Geneva AM: Turning Joy Into Success
August 2025 saw the independent release of ‘Pikipiki,’ the triumphantly joyous debut album from Waiheke-based singer-songwriter/producer Geneva AM (Alexander-Marsters). Continuing in the reo Māori/electronic ...
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Matt Sephton: Samoan Sonic Explorations
Owner/operator of a small recording studio in Coromandel township, Matt Sephton is a diversely talented audio professional; music producer, DJ, live sound engineer and more. As a sound artist his own work ...
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News
Aotearoa Music Awards 2026 Finalists Announced
Recorded Music NZ has announced the finalists for the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards (AMA), who will be celebrated on Thursday 28 May at The Civic in Tāmaki Makaurau. Marlon Williams leads this year’s AMA nominations with his own long list of six Tūī-winning opportunities, on the strength of his first fully te reo Māori album, 'Te Whare Tīwekaweka'. The album debuted at #1 on the Top 40 Albums Chart - one of only three local albums to do so in 2025 - becoming the first album of original waiata ...
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Entries for the 2026 APRA Silver Scroll Awards Open
Calling all Aotearoa songwriters and composers, entries for the 2026 APRA Silver Scroll Awards are now open. The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Tāmaki Makaurau in October this year. With 2026 marking APRA's 100th birthday year there will be an expanded awards event, including a new award category celebrating kapa haka songwriters. The annual APRA Silver Scroll Awards ceremony also includes the APRA Maioha Award | Tohu Maioha; SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Te Tohu Auaha; APRA Best Original ...
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Glen Moffatt & Kaylee Bell to be 2026 Hands of Fame Inductees
Kiwi country music stars Glen Moffatt and Kaylee Bell will be inducted into the 2026 Hands of Fame this May, as part of the Mataura Licensing Trust NZ Gold Guitar Awards. Back in 1981, members of the Gore Country Music Club mooted the idea of a Hands of Fame structure in the shape of a guitar, to substantiate Gore’s claim of being the NZ capital of country music. In 1992 the Hands of Fame awards were established, to honour individuals who have made significant contributions to Aotearoa ...
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Oni Kidman Makes ISC 2025 Finalists List
As the only New Zealand artist to make it that far, Oni Kidman's name stands out among the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) 2025 finalists list which was announced mid-March, 2026. Congratulations to the Auckland-based pop singer-songwriter who is among finalists in the Unpublished category, with her song Fragile Little Egos. The same song saw Kidman getting as far as the semi-finals in the Pop/Top 40 category, that list published just a few weeks earlier. Kiwi artists showed up much ...
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NewTracks New Artist
NewTracks New Artist: We Will Ride Fast
With a release history that dates back to 2015, including a couple of albums, We Will Ride Fast isn't exactly a new on-the-scene Kiwi artist, however 2026 is shaping up as a year of accelerated activity for the Tauranga-based darkwave / post-punk act. With its retro-futurist combination of synths, drum machines and motorik vocals Unfurl Your Weeds grabbed the attention of NZ On Air Music enough for the single to be included on the April NewTracks compilation. Who is We Will Ride Fast and ...
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Tusekah: Putting It On The Table
Tusekah Njote’s debut single Childhood Friends came in 2021, the same year she began performing live. Favouring quality over quantity, the richly-voiced Wellington alternative pop/soulful RnB singer has been economical with single releases since, finances limiting the flow of recordings. “I write all the time, and I sometimes think of how much of a shame it is that there are so many songs I wrote that I’ve moved on from, before they got to be released. “I have no doubt that I will get to ...
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Bridges: Locating True North
With her developing indie pop project Bridges, Christchurch-born singer-songwriter Rachel Hamilton is emerging as one of Aotearoa’s most compelling new voices. Blending shimmering pop melodies with atmospheric guitars and emotional honesty, her music moves between intimacy and scale; confessional, yet expansive. What began as a private outlet - a teenage songwriter processing the world from her bedroom - has grown into a fully realised creative project, shaped by collaboration and craft. Released ...
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Aro: Caravanserai
Aro are the married duo of Charles and Emily Looker - songwriters, storytellers and whānau-centred creatives whose artistry weaves together reo Māori and English with elements of jazz, folk, soul, and haka-infused rhythm. Delivered amidst a multi-album environmental concept series project, their uplifting 2026 album ‘Tāwauwau’ found inspiration from touring Aotearoa with a caravan and their young tamariki during 2025. Both raised in Tamaki Makaurau, albeit on opposite sides of the city, ...
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NewTracks New Artist: Play For Keeps
For now there’s only the one song showing on Play For Keeps’ Spotify page, but that won’t remain the case for long. The five-piece Christchurch indie pop act have a volley of singles planned, leading into a debut EP arriving later in 2026. With a dance floor nod to The Beths, their effervescent and slightly snippy Handsome Boy caught the attention of NZ On Air Music enough for it to be included on the March NewTracks compilation. Who are the Play For Keeps members? Where are you ...
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Dylan Wade Lajunen: Bringing A Spiritual Light
Coromandel guitarist and singer-songwriter Dylan Wade Lajunen may not have mainstream recognition, but he is something of a legend in his own not-too-small circles. With an organic, soulful sound and grassroots approach inspired by the legends of last century, Dylan’s long performing career has touched many a heart. March 2026 saw the release of his seventh album ‘The Light’, a raw, lucid guitar-driven body of work incorporating influence from rock, folk, reggae, world music and other genres. The ...
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IA: Forward Passing
Blending the typically subtle yet evocative voices of traditional Māori instruments with modern instrumentation, an inclusive writing style and soulful melodies, IA create indigenous soul music. The band has been ground breaking in using taonga pūoro as the driving element of their creative process, seamlessly weaving te reo Māori and English lyrics into waiata that reflect on the sacred knowledge of past generations, while providing uplift and encouragement for the future. Reti Hedley and Moetu ...
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Event Guide
Mauao Landslide Fundraiser, April 26
The Mount Maunganui music community will come together in a show of unity late April, with a landmark fundraising concert set to raise money for families affected by the tragic Mauao landslide. The event will be hosted by Totara Street live music venue in Mount Maunganui, and run from midday to 11pm on Sunday 26 April, 2026. Spanning two live stages and a DJ courtyard, the Mauao Landslide Fundraiser event will feature more than 25 local artists and acts. Tiki Taane headlines a bill that includes ...
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Adrian Cox Trio Touring Aotearoa in April
Acclaimed clarinetist Adrian Cox is heading back to Aotearoa for a series of concerts and festival appearances this April as part of his 'Club Croco' album tour. A celebrated exponent of New Orleans music, Cox has dedicated his career to preserving and pushing the boundaries of early jazz, earning praise for his masterful technique, deep historical knowledge, and infectious energy on stage. 'Club Croco' delves into alternative repertoire from the early jazz era, capturing and expressing the timeless ...
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Gregory Alan Isakov in Auckland & Wellington February ’26
Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and musician Gregory Alan Isakov returns for two NZ gigs this February, ahead of the Australian leg of his ‘Appaloosa Bones’ tour – which has already sold out in Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Performing in an intimate acoustic format the theatre shows will offer audiences a special opportunity to experience stripped-down acoustic arrangements of favourites from Isakov’s studio albums; ‘Appaloosa Bones’, ‘Evening Machines’, ‘The ...
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