February 8, 2024 /

2024 Children’s Music Awards | Ngā Manu Tīrairaka – nominations now open!

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Children’s Music Awards | Ngā Manu Tīrairaka, including the Tūī for Te Kaipuoro Waiata Tamariki Toa | Best Children’s Music Artist. Entry is open to all artists that have released three or more singles (and/or an album or EP) in the period 1 January 2023–31 December 2023.

To complete a nomination for Te Kaipuoro Waiata Tamariki Toa | Best Children’s Music Artist, click here. Full Terms & Conditions of entry can be found here

Entries for APRA Best Children’s Song | Waiata Tamariki Toa and NZ On Air Best Children’s Music Video | He Manu Tūtei are also open. Note that Best Children’s Song now has two sub-categories: Preschool (He Manu Pīpī) and Primary (He Pī Ka Rere). Artists may only enter in ONE of the two sub-categories, and there will be one winner in each category.

We’re excited to share that a new category is being introduced in 2024: the Kōkako Award for Best Children’s Performance. This is a collaboration between Kiwi Kids Music, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and NZ Opera, and serves to highlight the wonderful performances from the tamariki of Aotearoa. Complete nominations for these awards here

All entries in the 2024 Ngā Manu Tīrairaka | Children’s Music Awards must be submitted before 5pm on Monday 4 March 2024.

The awards will be presented at an invite-only, kid-focused event at the Tuning Fork in Tāmaki Makaurau in early May.

Aotearoa Music Awards
Te Kaipuoro Waiata Tamariki Toa | Best Children’s Music Artist is an Aotearoa Music Award – a Tūī – that is presented at a separate event.

The Aotearoa Music Awards is the annual showcase event for the music industry, celebrating artists and music from Aotearoa. The event recognises the biggest musical successes of the year while also providing a platform to promote emerging artists. Grounded in nearly 60 years of history, the Aotearoa Music Awards has evolved to reflect our unique cultural identity. It has launched music careers, told artists’ stories and created memorable moments.

Recorded Music NZ produces the Aotearoa Music Awards and acts as its kaitiaki – preserving our musical heritage, celebrating the hits of today and paving the way for the artists of tomorrow.

Commitment to safety and inclusivity
Recorded Music NZ expects all CMA Tūī nominees and winners to abide by our Statement of Expectations, which require everyone involved with AMA to act lawfully and with integrity.

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View the 2023 Children’s Music Awards | Ngā Manu Tīrairaka winners

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The Children’s Music Awards | Ngā Manu Tīrairaka are led by the wonderful Suzy Cato – with the support of Kiwi Kids Music, APRA AMCOS NZ, NZ On Air, and Recorded Music NZ – and this year we welcome the addition of the Kōkako Award for Best Children’s Performance proudly supported by Auckland Philharmonia, NZ Opera and Kiwi Kids Music.

Please direct any queries to ama@recordedmusic.co.nz

December 20, 2023 /

2023 End-of-Year Charts published

The annual End-of-Year Official Charts have been published. View them here

Compiled by Recorded Music NZ, the End-of-Year Official Charts are the only charts to combine all major sources Aotearoa music fans use throughout the year to buy and stream their favourite music. Data from sources including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, YouTube, Bandcamp, gig sales and a myriad of brick and mortar physical retailers provide the authoritative ‘big picture’ of what we were all buying and listening to over the course of 2023.

Of the international superstars, one artist dominated 2023 with their mix of brand new music, catalogue repertoire and the latest in a series of re-released albums. With seven albums in the 2023 Top 20 albums and two tracks in the Top 20 singles, no prizes for guessing that the highest-selling artist of the year was Taylor Swift.

But even Taylor couldn’t top the annual Singles and Albums Charts, beaten by two other powerhouses.

SZA’s SOS was released at the very end of 2022 and didn’t leave the Top 10 all year. The album has become a global R&B blockbuster, breaking records and topping charts worldwide, including eight weeks at #1 in Aotearoa. It takes out the top spot on the 2023 End-of-Year Album Chart.

Over on the Singles list, Miley Cyrus claimed the top spot with ‘Flowers’. Lifted from her eighth studio album Endless Summer Vacation, the hit track debuted at #1 in January, spending four consecutive weeks there before a subsequent two-week return to the top spot in April. It has spent 46 weeks in the Top 40 this year.

Of the locals, L.A.B. notched up another annual #1 single title with ‘In The Air’ – the third time the tune has topped the End-of-Year NZ Top 20 Chart, having done the same in 2020 and 2022, while coming in at #2 in 2021. As in past years, L.A.B. control the top end of the 2023 End-of-Year Singles Chart overall, holding the top four positions.

