The Phoenix Foundation - "Bright Grey" Tiki Taane - "Always on My Mind" | |
| 2009 | Ladyhawke | "My Delirium" | Midnight Youth - "All On Our Own" P-Money featuring Vince Harder - "Everything" Smashproof featuring Gin Wigmore - "Brother" Kids of 88 - "My House" | |
| 2010 | Kids of 88 | "Just a Little Bit" | Dane Rumble – "Cruel" Gin Wigmore – "Oh My" J. Williams featuring Scribe – "You Got Me" The Phoenix Foundation – "Buffalo" | |
| 2011 | The Naked and Famous | "Young Blood" | Avalanche City – "Love Love Love" Ladi6 – "Like Water" Brooke Fraser – "Something in the Water" Six60 – "Rise Up 2.0" | |
| 2012 | Six60 | "Don't Forget Your Roots" | Annah Mac – "Girl in Stilettos" Gin Wigmore – "Black Sheep" Kimbra featuring Mark Foster and A-Trak – "Warrior" The Adults – "Nothing To Lose" | |
| 2013 | Lorde | "Royals" | Aaradhna – "Wake Up" Shapeshifter – "In Colour" Stan Walker – "Take It Easy" Unknown Mortal Orchestra – "So Good At Being In Trouble" | |
| 2014 | Lorde | "Team" | Broods - "Bridges" David Dallas - "Runnin'" The Naked and Famous - "Hearts Like Ours" Ladi6 - "Diamonds" | |
| 2015 | Lorde | "Yellow Flicker Beat" | Avalanche City – "Inside Out" Marlon Williams – "Dark Child" Six60 – "White Lines" Unknown Mortal Orchestra – "Multi-Love" | |
| 2016 | Broods | "Free" | Aaradhna - "Brown Girl" Kings - "Don't Worry Bout It" Maala - "Kind of Love" Shapeshifter - "Stars" The Naked and Famous - "Higher" | |
| 2017 | Lorde | "Green Light" | David Dallas – "Fit In" Ladi6 – "Royal Blue" Maala – "In My Head" SWIDT – "Player Of The Day" Theia – "Roam" | |
| 2018 | Drax Project | "Woke Up Late" | Mitch James – "21" Robinson – "Nothing to Regret" Six60 – "Don't Give It Up" Sons of Zion – "Drift Away" Unknown Mortal Orchestra – "Hunnybee" | |
| 2019 | Benee | "Soaked" | Aldous Harding – "The Barrell" The Beths – "Little Death" Church & AP – "Ready or Not" Drax Project – "All This Time" Six60 – "The Greatest" | |
| 2020 | Benee | "Supalonely" | Drax Project featuring Six60 – "Catching Feelings" Jawsh 685 – "Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)" L.A.B. – "In the Air" Six60 – "Please Don't Go" Troy Kingi – "All Your Ships Have Sailed" | |
| 2021 | L.A.B. | "Why Oh Why" | Harper Finn – "Dance Away These Days" Lorde – "Solar Power" Six60 – "All She Wrote" Teeks – "Remember Me" Troy Kingi – "Sleep (Slumber)" | |
| 2022 | L.A.B. | "Mr Reggae" | The Beths – "Silence Is Golden" Reb Fountain – "Lacuna" Ka Hao featuring Rob Ruha – "35" Rob Ruha – "That's Where I'll Be" Marlon Williams – "My Boy" | |
