The history of blues in New Zealand dates from the 1960s. The earliest blues influences on New Zealand musicians were indirect – not from the United States but from white British blues musicians: first the R&B styles of Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, The Animals and The Rolling Stones, and later the blues-tinged rock of groups such as Led Zeppelin. The first American blues artist to make a big impact in New Zealand was Stevie Ray Vaughan in the early 1980s. Other blues-related genres such as soul and gospel almost completely by-passed New Zealand audiences, except for a handful of hits from cross-over artists such as Ray Charles.
New Zealand reggae is the New Zealand variation of the musical genre reggae. It is a large and well established part of New Zealand music, and includes some of the country's most successful and highly acclaimed bands.
The Dead Leaves was an Australian alternative rock band formed in 2011. Their line up consisted of vocalist/guitarist Matt Joe Gow, guitarist Andrew Pollock, bassist Cameron Grindrod, keyboardist Clio Renner, drummer Joel Witenberg and vocalists Gin Wigmore and Emma Louise. The band was based in Melbourne, Australia, although Joe Gow is from New Zealand.
The Messenger is the debut album from Melbourne-based artist Matt Joe Gow, released in Australia on 18 July 2009.
Jen Cloher is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer, currently based in Melbourne, Victoria. Cloher's 2017 self-titled fourth studio album peaked at number 5 on the Australian ARIA Charts. From 2006 to 2010, Cloher recorded and toured with her band Jen Cloher and the Endless Sea and since 2013 has released with Mia Dyson and Liz Stringer music under the name Dyson Stringer Cloher.
Ben Salter is an Australian musician currently based in Hobart, Tasmania, in addition to being a member of bands including Giants of Science, The Gin Club, The Wilson Pickers, Hownowmer and The Young Liberals.
Marlon Williams is a New Zealand singer-songwriter, guitarist and actor based in Lyttelton, New Zealand. Primarily known as a solo artist, he works and tours with his backing band The Yarra Benders and first came to attention as front-man of The Unfaithful Ways and for his collaborative work with musician Delaney Davidson.
Julia Jacklin is an Australian singer-songwriter from the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales. Jacklin's musical style has been described as indie pop, indie folk, and alternative country. She has released three studio albums, Don't Let the Kids Win (2016), Crushing (2019) and Pre Pleasure (2022). Jacklin has also performed with the band Phantastic Ferniture, with whom she released the debut single "Fuckin 'n' Rollin" and a self-titled album in 2018, followed by subsequent singles.
Cash Savage and the Last Drinks is an Australian band from Melbourne, formed in 2008 by singer and guitarist Cash Savage. Currently, the lineup also includes guitarists Joe White and Dougal Shaw, fiddlist Kat Mear, percussionist Rene Mancuso, keyboardist Roshan Khozouei and bassist Nick Finch. They have released five studio albums and one live album: Wolf (2010), The Hypnotiser (2013), One of Us (2016), Good Citizens (2018), Live at Hamer Hall (2020) and So This is Love (2023).
Dead Favours is an alternative rock group from Auckland, New Zealand. Formed in 2016 by drummer Charlie Smith and vocalist Jared Wrennall, previously the drummer for Grammy Award-nominated punk band Steriogram. The band consists of Alex Ferrier, Jared Wrennall (vocals/guitar), Kyle Wetton (guitar) and Charlie Smith (drums).
Crushing is the second studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin. It was released in February 2019 under Polyvinyl Record Co., Transgressive Records and Liberation Records.
Don't Let the Kids Win is the debut studio album by Australian singer/songwriter Julia Jacklin. It was released in October 2016 under Polyvinyl Record Co., Transgressive Records and Liberation Records.
Sir Joseph Victor Williams is a New Zealand lawyer and judge. He has been a justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand since 2019, and is the first Māori person appointed to the role.
Katie Dey is an Australian experimental pop musician.
Sam Teskey is an Australian blues musician, best known for his work with the Teskey Brothers. Sam won the ARIA Award for Engineer of the Year in 2019.
Cable Ties are a punk rock band from Melbourne, Australia formed in 2015.
Pre Pleasure is the third studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin. It was released on 26 August 2022 under Polyvinyl Record Co. and Transgressive Records. At the 2022 ARIA Music Awards, the album earned Jacklin nominations for Best Solo Artist, Best Independent Release and Best Adult Contemporary Album. The album was also nominated for several other awards, including the Australian Album of the Year at the 2022 J Awards, the Australian Music Prize, Independent Album of the Year at the AIR Awards of 2023, and Best Album at the 2023 Music Victoria Awards.
Kingmaker is the eighth studio album by Canadian-New Zealand country singer Tami Neilson, released in July 2022. The album debuted at number one on the Official New Zealand Music Chart.
Chickaboom! is the seventh studio album by Canadian-New Zealand country singer Tami Neilson, released on 14 February 2020, by Neilson Records and Outside Music. A country album inspired by rockabilly, Chickaboom! was nominated for the Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year and Aotearoa Music Award for Album of the Year at the 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards. The album debuted at number eight on the Official New Zealand Music Chart.
The 2023 Music Victoria Awards are the 18th Annual Music Victoria Awards. The ceremony took place on 31 October 2023. The nominees were announced on 14 September 2023 Public voting was open from 14 September until 13 October.