It’s a similar story for the NZ Top 20 albums, with Six60’s self-titled 2011 album once again proving the top performer. It is the fourth year since its release that the album has been the most popular Kiwi long player, topping the 2022 End-of-Year Chart, as well as in 2011 and 2012.

Throughout 2023, several songs held strong at the top of the Te Reo Maori Singles Chart, swapping the lead several times. But with the year at a close, it’s Te Matatini snd Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai feat. Whenua Patuwai who edge out the competition, topping the annual chart with ‘Te Ata Māhina’.

View the full 2023 End-of-Year Official Charts here

Find and share playlists below:

Official Singles Of 2023
Spotify
YouTube
AppleMusic

Official NZ Singles Of 2023
Spotify
YouTube
AppleMusic

Official Te Reo Māori Singles Of 2023
Spotify
YouTube
AppleMusic

The Official NZ Music Charts continue to roll out every Friday afternoon through the holiday period and into 2024. Keep your eyes, and ears, on nztop40.co.nz and our socials for the weekly rundown.

Meri Kirihimete and a Happy New Year!

December 12, 2023 /

Recorded Music NZ appoints Chairperson Louise Bond

Recorded Music NZ is pleased to announce the appointment of Louise Bond as Chairperson of its six-person Board. Her appointment commences on 1 January 2024.

Louise has a background in advertising and media, having founded and run her own media agency, and previously chaired the Commercial Communications Council, the association that represents member agencies across the advertising, media and communications sectors. For the past four years Louise has served in a variety of governance roles, including on the Board of MediaWorks. Her personal brand has a strong emphasis on values, culture and inclusion.

“I am looking forward to working with Jo, the Board and the broader team at Recorded Music NZ to deliver the best outcome for recording artists and right holders across Aotearoa, while supporting the organisation into the future.”

December 8, 2023 /

Recorded Music thanks Chris Caddick for his years of service

Recorded Music NZ is today thanking Chris Caddick for his years of service to the organisation, as he retires as Chairperson of the Board after 10 years in the position.

Chris became Chair of the Recorded Music NZ Board in 2013, when the previous associations RIANZ and PPNZ merged to form a new entity. Prior to that he was Managing Director of RIANZ, between 2011 and 2013.

Chris is a highly respected figure in the Aotearoa music industry, having served in various roles since he started out in 1978. He has worked in music retail and tour management, and held several positions at EMI NZ, culminating in his 8-year tenure as Managing Director. After leaving EMI, Chris completed influential reports on music funding for NZ On Air, and the preservation of recordings for the Alexander Turnbull Library. Chris is a strong believer in the value of recorded music, in particular music made by New Zealanders. He has been part of the AudioCulture team since its inception.

Notably, during his time as Recorded Music Chair Chris developed and led the Tied to the Tracks project that was instrumental in digitising an enormous amount of NZ music and making it publicly available. Much of this music had never been made available digitally and was in danger of being lost to time. Chris made it his mission to meet with the artists involved in the project, listening to their stories and reminding them of their contribution to the rich musical history of Aotearoa. Chris is personally responsible for protecting thousands of NZ songs from disappearing forever.

Speaking on behalf of the Recorded Music NZ Board, Threshold Director and Chairman of Universal Music NZ Adam Holt says:

“Chris’s remarkable 45-year career in the New Zealand music industry will be remembered by the incredible difference he has made to so many people. In his roles at Recorded Music, especially as Chair, he has always been resolutely focused on building a better future without ever forgetting to honour the rich history of artists whose talent built the music industry we are so proud of today.

“Chris’s passion for music and his care for our artists has been a constant inspiration to all of us who have been privileged to work alongside him. We’re going to miss Chris dearly, but he leaves behind a legacy that will truly endure. Thank you for everything Chris.”

Asked to reflect on his time at Recorded Music, Chris has shared the following:

“It has been a great honour to chair Recorded Music NZ over the last 10 years. I am very proud of the progress made by the organisation during that time in protecting, promoting and preserving the recorded music that gives all New Zealanders such pleasure. Additionally, Recorded Music has delivered ever increasing payouts to our artists and right holders, those who create and invest in recorded music. It has been my great fortune that my tenure coincided with that of talented management and dedicated staff, and committed and focused Board members. I thank all of them for making my job such a pleasure. I am confident the organisation is now well placed to meet the challenges of the future and I wish everyone the very best going forward.”

Chris’s tenure as Chairperson will end on 31 December 2023, with a new Chairperson to be appointed from 1 January 2024.

November 28, 2023 /

Official NZ Music Charts moves to Friday publication

Beginning this Friday December 1, the weekly Official New Zealand Music Charts will be published at 4pm on Friday afternoons.

