The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including blues, jazz, country, rock and roll, reggae, and hip hop, with many of these genres given a unique New Zealand interpretation.
Briolette Kah Bic Runga, recording as Bic Runga, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist pop artist. Her first three studio albums debuted at number one on the New Zealand Top 40 Album charts. Runga has also found success internationally in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom with her 1997 song "Sway".
Sir David Joseph Dobbyn is a New Zealand musician, singer–songwriter and record producer. In his early career he was a member of the rock group Th' Dudes and was the main creative force in pop band DD Smash. Since then he has released the majority of his recordings as a solo performer.
"Pōkarekare Ana" is a traditional New Zealand love song, probably communally composed about the time World War I began in 1914. The song is written in Māori and has been translated into English. It enjoys widespread popularity in New Zealand as well as some popularity in other countries.
Maui Dalvanius Prime was a New Zealand entertainer and songwriter. His career spanned 30 years. He mentored many of New Zealand's Māori performers, and was a vocal and forthright supporter of Māori culture.
Pure is the first internationally released album by Christchurch, New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra. It became the highest selling New Zealand Album, which Westenra was awarded by at the New Zealand Music Awards of 2004. It was published by the Decca Music Group label in 2003. It was distributed in the United States by Universal Classics in 2004. During its first week of sales it sold 19,068 copies. As of 2007, Pure is the best selling classical album for the 21st century in the UK, and in New Zealand remains the best selling album from a New Zealand artist.
The following lists events that happened during 1986 in New Zealand.
"Slice of Heaven" is a single by New Zealand singer-songwriter Dave Dobbyn with the band Herbs, released in 1986 on the soundtrack of the animated motion picture, Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tail Tale. The single reached No. 1 on the New Zealand Singles Chart for eight weeks and on the Australian Singles Chart for four weeks. It appears on Dobbyn's 1988 album, Loyal.
The following lists events that happened during 2009 in New Zealand.
Smashproof is a New Zealand hip hop group, consisting of Sid Diamond, Tyree, and Deach. The name "Smashproof" is a play on the word "Bulletproof".
"Brother" is a single by New Zealand hip hop group Smashproof, released in early 2009. The song features Gin Wigmore. It was made as a metaphor to life in South Auckland. The song debuted in New Zealand at number twenty-three on 26 January 2009, rising to number one in its fifth week. It stayed firmly at the top of the chart for eleven consecutive weeks. It also had minor notoriety in Germany, reaching number eighty-one on their national chart.
"Loyal" is a single by New Zealand singer/songwriter Dave Dobbyn, released in 1988 from the album of the same name. The song reached number 19 on the New Zealand charts and has since become a cult song for the nation.
"Sensitive to a Smile" is a single from the New Zealand reggae band Herbs from the Sensitive to a Smile album. The single reached #9 in the New Zealand chart.
The 2013 New Zealand Music Awards is the 48th holding of the annual ceremony featuring awards for musical recording artists based in or originating from New Zealand. The main awards event will be held on 21 November 2013 at Vector Arena, Auckland and will again be hosted by Shannon Ryan, along with new host Stan Walker. Nominations opened on 27 May 2013 and closed on 8 July 2013. Eligible works were those released between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2013. The ceremony will be broadcast on television channel Four, as will a red carpet special hosted by Drew Neemia and Sharyn Casey.
Tina Marie Cross is a New Zealand singer. She sang the winning entry in the 1979 Pacific Song Contest, and was the lead vocalist of synthpop band, Koo De Tah, whose single "Too Young for Promises" was a top ten hit in Australia in 1985.
"Team Ball Player Thing" is a 2015 charity single and the official supporters' song of the All Blacks in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The song is performed by the charity supergroup #KiwisCureBatten and is in aid of research into Batten disease via the New Zealand charity Cure Kids. The day after it was released, the song debuted at number six on the New Zealand Top 40.
Alien Weaponry is a New Zealand metal band from Waipu, formed in Auckland in 2010. The band consists of drummer Henry de Jong, guitarist Lewis de Jong, and since August 2020, bass player Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds. All three members have Māori ancestry and a number of their songs are written and performed in the Māori language.
Rhonda Bryers (1952-2007) was a New Zealand singer of Maori descent. At one stage she was regarded as New Zealand's top entertainer.
Maimoa is a New Zealand musical group. Formed from current and former presenters from the Māori Television show Pūkana, the group debuted in 2016 with the single "Maimoatia", which was released to celebrate te Wiki o te Reo Māori. Since their debut, the group has continued to release pop singles sung in te Reo Māori, including "Wairua" (2017), a viral hit produced by members of the New Zealand band Sons of Zion.
Maisey Rika is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and composer, performing in both English and Māori. Her five original albums have each reached the Top 40 in the Official New Zealand Music Chart. She was named an Arts Foundation Laureate in 2021, has received awards at the Waiata Māori Music Awards and APRA Awards, including APRA Best Māori Songwriter in 2010 and 2013, and has twice won Best Māori Language Album at the NZ Music Awards.
