Aotearoa Music Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year
# Aotearoa Music Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year

Breakthrough Artist of the Year is an Aotearoa Music Award that honours New Zealand music artists for outstanding recordings. Artists who have previously been nominated for a New Zealand Music Award (excluding Critics' Choice Prize and technical awards) or has had a previous album reach the top 20 of the Official New Zealand Music Chart are ineligible. The award was first awarded in 1973 as Best New Artist.

## Recipients

### Best New Artist (1973-1976)

| Year | Winner | Ref. |
| - | - | - |
| 1973 | Shona Laing | |
| 1974 | Bunny Walters | |
| 1975 | Space Waltz | |
| 1976 | Dr Tree | |
| 1977 | No awards held | — |

### Most Promising (1978-2000)

| Year | Award | Winner | Finalists | Ref. |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1978 | Most Promising Male Artist | Dennis O’Brien | — | |
| 1978 | Most Promising Female Artist | Kim Hart | — | |
| 1978 | Most Promising Group | Citizen Band | — | |
| 1979 | Most Promising Male Artist | Jon Stevens | — | |
| 1979 | Most Promising Female Artist | Tina Cross | — | |
| 1979 | Most Promising Group | Street Talk | — | |
| 1980 | Most Promising Male Artist | Jon Stevens | — | |
| 1980 | Most Promising Female Artist | No award presented | — | |
| 1980 | Most Promising Group | The Crocodiles | — | |
| 1981 | Most Promising Male Artist | Dave McArtney | Paul Schreider David Hollis Richard Eriwata | |
| 1981 | Most Promising Female Artist | Anne Dumont | Celine Toner Jenny Morris | |
| 1981 | Most Promising Group | Dave McArtney | Blam Blam Blam Pop Mechanix | |
| 1982 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Dave Dobbyn (DD Smash) | — | |
| 1982 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Jodi Vaughn | — | |
| 1982 | Most Promising Group | Dance Exponents | — | |
| 1983 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Andrew McLennan (Coconut Rough) | Dick Driver (Hip Singles) Gary Smith (The Body Electric) | |
| 1983 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Sonya Waters | Rhonda Jones Bronwyn Jones (Precious) | |
| 1983 | Most Promising Group | Coconut Rough | Hip Singles The Body Electric | |
| 1984 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Martin Phillipps (The Chills) | Ross McKenzie (The Idles) Wayne Gillespie | |
| 1984 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Meryl Yvonne | Janice Lampen Sharon Dubont | |
| 1984 | Most Promising Group | The Chills | Jive Bombers You're a Movie | |
| 1985 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Mark Loveys (Satellite Spies) | Paul Eversden (Katango) James Gaylyn (Rise) | |
| 1985 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Debbie Harwood | Dianne Swann (Everything That Flies) Betty-Anne Monga (IQU) | |
| 1985 | Most Promising Group | Satellite Spies - "Destiny In Motion" | Everything That Flies - "Bleeding Hearts" Katango - "Dial L for Love" | |
| 1986 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Tex Pistol | Simon Alexandra Lyonel Grant | |
| 1986 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Tania Rowles | Ainsley Day Liz Diamond | |
| 1986 | Most Promising Group | Ardijah | Chrome Safari Wentworth Brewster & Co | |
| 1987 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Al Hunter | Wayne Elliot (Knightshade) David Parker (Rhythm Cage) | |
| 1987 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Moana | Darlene Adair Kara Pewhairangi | |
| 1987 | Most Promising Group | Monga and Harwood | Rhythm Cage Knightshade | |
| 1988 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Peter Marshall | Rikki Morris Thom Nepia | |
| 1988 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Mara Finau | Tracey Birnie Helen Mulholland | |
| 1988 | Most Promising Group | Holidaymakers | Straitjacket Fits The Tunnellers | |
| 1989 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Paul Ubana Jones | Greg Johnson Darren Watson | |
| 1989 | Most Promising Female Artist | Janet Roddick | Belinda Bradley Julie Collier | |
| 1989 | Most Promising Group | The Front Lawn | Double J and Twice the T Upper Hutt Posse | |
| 1990 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Guy Wishart | Alan Galloway John Kempt | |
| 1990 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Merenia | Ngaire Caroline Easther | |
| 1990 | Most Promising Group | Strawpeople | Merenia & Where's Billy D-Faction | |
| 1991 | No awards held | No awards held | No awards held | — |
| 1992 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | David Parker (Parker Project) | Jon Toogood (Shihad) James Gaylyn | |
| 1992 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Teremoana Rapley (Moana and the Moahunters) | Christina Fuemana (House Party) Lorina Harding | |
| 1992 | Most Promising Group | Shihad | The Exponents These Wilding Ways | |
| 1993 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Ted Brown | Jay Rei Kevin Greaves | |
| 1993 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Jan Hellriegel | Jules Issa Maree Sheehan | |
| 1993 | Most Promising Group | Head Like a Hole | Dead Flowers Kantuta | |
| 1994 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Matty J (Matty J and the Soul Syndicate) | Michael Gregg and Brendan Gregg (Holy Toledos) Jason Ioasa (Grace) | |
| 1994 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Emma Paki | Jan Preston Rima Te Wiata | |
| 1994 | Most Promising Group | Urban Disturbance | Holy Toledos The 3Ds | |
| 1995 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Brent Milligan (Pumpkinhead) | Peter Daube (Bilge Festival) Evan Woodruffe (Melon Twister) | |
| 1995 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Sulata Foai | Chloe Reeves Helen Goudge (Melon Twister) | |
| 1995 | Most Promising Group | Sisters Underground | 3 the Hard Way Purest Form | |
| 1996 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Pauly Fuemana (OMC) | Jeremy Eade (Garageland) Otis Frizzell (Joint Force) | |
| 1996 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Bic Runga | Celia Mancini (King Loser) Jordan Reyne | |
| 1996 | Most Promising Group | OMC | Garageland Joint Force | |
| 1997 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Daniel Haimona (Dam Native) | Andrew Tilby (Breathe) Ed Cake (Bressa Creeting Cake) | |
| 1997 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Lole Usoalii | Andrea Cook Maryanne Antonuvich (D-Faction) | |
| 1997 | Most Promising Group | Dam Native | Bike Bressa Creeting Cake Cinematic | |
| 1998 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Darcy Clay | Dave Yetton (The Stereo Bus) James Reid (The Feelers) | |
| 1998 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Alesha Siosiua (Moizna) | Maisey Rika (St Joseph's Māori Girls' College) Jordan Reyne | |
| 1998 | Most Promising Group | Moizna | The Feelers The Stereo Bus | |
| 1999 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Andrew Tilby (Breathe) | King Kapisi Nathan King (Zed) | |
| 1999 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Boh Runga (Stellar) | Liz Faalogo (NV) Sina Saipaia | |
| 1999 | Most Promising Group | Stellar | Breathe (Zed) | |
| 2000 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Aaron Tokona (Weta) | Sama Feo (AKA Brown) Conan Wilcox (Salmonella Dub) | |
| 2000 | Most Promising Female Vocalist | Vanessa Kelly (Deep Obsession) | Maybelle Galuvao (Ma-V-Elle) Lavina Williams (The Invasion Band/Ma-V-Elle) | |
| 2000 | Most Promising Group | Weta | Breathe AKA Brown | |