The Top 40 Albums and Singles Charts, along with a suite of other music charts, have been published at 10am on Saturday mornings since July 2019.

The return to a traditional Friday unveiling means the weekend can get off to the right start for the artists, labels and music fans waiting to hear where their latest releases have landed before heading home or setting up for Friday night shows.

It will also mean that the Official New Zealand Music Charts can go back to being the first national charts in the world to be published each week.

The prior decision to publish the Charts on Saturdays was dictated by the availability of data arriving from online platforms based in other time zones. Led by Director of Data & Analysis Paul Kennedy, the Charts and Data team has since been able to reduce delays and make system adjustments which now allow a faster rollout.

The Official NZ Music Charts have been an institution in Aotearoa since 1975 and are the only weekly snapshot of New Zealanders’ music consumption habits that takes into account physical and digital sales, audio and video streaming and in some cases – via the RadioScope charts – airplay, on all major platforms.

The weekly Charts will continue to be published at www.nztop40.co.nz. Nearly 50 years of Official Chart archives can be found there too.

Please direct any queries about the Official NZ Music Charts and/or submit data to the team via data@recordedmusic.co.nz

November 20, 2023 /

Aotearoa Music Awards return: Nominations now open for 2024

The next Aotearoa Music Awards will take place on Thursday 30 May 2024, at the Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau – closing out Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa | New Zealand Music Month in style.

Nominations are now open and will close on 20 December 2023 at 5pm. The eligibility period for AMA 2024 is 1 August 2022-31 December 2023 (17 months), except for two categories. To complete the nomination process, click here.

The Aotearoa Music Awards is the annual showcase event for the music industry, celebrating artists and music from Aotearoa. The event recognises the biggest musical successes of the year while also providing a platform to promote emerging artists.

Grounded in nearly 60 years of history, AMA has evolved to reflect our unique cultural identity. It has launched music careers, told artists’ stories and created memorable moments. Recorded Music NZ produces the Aotearoa Music Awards and acts as its kaitiaki – preserving our musical heritage, celebrating the hits of today and paving the way for the artists of tomorrow.

We are excited to bring AMA back at a new time of year with the support of NZ On Air.

The Aotearoa Music Awards was paused in 2023, as we considered the outcomes of the review we undertook in 2022. It was important to us to engage with artists and the wider music community about the format, purpose and meaning of AMA. We interviewed and surveyed 350+ people who are actively working in music in Aotearoa, the majority of whom are artists and artist managers.

The message from the community was clear: the Aotearoa Music Awards is seen as essential, and aspirational for emerging artists. We heard strong support for our continuing commitment to embed te ao Māori and te reo and to reflect the unique cultural identity of Aotearoa.

There were, however, some calls to refresh our judging processes, and to communicate them more clearly and transparently. We have taken the time to do that work, and have taken steps to more actively promote diversity and inclusion across the judging process.

As a result of the review we have made a number of changes to the nomination and judging process for AMA 2024. Click here for the full updated Terms & Conditions and a summary of the changes.

We’re also excited to announce a fresh format for next year’s event. AMA 2024 will consist of two connected ceremonies, the AMA 24 Opening Ceremony and AMA 24 Showcase, awarding more than 20 Tūī (awards) in total:

  • The AMA 24 Opening Ceremony will take place prior to the AMA 24 Showcase, at a venue within the same precinct. The Opening Ceremony will include presentations of 15 genre and artisan Tūī, featuring what we heard was important to artists: each winner will have the chance to accept their award and thank their whānau and teams in front of their peers. Artists will then walk the red carpet into the Showcase as winners, and be celebrated for their achievements along the way. Video content highlights from the Opening Ceremony will feature in the Showcase. All awards to be presented at the AMA 24 Opening Ceremony are listed here
  • The AMA 24 Showcase will be a stylish in-room experience that celebrates NZ’s leading artists. It will be short and sharp, featuring musical performances and high production values. The Showcase will be filmed to create quality shortform content for media and artists to share across their online platforms, maximising promotional opportunities. All awards to be presented at the AMA 24 Showcase are listed here

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More information about AMA 2024 will be released in early 2024. For now, save the date. We look forward to celebrating together!

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About Aotearoa Music Awards
The Aotearoa Music Awards is the annual showcase event for the music industry, celebrating artists and music from Aotearoa. The event recognises the biggest musical successes of the year while also providing a platform to promote emerging artists. Grounded in nearly 60 years of history, the Aotearoa Music Awards has evolved to reflect our unique cultural identity. It has launched music careers, told artists’ stories and created memorable moments.

Recorded Music NZ produces the Aotearoa Music Awards and acts as its kaitiaki – preserving our musical heritage, celebrating the hits of today and paving the way for the artists of tomorrow.

