artist bio

Age Pryor is a composer, performer and producer with over 30 years' experience in Aotearoa New Zealand’s music industry. Known for his original musical style and collaborative spirit, Age has been a driving force behind some of the country’s most beloved musical projects.

A veteran cast member of the hugely successful multi-media project Fly My Pretties, Age wrote and performed standout tracks across four of their acclaimed seven albums, including the enduring New Zealand classic Singing In My Soul. Age remains an active member of the Fly My Pretties collective, regularly sharing the stage with a rotating cast of New Zealand’s top independent songwriters and musicians.

As musical director and executive manager of the wildly popular ukulele ensemble The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra, Age produced all six of the group’s album releases. Blending harmony, humour, and high-energy performance, The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra wowed audiences around the globe, with tours in the UK, China, Japan and Australia, culminating in a 40-show tour across USA in 2016.

Over the years, Age has toured New Zealand extensively, performing solo, with his bands, and as a session player for others including Anika Moa and Jess Chambers, the latter including support slots for touring internationals Fleet Foxes and K T Tunstall. Age has also worked at different stages with Flight of the Conchords, live in NZ and on their first and third albums.

As a composer, Age’s music has featured widely in film, television, podcast and theatre productions — including high-profile placements in Shortland Street, Outrageous Fortune, Eagle vs Shark, Weeds and more recently, award-winning podcast series by Newsroom such as Boy in the Water and Peter Ellis, The Creche Case and Me.

Age has taken the helm as producer with solo artists, bands and commercial clients such as McCafé, Trustpower, Wētā FX, Resene Paints and Whitcoulls.

With a broad range of experience as a music educator, Age spent ten years as a lecturer in the Performing and Screen Arts Diploma in Contemporary Music course at Unitec in Auckland, focusing on collaborative performance, composition, music theory, music technology and internet and copyright issues.

In 2022 Age brought his focus back to songwriting and original composition, releasing his third solo album Invisible Lines. He continues to work as a composer, music editor, and session performer on a wide variety of local and international productions, with several exciting projects on the horizon for 2025 and beyond.

Selected awards and achievements:

Winner Best Original Podcast or Series for Newsroom's Boy In The Water, Voyager Media Awards 2024 (Composer)
Finalist for Best Original Podcast Seasonal/Serial for Newsroom's "Peter Ellis, The Creche Case and Me", Voyager Media Awards 2023 (Composer)
Shortlisted for Narrative/Documentary and Social Justice categories for Newsroom's "Peter Ellis, The Creche Case and Me", New York Festivals Radio Awards 2023 (Composer)
#1 Podcast in New Zealand - Newsroom's "Peter Ellis, The Creche Case and Me", January - March 2023 (Composer)
Finalist for Best Original Soundtrack (Film and Screen Content) 2021, Axis Awards - Age Pryor (Composer/Producer)
Finalist for APRA Silver Scroll Best Original Music in a Series, 2016 – Age Pryor (Jiwi’s Machines)
Best Children’s Series awarded to Jiwi’s Machines, IAWTV, 2016 (Composer)
Nomination for APRA Silver Scroll Award 2013 - “Cobra Jacket Anthem” (Producer)
Caples Gold Award, New York 2013 - “Nothing Beats A Jingle” (Music Producer)
Orca NZ Radio Awards 2013 – “Nothing Beats A Jingle” (Music Producer)
#1 Radio Active Top 11 2012 – “Cobra Jacket Anthem” by Sharkness (Producer)
Nomination for APRA Silver Scroll 2012 - “Cobra Jacket Anthem” by Sharkness (Producer)
APRA Best NZ Country Song 2009 – “Stringing Me Along” by Jess Chambers (Producer)
Finalist Best Aotearoa Roots Release 2009, NZ Music Awards – The Woolshed Sessions
Finalist Best Aotearoa Roots Release 2007, NZ Music Awards – Age Pryor (Shanks’ Pony)
Finalist Best Cover Art 2007 Bnet Awards – Age Pryor (Shanks’ Pony)
Best Aotearoa Roots Release 2007, NZ Music Awards – The Return of Fly My Pretties
6 nominations and winner of Best Pop Release 2005, Bnet Music Awards – Fly My Pretties
Best Aotearoa Roots Release 2007, NZ Music Awards – Fly My Pretties, Live At Bats
Nomination for Best Downbeat Release, B-Net Awards 2004 – City Chorus
#1 Radio Active Top 11 2001 – “Singing In My Soul”
Platinum and Gold Sales achieved with multiple album releases including Fly My Pretties and the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra