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artist bio

Age Pryor is a composer and performer who has been working in the New Zealand music industry for over 25 years.

Age has been a central player in many high profile collaborative projects including Fly My Pretties, Congress of Animals, The Woolshed Sessions and the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra. His music has appeared in numerous film, television and theatre soundtracks.

Age is a veteran cast member of the hugely successful multi-media project Fly My Pretties and contributed original songs to four of their seven albums. His composition Singing In My Soul, from the Fly My Pretties album Live at Bats, appeared in the HBO hit show Weeds and is widely considered a NZ classic. Age remains an active member of the Fly My Pretties collective, sharing the stage with a rotating cast of New Zealand’s top independent songwriters and musicians.

Age was the musical director and executive manager of the wildly popular ukulele ensemble The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra, and was studio producer for all 6 album releases made by that group. An institution in NZ, 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.


Age’s compositions have appeared regularly on radio and television shows such as Shortland Street and Outrageous Fortune, and the songs "Funny Shadow” and "I Don't Want" were used in the Miramax feature film Eagle vs Shark, featuring in the soundtrack album released worldwide.

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


Age has a broad range of experience as a music educator and for ten years was 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 3rd solo album Invisible Lines and working as composer, music editor and session performer on a large variety of new productions. Age has a number of exciting projects in the pipeline for 2024.

 


 

Selected awards and achievements:

  • 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

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