Who are the ones to watch at the 2025 Pacific Music Awards?

Watch the year's biggest celebration of Pasifika music at the Pacific Music Awards live in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Shane Walker and Aaradhna are leading the finalist nominations.

Cook Island and Māori songwriter Walker (Tainui, Ngāti Mahanga, Ngāti Whātua) has four nominations for best Pacific male artist, best Gospel artist, best Pacific roots/reggae artist, and best Pacific song for ‘Believe’.

Soul/R&B singer Aaradhna, of Indian and Samoan heritage, is also nominated for four awards, including best Pacific female artist, best Pacific soul/R&B artist, best Pacific music album for Sweet Surrender and best Pacific music video for ‘Mango Tree’, directed by Prasenjit Das.

Opetaia Foa’i, one of the South Pacific’s most influential cultural and musical ambassadors, will be presented with the Pacific Peoples Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tāmaki Makarau event.

Foa’i, founder of Polynesian band Te Vaka, will be honoured for 30 years of championing Pacific languages, culture, and storytelling through song. His collaboration with Disney to make music for Moana has served songs of the Pacific to millions. Tracks like We Know the Way marked the first time many had heard Tokelauan and Samoan in a film.

On a more mournful note, the community will pay tribute to talent lost this year: Christopher Ta'aloga Faiumu, aka DJ Mu, the founder and creative force behind Fat Freddy’s Drop and George 'Fiji' Veikoso, one of the Pacific’s most beloved musical voices.

This year's awards have a record 34 finalists across 13 categories. Live performances on the night will include Opetaia Foa’i & Te Vaka Singers, Aaradhna, MELODOWNZ, Sam V, Lomez Brown, A.R.T and Myshaan.

Tickets are available to the public for the event here.

Having walked away with three awards last year at the PMAs and now hot off the release of her full-length project Sweet Serenade, Aaradhna is looking at another big night for her trophy shelf. At this year's AMAs she took out Best Soul/RnB Artist for the second year in a row. She's nominated for four awards including Best Pacific Female Artist, Best Pacific Soul/R&B Artist, and Best Pacific Music Album.

The Cook Island and Māori musician is one of the hardest working out there so it's no surprise that he also has four nominations. Walker is in the running for Best Pacific Male Artist, Best Gospel Artist, Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist and Best Pacific Song for ‘Believe’.

Auckland singer-songwriter Sam V has won the Best Soul/RnB Artist category at the Pacific Music Awards for the last three years. If he can beat out other talented nominees in this category like Aaradhna and Jordyn with a Why, he will walk away with a fourth consecutive win. He's also nominated for Best Pacific Male Artist, for his singles '90s Fine' and 'Rolling Your Eyes'. The producers for these two singles, Astro and EDY, are also nominated for Best Producer.

Six years on from the release of their album 'Stoneyhunga; The Bootleg' SWIDT returned with their third album, 'TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS' in 2024. It's nominated for three awards - Best Pacific Group, Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist and Best Pacific Music Album.

A heavyweight of Polynesian music, Tree has been around for over a decade. She's hit her stride in recent years, releasing a handful of solo projects, as well as collaborative works with her husband, Poly reggae icon SWISS. Her music streams are in the millions and her latest album 'The Rose Era' is by far her most successful. This year, her single 'Tupulaga Samoa' (featuring Samoan superstar Wayno) is nominated for Best Pacific Language award and Best Pacific Song.

Aaradhna - Sweet Surrender

Jordyn with a Why - Hibiscus Moon, Love & Justice

Kenzie from Welly - ‘Hold Ya Head’, ‘Queendom’

Diggy Dupé - ‘Request Line’

MELODOWNZ - ‘Broke’, ‘Calm and Chill’, ‘When I’, ‘High Vibration’, ‘MeloDub (828)’, ‘Directions’

Myshaan - ‘Power of Love (Reggae)’, ‘Carry My Heart’, ‘Wrapped’, ‘I Do’

Sam V - ‘90's Fine’, ‘Rolling Your Eyes’

SHANE WALKER - ‘Coasty Girl’,‘Maori in Me’, ‘Iesu’, ‘Let Me Be Your Man’, ‘The Lord is Watching You’, Believe’

Adeaze - ‘Forever I Am Yours’

