Philip Bell - DJ Sir-Vere - of Auckland, ONZM, for services to music
Philip Bell has been a pioneer and champion of hip-hop music in New Zealand across a range of roles, including performing as DJ Sir-Vere. As Head of Urban Music and Artists and Repertoire for BMG NZ, he propelled New Zealand urban music into the mainstream by signing artists such as DLT and Che-Fu. He hosted the Trueschool Hip Hop Show on 95bFM and the show ‘Wreckognize’ on MTV, and is currently Programme Director of Mai FM. He ran several International Turntable Federation competitions and was involved in the Aotearoa Hip Hop Summit. His ‘Major Flavours’ compilation album series has helped showcase local talent internationally. He instigated the charity single ‘Think Twice’, was involved with the Spark Boroughs Project to build community basketball courts, and contributed to Auckland Museum’s Volume exhibition.