### Best New Act (2001-2002)

| Year | Winner | Album | Other finalists | Ref. |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2001 | Betchadupa | — | Splitter Dan Sperber and Luke Casey | |
| 2002 | Goodshirt | Good | K'Lee - "Broken Wings" Pluto - Redlight Syndrome | |

### Breakthrough Artist of the Year (2003-current)

| Year | Winner | Album | Other finalists |
| - | - | - | - |
| 2003 | The Datsuns | The Datsuns | Goldenhorse - Riverhead Blindspott - Blindspott |
| 2004 | Brooke Fraser | What to Do with Daylight | Minuit - The 88 Adeaze - Always and for Real |
| 2005 | The Checks | "What You Heard | Dei Hamo – First Edition Tha Feelstyle – Break It to Pieces |
| 2006 | Bleeders | As Sweet as Sin | Aaradhna - I Love You Frontline - Borrowed Time |
| 2007 | Hollie Smith | Long Player | Liam Finn - Second Chance Atlas - "Crawl" |
| 2008 | Flight of the Conchords | Flight of the Conchords | Cut Off Your Hands - Blue On Blue Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future |
| 2009 | Ladyhawke | Ladyhawke | Midnight Youth Smashproof |
| 2010 | Gin Wigmore | Holy Smoke | Artisan Guns – Autumn Dane Rumble – The Experiment |
| 2011 | The Naked and Famous | Passive Me, Aggressive You | Six60 – "Rise Up 2.0" Avalanche City – Our New Life Above The Ground |
| 2012 | Kimbra | Vows | Annah Mac – Little Stranger Home Brew – Home Brew |
| 2013 | Lorde | The Love Club EP | Jamie McDell - Six Strings and a Sailboat Willy Moon - Here's Willy Moon |
| 2014 | Broods | Broods | Sol3 Mio Doprah |
| 2015 | Marlon Williams | Marlon Williams | Devilskin Ginny Blackmore |
| 2016 | Kings | "Don't Worry Bout It" | Leisure – "All Over You" Nomad – "Oh My My" Sachi – Lunch with Bianca (EP) |
| 2017 | TBA | — | Aldous Harding Fazerdaze Nadia Reid Teeks |
