Flight of the Conchords and Opshop have cleaned up at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards with each group bagging four Tuis.

Flight of the Conchords took out the Nokia Album of the Year with the duo's debut self-titled album. The record also netted the duo the Best Group, the Breakthrough Artist of the Year and the International Achievement Award.

Watch Flight of the Conchords' acceptance speech on TBI YouTubeFlight of the Conchords and Opshop have cleaned up at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards with each group bagging four Tuis.

Flight of the Conchords took out the Nokia Album of the Year with the duo's debut self-titled album. The record also netted the duo the Best Group, the Breakthrough Artist of the Year and the International Achievement Award.

Watch Flight of the Conchords' acceptance speech on TBI YouTubeOpshop knocked back strong competition from Tiki Taane and Shihad to win the Vodafone Single of the Year for One Day. Opshop also won Highest Selling NZ Single (One Day), Highest Selling NZ Album (Second Hand Planet), and NZ On Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year (Maybe).

International Achievement Awards were presented to Savage and Flight of the Conchords.

Savage's single Swing has been a huge hit on the US Singles chart with sales topping half a million and the track has been remixed by international hip-hop superstar Soulja Boy. Meanwhile, Flight of the Conchords' debut album and popular HBO show has seen the comedy duo receive a Grammy, the highest ever place for a New Zealand artist album on the US Album chart (#3) and numerous Emmy nominations.

Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, accepted their awards via video in New York where they are filming their next series. When handed the best group award they joked "We're barely even a group, there's only two of us, The Phoenix Foundation (finalists) should have won this."

Firm favourite Tiki Taane was nominated for a formidable eight Tui awards and was a popular winner of the Best Aotearoa Roots Album.

Straitjacket Fits has been honoured for its contribution to New Zealand Music, receiving the New Zealand Herald Legacy Award and being inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. The band was at the forefront of the second wave of the Dunedin sound in the late '80s that propelled it to international stardom.

Star-studded super group The Fast Women - Julia Deans (Fur Patrol), Anika Moa, Lani Purkis, (Elemeno P) and Greta Anderson (Superette) - paid homage to Straitjacket Fits. The all-girl band, who came together especially for this performance, delighted a packed Vector Arena with a rendition of the popular Straitjacket Fits' hit She Speeds.

Tuis also went to:
·The Vodafone People's Choice Award, voted by New Zealand music fans: Parachute Band
·Best Male Solo Artist: Liam Finn for I'll Be Lightning
·Mazda Best Female Solo Artist: Anika Moa for In Swings The Tide
·C4 Best Music Video: Ian Hart for Her Hairagami Set (The Brunettes).
·PPNZ Best Rock Album: Shihad for Beautiful Machine
·Best Urban / Hip Hop Album: Scribe for Rhymebook
·Best Dance / Electronica Album: Recloose for Perfect Timing
·Best Maori Album: Ruia for 12:21 Tekau Ma Rua, Rua Tekau Ma Wha
·Best Gospel / Christian Album: All Left Out for The Conquest
·Best Classical Album: Michael Houstoun for Inland.

New Zealand Music Awards spokesperson Campbell Smith says the awards again reflect the outstanding quality and variety of New Zealand Music in 2007 and 2008.

"There was some outstanding music made and released in New Zealand over the period and what is most pleasing is the variety. We are making great music across all genres - and even more encouraging is the fact our music is being heard around the world. If you look at our list of winners this year you'll see many of them have earned considerable international recognition.

"We're also thrilled to honour Straitjacket Fits with The New Zealand Herald Legacy Award and NZ Music Hall of Fame induction. We wouldn't be celebrating such a diverse array of New Zealand music without the musical heritage that icons such as Straitjacket Fits created."

Edited highlights of the 2008 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards screen on TV3 on Saturday at 10.30pm.

Opshop: Win four Tuis

Legacy Award: Straitjacket Fits

Best Aotearoa Roots Album: Tiki Taane

Best Female Solo Artist: Anika Moa

Best Urban/Hip Hop Album: Scribe - Rhymebook

Nokia Album of the Year
Winner: Flight Of The Conchords for Flight Of The Conchords
Finalists: Anika Moa - In Swings the Tide
Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning
Scribe - Rhymebook
Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future

Vodafone Single of the Year
Winner: Opshop - One Day
Finalists: Liam Finn - Gather To The Chapel
Shihad - One Will Hear The Other
The Phoenix Foundation - Bright Grey
Tiki Taane - Always On My Mind

Steinlager Pure Best Group
Winner: Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords
Finalists: Shihad - Beautiful Machine
The Phoenix Foundation - Happy Ending

Vodafone People's Choice Award
Winner: Parachute Band
Finalists: Antiform
Horsemen Family
Nesian Mystik
The DFenders

Best Male Solo Artist
Winner: Liam Finn - I'll be Lightning
Finalists: SJD - Songs From A Dictaphone
Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future

Mazda Best Female Solo Artist
Winner: Anika Moa - In Swings The Tide
Finalists: Aaradhna - Sweet Soul Music
Annabel Fay - Annabel Fay

Kiwi FM Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Winner: Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords
Finalists: Cut Off Your Hands - Blue On Blue
Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future

C4 Best Music Video
Winner: Ian Hart - Her Hairagami Set (The Brunettes)
Finalists: Carey Carter - Tangaroa (Tiki Taane)
Joe Lonie - Gather To The Chapel (Liam Finn)

PPNZ Best Rock Album
Winner: Shihad - Beautiful Machine
Finalists: Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning
The Phoenix Foundation - Happy Ending

Best Urban/Hip Hop Album
Winner: Scribe - Rhymebook
Finalists: Mareko - White Sunday 2:The Book Of Mark
Young Sid - The Truth

Best Aotearoa Roots Album
Winner: Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future
Finalists: Katchafire - Say What You're Thinking
Kora - Kora

Best Dance/Electronica Album
Winner: Recloose - Perfect Timing
Finalists: Magik Johnson - You Are Sound
Shapeshifter - Live

Best Maori Album
Winner: Ruia - 12:24 Tekau Ma Rua, Rua Tekau Ma Wha
Finalists: Moana & the Tribe - Wha
Tiki Taane - Past, Present, Future

Best Gospel/Christian Album
Winner: All Left Out - The Conquest
Finalists: Parachute Band - Roadmaps and Revelations
The Ember Days - Your Eyes Light Up

Best Classical Album
Winner: Michael Houstoun - Inland
Finalists: Gillian Whitehead - Puhake ki te rangi
NZTrio - Bright Tide Moving Between

Awards where no finalists are announced:

The New Zealand Herald Legacy Award
Winner: Straitjacket Fits

International Achievement Award
Winner: Flight of the Conchords
Savage

Highest Selling NZ Single
Winner: Opshop - One Day

Highest Selling NZ Album
Winner: Opshop - Second Hand Planet

NZ On Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year
Winner: Opshop - Maybe

Technical awards already presented:

Best Album Cover to Barny Bewick for Keep Me On Your Side (Goodnight Nurse)
Best Engineer to Lee Prebble for Happy Ending (The Phoenix Foundation)
Best Producer to Lee Prebble for Happy Ending (The Phoenix Foundation)

About the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards:
The Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards took place at the Vector Arena Auckland on October 8 and televised live on C4.

09/10/08