Legendary musician Troy Kingi (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) has taken out the top gong at the 2021 APRA Silver Scroll music awards.
Kingi - a three-time finalist, received the Supreme Award for All Your Ships Have Sailed from his The Ghost of Freddie Cesar album.
The awards ceremony went virtual having been called off three times last year due to Covid-19 restrictions. Accepting his award, Kingi said he was "humbled and honoured" for the top billing.
"Thank you to APRA and the wider community for deciding I was worthy of this award. Much gratitude," he said.
In its 56th year, the supreme award recognises excellence in songwriting. Kingi told RNZ the retro-funk track was about a mysterious cassette tape labelled 'Freddie Cesar', which Kingi found in his biological father's belongings when he vanished in 2005.
Maisey Rika (Te Whānau-a-Apanui) and Seth Haapu (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi) were among the evening's other winners, receiving the Maioha Award for Waitī Waitā from Maisey Rika's album Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimatea.