Sam V, Signature Choir, Scribe and the sounds of the late great Fiji triumph at 2026 PMAs

Big wins for Sam V and the Signature Choir have been among the highlights at the annual awards celebrating the very best of the Pacific music scene.

Held at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau, Auckland, the Pacific Music Awards (PMA) recognises the talent, creativity, and contribution of Pacific artists from Aotearoa and around the world.

Sam V won Best Pacific Male Artist and Best Pacific Song as well as Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist for the fifth year in a row.

No stranger to the PMA stage, he took the opportunity to address the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage and Pacific Peoples Paul Goldsmith.

“Mr Paul from National, you mentioned that our government is investing in the arts, I mean, it’s good lip service, but, if that’s the case then conversations about the PMAs struggling don’t exist,” he said.

“A quick search on Google, you’d find that our government spends billions on our Defence Force. A Defence Force that defends us from tall poppy syndrome maybe. I’m sure if we can put billions into our Defence Force then we can keep celebrating Pacific excellence.”

Signature Choir picked up the 531pi Best Pacific Gospel Artist award for their Reach the Sky EP, alongside the Sunpix People’s Choice Award and the Matai Special Recognition Award.

Fiji Veikoso has been posthumously awarded the NIU FM Best International Pacific Artist Award.

He won for his song Daydream, which was recorded with Aotearoa-based collective Fejoint and released shortly after his death in early 2025.

Reggae soul singer and long-time friend Junior Soqeta accepted the award on his behalf.

Fiji was the inaugural winner of this category when it was introduced at the 10th anniversary awards in 2014.

He was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021, cementing a legendary career that featured a Grammy nomination and decades of pioneering Pacific reggae.

The awards opened with a tribute to Fiji, the “Godfather of Pacific music”, Fat Freddy’s Drop founder DJ Mu, and Herbs OGs Dilworth Karaka and Tama Lundon.

Hip hop heavyweight Scribe headlined with a surprise performance after winning Best Pacific Music Album for Scribe is Dead, which marks the last record of his career.

Scribe. Photo/Eroti Navuku

The Ministry for Pacific Peoples Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to pioneering Cook Islands entertainer Will Crummer.

He is best known as the frontman of the Royal Rarotongans, one of the first Cook Islands bands to emerge from Auckland’s Polynesian music scene in the 1960s. Some of their classics include Rarotonga, Romantic Rarotonga, Cook Islands Magic, and Love Songs of Polynesia.

His career saw a remarkable revival after a shoebox of handwritten songs he’d created when he was younger was unearthed. The tracks then became Shoebox Lovesongs- The Rarotongan Music of Will Crummer released alongside the documentary Songs for a Bigger Island.

Reflecting the rich diversity of today’s Pacific sound, the stage featured live sets from the Crummers, Sam V, A.R.T, Island Vibes, Kenzie From Welly, Solomon Islands star Jaro Local, and Papua New Guinea’s Wameblood.

2026 Pacific Music Awards full winners and finalists list

Best Pacific Female Artist

Iva Lamkum – Don't Mind If I Do - WINNER

Kenzie From Welly – Greenstone Door

Ladi6 – Le Vā

LOU'ANA – Disco Witch

Talia Perese – Talia Perese

Tree – The Rose Era

Best Pacific Male Artist

Sam V – Take A Chance On V: Deluxe, Small Taste, Pay No Mind - WINNER

Junior Soqeta – So Amazing, Girl I Surrender, Lomaloma, i daulomani (etu feat. Junior Soqeta), All Over Again, Sweet Sensation

Lepani – Young Gun, Feel It, Y, Never Meet Your Dreams, Young Gun (Acoustic)

MELODOWNZ – Melo & Bass (EP), Same As Before, Kavafied feat. Revus

RNZŌ – RNZŌ SZN

Scribe – Scribe is Dead

Niu FM host Monica Ah-Young with the Signature Choir co-directors Jadrah and Helen Tupa'i.

