Julia Deans Announced As Music Director For 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Awards

The Music Director for the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Awards has been revealed, with none other than Fur Patrol songwriter Julia Deans stepping into the role of curating live performances for this year's presentation ceremony. In conversation with 95bFM this morning, Deans said she was feeling "excited and terrified" about her new job, which is a prestigious position in its own right, stating "you don't want to screw it up".

The top five finalists for the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Award are Reb Fountain, Nadia Reid, L.A.B., Benee and 2020 Taite Music Prize winner Troy Kingi. The highly coveted songwriting prize (whittled down from a twenty strong shortlist via voting by New Zealand APRA members) will be presented at Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday 14th October — alongside the APRA Maioha Award, SOUNZ Contemporary Award, APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award and APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award.

Julia Deans' solo South Island tour is happily still on track to hit Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill and Queenstown (with Laughton Kora) this week, kicking off tonight at Grater Goods. Deans hinted via social media on Monday that something big involving Fur Patrol is brewing — roll that tantalising thought around and take note of the tour details here...

Julia Deans Solo South Island Tour

Wednesday 2nd September – Grater Goods, Christchurch [tickets available via www.gratergoods.co.nz]
Thursday 3rd September – Dog With Two Tails, Dunedin*
Friday 4th September – Tuatara Café, Invercargill*
Saturday 5th September - Sherwood, Queenstown w/ Laughton Kora∞

Tickets available HERE via UTR*
Tickets available HERE via UTR∞

Watch Julia Deans and Claire Cowan Quartet performing Opossum's 'Getaway Tonight' at the 2012 APRA Silver Scroll Awards...

Press release:

APRA AMCOS NZ are honoured to announce that Julia Deans is taking the helm as Music Director for the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Awards. The Music Director is responsible for all the performances throughout the ceremony (unexpected performances have become a much-loved part of the show) and we’re excited to see what Julia will dream up.

As well as being an icon of NZ music as both the front woman for Fur Patrol (PS. Some exciting news coming from them very soon) and a solo singer songwriter, Julia’s work reinterpreting the work of others across stage and opera productions like Brel, Both Sides Now, and Cav + Pag - Two Tales, as well as collaborations with artists from across the genre spectrum, give her a unique perspective for the role. She’s been involved in the Silver Scroll Awards multiple times in the past both as a finalist and performer, and has some brilliant ideas to celebrate the work of our music whanau over the past year.

On the night the five Silver Scroll finalists’ songs, as well as the winners of the Maioha and SOUNZ Contemporary awards, are reinterpreted by different artists, bands, and once-in-a-lifetime, one-off collaborations.

“The Scrolls MD job is one I've always thought I'd like to do when I grow up. Does this mean I'm a grown up now? So excited!”

The finalists for the APRA Silver Scroll Award were recently announced, while the finalists for the SOUNZ Contemporary Award and APRA Screen Awards will be announced this Saturday 5 September , and the finalists for the APRA Maioha Award will be announced ahead of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori on Saturday 12 September.

All awards will be presented at the Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday 14 October.