The Taite Prize is one of the newest accolades in Kiwi music and yet in the short space of the seven years it's been running, it's fast become the industry's most prestigious award -- New Zealand's very own version of Britain's Mercury Prize.
Named in honour of the legendary music journalist, the late Dylan Taite, it recognises outstanding creativity in the full-length album format.
Here's a quick list of who's who in this year's Taite Music Prize. The awards are announced tonight.
SJD - Saint John Divine
Sean James Donnelly needs no introduction. He's been turning out albums of impeccable quality for longer than this prize has existed and was a recipient in 2013 with Electric Wasteland. This time around it's his record Saint John Divine that makes the cut. It's warm and luscious -- a bit like sitting in front of a roaring fire in the depths of winter while sipping a smooth, velvety glass of red. Special mention must go to this brilliant video for the song 'Little Pieces', featuring Simon the ginger cat.
Nadia Reid - Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs
Nadia Reid might be one of the newer kids on the block but it makes her no less a serious contender. Her debut Listen To Formation, Look For the Signs, was seven years in the making and the result is quite simply, beautiful. The record's most likely found in the 'folk' section but trying to squeeze into one genre does Reid a disservice. Slow-burning tunes like 'Call The Days' are thoughtful and just get better with each listen.
Nadia Reid (Supplied)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love
Unknown Mortal Orchestra's third album has a cool, sexy, psychedelic vibe, which will compel even the most uncoordinated among us to get up and move. It's also worth mentioning that it's inspired by frontman Ruban Nielson's experience with "multi-love" or polygamy. If UMO wins tonight, it'll be their second Taite Prize, having triumphed with their self-titled debut in 2012.
Princess Chelsea - The Great Cybernetic Depression
This is the second album from Auckland-based singer-songwriter Chelsea Nikkel AKA Princess Chelsea AKA New Zealand's new darling of indie-pop. The songs that make up The Great Cybernetic Depression are sweet and understated; the kind of tunes that could blend into background music if you didn't stop and actually listen. And therein lies the challenge in a world in which sitting down and listening to an album in its entirety is a distant memory.
The Phoenix Foundation - Give Up Your Dreams
These wizards of melody have made a handful of records that 'shoulda, woulda, coulda' won a prestigious music award such as this and yet remarkably - despite being finalists a couple of times - they've never walked away with the $10,000 prize. This year could belong to The Phoenix Foundation because Give Up Your Dreams, or GUYD as it's known, is a mighty fine record. But then again, so was Fandango, which was pipped at the post by Lorde's Pure Heroine in 2014 and Buffalo ousted by Ladi6's The Liberation Of in 2011. There are too many great tracks to choose favourites, but give 'Mountain' a whirl.
Anthonie Tonnon - Successor
The one-time frontman of Tono and the Finance Company, Anthonie Tonnon stepped out on his own last year and released this little gem, Successor. The album's bubbly toe-tapping tunes are instant winners, while the more subdued ones allow time for Tonnon's unique style of storytelling to seep into the subconscious.
Marlon Williams - Marlon Williams
Marlon Williams has had star quality since his days in The Unfaithful Ways so it was no great surprise when his solo self-titled debut started to wow audiences around the world. There are moments of pure magic on this record; moments where Williams' booming voice of velvet blends seamlessly with exquisite instrumentation, as it does here on 'Dark Child'.
He has redefined New Zealand's out-dated assumptions about country music. There's a strong possibility Williams will win tonight but with competition this tough, it's far from a sure bet.
Silicon - Personal Computer
Former Mint Chick Kody Nielson gets two shots at winning the award -- not only did he co-write and co-produce UMO's Multi-Love alongside his brother Ruban, he's also deservedly gets a nod for his debut as one-man-band, Silicon. Personal Computer is full of funky electro-pop grooves and just further proves that Neilson's one of the most creative and original forces around.
Newshub.