Best Group () is an Aotearoa Music Award that honours New Zealand groups that have released an outstanding album in the previous year. For the purposes of the award, a group consists of two or more people. The award winner is determined by the Voting Academy, along with a 30% sales performance weighting.
The award was first presented annually since 1970 as the Group Award as part of the Loxene Golden Disc awards, then as Recording Artist/Group of the Year as part of the Recording Arts Talent Awards. From 1978, the award has been presented as part of the New Zealand Music Awards, first named Top Group, then Best Group. Shihad has won the award twice and been nominated eight other times, The Chills have also won twice and been nominated one other time, while DD Smash and The Naked and Famous have each won twice.
Recipients
Loxene Golden Disc: Group Award (1970 to 1972)
Year Winner Album 1970 Hogsnort Rupert "Pretty Girl" 1971 Chapta "Say a Prayer" 1972 Creation "Carolina"
Recording Arts Talent Awards: Recording Artist/Group of the Year (1973 to 1977)
Year Winner 1973 Shona Laing 1974 Bulldogs Allstar Goodtime Band 1975 Mark Williams 1976 Dr Tree 1977 colspan="2"
New Zealand Music Awards: Top Group (1978 to 1984)
Year Winner Other finalists 1978 Hello Sailor rowspan="3" 1979 Th' Dudes 1980 The Crocodiles 1981 Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos Newmatics Coup D'État 1982 DD Smash Herbs The Narcs 1983 DD Smash Herbs The Narcs 1984 Dance Exponents The Mockers Pātea Māori Club and Dalvanius Prime
New Zealand Music Awards: Best Group (1985 to 2016)
Year Winner Album Other finalists 1985 Netherworld Dancing Toys rowspan="6" The Mockers Peking Man 1986 Peking Man Pātea Māori Club Satellite Spies 1987 The Chills Ardijah Herbs 1988 Herbs The Chills The Warratahs 1989 When the Cat's Away The Warratahs Fan Club 1990 The Chills Straitjacket Fits Fan Club 1991 colspan="4" 1992 Push Push rowspan="8" The Exponents Headless Chickens 1993 The Mutton Birds Greg Johnson Set The Exponents 1994 Headless Chickens Strawpeople Straitjacket Fits 1995 Supergroove The Mutton Birds Headless Chickens 1996 Shihad The Exponents The Mutton Birds Finn Brothers 1997 Garageland Shihad The Mutton Birds 1998 Shihad The Mutton Birds Dam Native 1999 The Feelers Ardijah Shihad 2000 Stellar Mix Shihad – The General Electric Deep Obsession – Infinity 2001 Zed Silencer Tadpole – The Buddhafinger Shihad – Pacifier 2002 Salmonella Dub Inside the Dub Plates The Feelers – Communicate Zed – Silencer 2003 The Datsuns The Datsuns Goodshirt – "Sophie" Nesian Mystik – Polysaturated 2004 Dimmer You've Got to Hear the Music Elemeno P – Love & Disrespect Goodshirt – Fiji Baby 2005 Fat Freddy's Drop Based on a True Story Goldenhorse – Out of the Moon Shihad – Love Is the New Hate 2006 Elemeno P Trouble In Paradise Bleeders –As Sweet as Sin Fly My Pretties – The Return of... Fly My Pretties 2007 The Mint Chicks Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! Evermore – Real Life Opshop – Second Hand Planet 2008 Flight of the Conchords Flight of the Conchords Shihad – Beautiful Machine The Phoenix Foundation – Happy Ending 2009 Midnight Youth The Brave Don't Run Fat Freddy's Drop – Dr Boondigga and the Big BW The Mint Chicks – Screens (Mint Chicks album) 2010 The Phoenix Foundation Buffalo Shapeshifter – The System Is a Vampire The Checks – Alice by the Moon 2011 The Naked and Famous Passive Me, Aggressive You Shihad – Ignite Kids of 88 – Sugarpills 2012 Six60 Six60 Home Brew – Home Brew Opossum – Electric Hawaii 2013 Shapeshifter Delta Fat Freddy's Drop – Blackbird The Phoenix Foundation – Fandango 2014 The Naked and Famous In Rolling Waves Sol3 Mio – Sol3 Mio @Peace – @Peace and the Plutonian Noise Symphony 2015 Broods Evergreen Shihad – FVEY Six60 – Six60 2016 Broods Conscious Fat Freddy's Drop – Bays Sole Mio – On Another Note The Phoenix Foundation – Give Up Your Dreams 2017 SWIDT Stoneyhunga Devilskin – Be Like The River Leisure – Leisure Shapeshifter – Stars 2018 Six60 Six60 EPAlien Weaponry - Tū Drax Project – Noon Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex & Food 2019 The Beths Future Me Hates Me Beatwars – IV Broods – Don't Feed the Pop Monster L.A.B. – L.A.B II 2020 The Beths Jump Rope Gazers L.A.B. – L.A.B III Miss June – Bad Luck Party Six60 – Six60 2021L.A.B.L.A.B. IV Crowded House – Dreamers Are Waiting The Phoenix Foundation – Friend Ship Shapeshifter – Rituals2022L.A.B.L.A.B. V Alien Weaponry – Tangaroa Fat Freddy's Drop – WAIRUNGA Ka Hao – Ka Hao: One Tira / One Voice2023 colspan="4" 2024The BethsExpert in a Dying Field Home Brew Leisure Mermaidens Tiny Ruins Unknown Mortal Orchestra2025Earth TongueGreat Haunting Corrella – Skeletons DARTZ – Dangerous Day to be a Cold One Foley L.A.B – L.A.B IV SKILAA – Tiger in the River
References