Additional assets
Access Word docs and artwork here

Nomination process enquiries:
Sarah Owen
Artist & Event Liaison
ama@recordedmusic.co.nz
+64 9 361 6871

Communications & media enquiries:
Sarah Illingworth
Communications Specialist
sarah.illingworth@recordedmusic.co.nz
+64 20 4138 7432

September 11, 2023 /

Paul Kennedy & Dean Cameron promoted to new roles at Recorded Music NZ

Recorded Music NZ is pleased to announce well-deserved promotions for longstanding senior staff members Paul Kennedy and Dean Cameron.

Paul Kennedy is stepping up to the new role of Director of Data and Analysis. In his new role Paul will provide advice and strategic leadership for Recorded Music to improve and grow its data management, reporting, systems and analysis and will continue to lead the Data Services team.

To support Paul in stepping up to this role, we are looking to recruit a new staff member – Data Specialist – to join the team in Tāmaki Makaurau, learn the ropes from Paul and take on many of the day-to-day data-related tasks. The role will be advertised later this week. Alongside this change, Phil Matcham, Manager – Official NZ Music Charts will be taking on more of the day-to-day operational work to produce the Official Charts, reporting in to Paul.

Paul has been compiling the Official Charts since 2002 and currently holds the position of GM Data, which has been in place since he joined Recorded Music as an employee back in 2011, when Recorded Music acquired Paul’s business, Media Sauce. The tasks expected of that role have been many and varied and have increased exponentially over time – ranging from day-to-day data ingestion and processing to providing regular reporting for right holders and industry organisations, as well as the weekly Official Charts and RadioScope Charts. Paul continues to be a much-valued source of knowledge for Recorded Music and its stakeholders – artists and right holders, DSPs and data providers, label staff, artist managers and radio programmers.

Dean Cameron is stepping up to the role of Director Member Services and Distribution. Dean has been with Recorded Music for over 20 years, most recently as Member Services Manager, and is responsible for the most important thing we do – getting money out to right holders and recording artists. Since Dean started with us, Recorded Music’s membership has grown massively and now numbers over 3000 right holders and over 4000 individual recording artists, meaning Dean’s role has grown and changed with our membership and evolution in the music business. Dean will be leading work over the next two years to update and transform Recorded Music’s systems to improve and streamline distributions. Rochelle Stables will continue her Member Services role supporting Dean and liaising with artists and right holders.

Recorded Music’s data work is supported by Data Systems Developer Tony Simmis, who built many of the bespoke systems we use to manage data, and who works to maintain the systems and develop automated tools and reporting. Rachel Mackie assists with data matching tasks, with a focus on student and iwi radio reporting, alongside her Admin Services role. Recorded Music’s operations are overseen by Loren Midlane, who is our Head of Finance and Operations and part of the senior management team alongside Head of Legal and Business Affairs, Christy Whelan.

We are pleased to congratulate Paul and Dean on their well-deserved promotions, and look forward to having the enhanced team in place to help us continue to improve and modernise Recorded Music’s operations. For more on the members of our full team, go to Our People.

September 7, 2023 /

2023 NZ Music Industry Manifesto | Te Pae Ahumahi Puoro O Aotearoa

Recorded Music NZ, APRA AMCOS and the New Zealand Music Commission have collaborated on a NZ Music Industry Manifesto | Te Pae Ahumahi Puoro O Aotearoa ahead of the 2023 General Election. The Manifesto is supported by a cohort of industry partners, including Independent Music NZ, MusicHelps, Music Managers Forum Aotearoa, Music Producers Guild NZ, and Save Our Venues.

The document highlights the significant contribution the local music industry makes to New Zealand’s economy as well as its culture, and asks the next government to invest in the sustainability of Aotearoa music by supporting local artists and industry to thrive both in the current economic context and in the longer term. We are calling on the next government to partner with us in a multi-year, appropriately resourced strategy to grow the industry and strengthen pathways for export and international success for our artists, and with an ongoing commitment to safe and equitable workplaces.

To do this we are focused on three key areas:

  1. DEVELOPMENT: Investing in the talent pipeline
  2. MARKET SETTINGS: Creating the conditions for music to thrive
  3. EXPORT: Growing and strengthening the pathways for international success

Get the full Manifesto
Get the short version

July 11, 2023 /

2023 distribution – please invoice

Recipients of our 2023 distribution have been advised. Artists can now access their direct-to-recording artist statements via the online portal.

This distribution represents licensing income collected in 2022 and we’re pleased to report that we have sustained the progress made in 2021. We’ve also connected with more local artists and are paying out against more Aotearoa recordings than ever before.

If you’re yet to invoice us, please do! If you’d like to register with Recorded Music ahead of the 2024 payout you can do so here.