Silver Scroll goes to Benee’s ‘Glitter’
AUCKLAND: Benee’s catchy pop song Glitter has won the 2020 Apra Silver Scroll.
It is the first win for the 20yearold singer and her cowriters, Joshua Fountain and Djeisan Suskov.
They were also nominated last year for Soaked.
Benee, real name Stella Bennett, was presented with the award by Joel Little, who won a Silver Scroll in 2013 and a Grammy in 2014 with Lorde for
Royals.
The Silver Scroll recognises New Zealand’s top songwriting talent and is voted for by members of industry organisation Apra.
The ceremony was prerecorded and finalists and Apra members gathered at Auckland’s Powerstation to watch. The ceremony was streamed for the first time.
The award adds to a massive year for the artist, who has appeared on US talk shows, performed a soldout nationwide tour and had her song
Supalonely go viral on social media app TikTok.
“This is nuts. Thank you very much,’’ she said.
‘‘This is crazy. I just want to say to all the other finalists; you guys are insane,” she said.
“Thank you so much to everyone who has listened to my music and supported the music that I’m making and the kind of music that I want to be making ...
‘‘I feel like everyone in New Zealand is so welcoming and supportive of new artists, which I think is very important, and it’s been a very great time for me.’’
The award cements Bennett, Fountain and Suskov as a New Zealand pop songwriting powerhouse.
Glitter beat songs from Troy Kingi, Nadia Reid, Reb Fountain and L.A.B.
Fountain won the Tui award for best producer last year, and he and Suskov are members of the group Leisure.
Other awards presented were: best original music in a feature film, which went to Karl Steven for his score for the horror movie Come To Daddy; best original music in a television series, David Long for his work on the TV adaptation of
The Luminaries; the Apra Maioha Award, Rob Ruha for
Ka Manu; and the Sounz contemporary award, Michael Norris for Matauranga (Rerenga). —
The New Zealand Herald