Best Pacific Group

A.R.T – Nana's Garage (EP), Blank Canvas (EP) WINNER

Brotherhood Musiq – Amazing Love, Got It Right

Signature Choir – Reach the Sky EP

Three Houses Down – Lovers Roots EP

Village 90 – On My Way, All I Want

Best Pacific Language

Taonepuna Lakatani, Malcolm Lakatani & Pacific Kids Learning – Ulihega, Vevela Mai He Lā WINNER

A.R.T – Nana's Garage (EP), Blank Canvas (EP)

GLEN JXN JACKSON – Niue 1976

Junior Soqeta – So Amazing, Girl I Surrender, Lomaloma, i daulomani (etu feat. Junior Soqeta), All Over Again, Sweet Sensation

Tree – The Rose Era

Best Pacific Gospel Artist

Signature Choir – Reach the Sky EP WINNER

Brotherhood Musiq – Amazing Love, Got It Right

Punialava'a – Sauaga i Aiga, Samoa Ua Potopoto, Aiga Sa Petaia, Lo'u Alofa Afulumemea, Manatua le Mananoa, Le Lalolagi Fa'atalitali

Tree – The Rose Era

Brotherhood Musiq with Cara and Massi Lavea. Photo/Eroti Navuku

Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist

Kenzie From Welly – Greenstone Door WINNER

Diggy Dupé & choicevaughan – Brown Velvet (EP)

MELODOWNZ – Melo & Bass (EP), Same As Before, Kavafied feat.Revus

Scribe – Scribe is Dead

Best Pacific Soul/RnB Artist

Sam V – Take A Chance On V: Deluxe, Small Taste, Pay No Mind WINNER

A.R.T – Nana's Garage (EP), Blank Canvas (EP)

Ladi6 – Le Vā

Myshaan – Missed Your Chance, Inside My Head, Pacific Beauty ft Kennyon Brown, Angel, Paint Them With You

Best Pacific Roots/Reggae Artist

Three Houses Down – Lovers Roots EP WINNER

Fejoint, Switch.E & Folau – Oiaue

Island Vibes – Remember Who You Are, Umu, Samoa O Oe Le Penina, Tonga Tu ketau Tue, Hiki Nima, Sunshine

Junior Soqeta – So Amazing, Girl I Surrender, Lomaloma, i daulomani (etu feat. Junior Soqeta), All Over Again, Sweet Sensation

Shane Walker – Mama, Waima Girl, Whakapara Girl

Best International Pacific Artist

Fiji – Daydream WINNER

Etu – SUNFLOWER

JAHBOY –Rockstar EP

Jaro Local – Aburongo, Olbaut Olbaut (remix)

Wameblood – Puki, Kumul Fly, Batchiba

Best Pacific Song

Sam V – Small Taste, Written by: Sam Verlinden, Edward Liu, Jaedyn Randall, Sam Nakamura WINNER

Island Vibes – Tonga Tu Ketau Tue, Written by: Island Vibes

Iva Lamkum – Don't Mind If I Do, Written by: Iva Lamkum, Diaz Grimm, Josh Fountain, James Newman

Lepani – Young Gun, Written by: Lepani Tuifagalele

Scribe – Glowstick, Written by: Malo Luafutu, Zac Harding

Best Pacific Music Video

Shepherds Reign – Samoa Mo Samoa, Director: Twayne Laumua WINNER

A.R.T – Over Now, Director: Michael Hunt

Brandn Shiraz – Youngin from Kuki II, Director: Esther Mauga

Iva Lamkum – Don't Mind If I Do, Director: David Truasheim

Three Houses Down – Turn Around, Director: Three Houses Down

Vallé – Hold Me, Director: John Ross

Best Producer

Brent Park-Tamati & Brandon Haru – Le Vā, Ladi6 WINNER

EDY, Astro, Sam V – Take A Chance On V: Deluxe, Sam V

Josh Fountain – Don't Mind If I Do, Iva Lamkum

Nathan Judd – Disco Witch, LOU'ANA

Best Pacific Music Album

Scribe – Scribe is Dead WINNER

A.R.T – Blank Canvas

Ladi6 – Le Vā

Sam V – Take A Chance On V: Deluxe

Best Pacific Language

Taonepuna Lakatani, Malcolm Lakatani & Pacific Kids Learning – Ulihega, Vevela Mai He Lā WINNER

A.R.T – Nana’s Garage (EP), Blank Canvas (EP)

Glen JXN Jackson – Niue 1976

Junior Soqeta – So Amazing, Girl I Surrender, Lomaloma, i daulomani (etu feat. Junior Soqeta), All Over Again, Sweet Sensation

Tree – The Rose Era

People’s Choice Award – Best Pacific Artist

Signature Choir

Radio Airplay Award

Shane Walker – Coasty Girl

Streaming Award

Shane Walker – Coasty Girl

Most Promising Pacific Artist

Talia Perese

Creative New Zealand Award

Anne Filimoehala

Lifetime Achievement Award

Will Crummer

Independent Music Award

Letoa

Matai Special Recognition Award

Signature Choir