A.R.T - ‘When He Was Mine (Pele Fo'i Mai)’, ‘Easy’

SWIDT - Taking Care of Business

Village 90 - ‘U & Me’

A.R.T - ‘When He Was Mine (Pele Fo'i Mai)’, ‘Easy’

Junior Soqeta - 'Moni Meke', 'Senituli 'Oe Tau'ataina', 'Buna Na Isa Lei Buna'

Opetaia Foa'i & Moana 2 Artists - ‘Tulou Tagaloa (Sei e Va’ai Mai)’, ‘My Wish For You (Innocent Warrior), ‘Finding the Way’, ‘Mana Vavau’, ‘We’re Back (Te Vaka version), ‘Nuku O Kaiga’

Tree - ‘Tupulaga Samoa ft Wayno’

Wayno - ‘Siva Samoa 2K24 (Reggae Version)’, ‘Siva Samoa 2K24’, ‘Fafine Faitala’, ‘Tama O Le Faifaiaso’

Brotherhood Musiq - 'Open The Eyes of My Heart'

Saia Frank Sola - 'E Le Galo Le Mativa (Feat. DJ Twitch)', 'Fai Oe Ma Leleiga', 'Sili Ai Lou Alu Eke Moe', 'E Le'o Se Mea Ta'alo Lo'u Alofa', 'Aisea', Oute Le Ma i Le Mativa', Tofa La'u Feagaiga'

SHANE WALKER - ‘Iesu’

Sire - 'Temporary'

David Dallas - Vita

Kenzie from Welly - ‘Hold Ya Head’, ‘Queendom’

MELODOWNZ - ‘Broke’, ‘Calm and Chill’, ‘When I’, ‘High Vibration’, ‘MeloDub (828)’, ‘Directions’

SWIDT - Taking Care of Business

Aaradhna - Sweet Surrender

Jordyn with a Why - Hibiscus Moon, Love & Justice

Sam V - ‘90's Fine’, ‘Rolling Your Eyes’

Lomez Brown - UNDER-RATED

Rubi Du - ‘Calling’, ‘Day Dreaming’

SHANE WALKER - ‘Let Me Be Your Man’, ‘The Lord is Watching You’

Aaradhna - 'Mango Tree' Director: Prasenjit Das

Haanz Fa'avae-Jackson - ‘Mavehe’ Directors: Mario Faumui & Ben Mikha

Shepherds Reign - ‘Ala Mai’ Director: Bahador Borhani

Tha Movement - ’The Lecture’ Director: Samson Rambo

TheWesternGuide - ‘Bottom of the Bed’ Director: Esther Mauga

Astro and EDY - ‘90's Fine’, ‘Rolling Your Eyes’, Sam V

Canaan Ene - ‘The Way It Is’, ‘Handyman’, ‘You've Got A Friend’, ‘Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You, ‘Selfish’, ‘Lately’, Canaan Ene and various artists

Feagaigafou Tupa'i, Logovi’i Tupa'i, Astro, EDY - ‘Forever I Am Yours’, Adeaze

Ikon Music – ‘When He Was Mine (Pele Fo'i Mai)’, ‘Easy’, A.R.T

Fejoint, Lomez Brown, Switch.E - ‘Stay’ - Written by Fejoint, Norman, Brown Sione Eliesa

SHANE WALKER - ‘Believe’ - Written by Shane Walker

T'NAY - ‘Penina O Le Vasa ft Wayno’ - Written by Sililo Tapuitima

Tree - ‘Tupulaga Samoa ft Wayno’ - Written by Juliana Sopoaga Lologa and Joyce Lonise Toleafoa

Jaro Local - ‘Aghe Kula’

KUKI – ‘What's Up’, ‘Fijian Lewa’, ‘Au Na Vuka Yani’, Noqu Vanua (EP),

Paradise Rootz - ‘Galili’, ‘Liwa Donu Tu’, ‘AJI ft The Gang’

Seven Suns - Many Feathers

The 046 - ‘Music is Everything’, ‘Lifetime’, ‘Young Free & Reckless’, ‘Hustle Hard’ ‘All In’

Aaradhna - Sweet Surrender

Jordyn with a Why - Hibiscus Moon, Love & Justice

Lomez Brown - UNDER-RATED

SWIDT - Taking Care of Business