NZ Music Month is back!
Officially launching tomorrow (May 2nd) with the NZ Music Month Summit, Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa | NZ Music Month celebrates the artists, communities, and sounds shaping Aotearoa’s music scene. The month-long celebration champions local talent while fostering connection, discovery, and pride in homegrown music.
Kicking things off, the Summit – presented with APRA AMCOS, NZ On Air, and Recorded Music NZ -brings together artists and industry voices for a packed day of conversations, panels, and insight into the future of music in Aotearoa. Final free tickets are still available here.
Ahead of the Summit, we caught up with some of the artists, broadcasters, and industry figures helping shape this year’s programme.
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Rosetta Stone (‘All Ages Spaces’)
Ngā mihi o Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa e hoa mā! I’m excited to be kicking off my favourite time of year alongside some legendary panelists from across the motu, sharing kōrero about their mahi rangatira across the all ages music scene.
Joining me for the kōrero will be; Abi Symes, Manager of all-ages venue, recording studio, rehearsal space, and community hub The Stomach in Te Papaioea (Palmerston North); Jesse Samu, Community Engagement Advisor at all-round arts space and venue OneOneSix in Whāngarei; and Natasha Griffiths, who runs Amped Music Programme in Ōtepoti (Dunedin) — offering mentorship and guidance for high-school aged bands and musicians.
Abi, Jesse, and Natasha have spent years working with some of our most driven, talented, and inspiring young people, and offer a wealth of insight into what a healthy all-ages music scene looks like, how creative agency and empowerment can make a lasting impact for rangatahi, and what the wider Aotearoa music ecosystem stands to gain from making gigs and resources more accessible for our young people.
Join the ‘All Ages Spaces’ conversation at the NZ Music Month Summit at The Tuning Fork, this Saturday May 2nd at 11am.
Rosetta is 95bFM’s Breakfast Host — with an incredible grasp on music journalism and a champion for allowing grassroots artists to utilise key spaces in Aotearoa to build their careers, no matter your age.
Rachel Ashby (‘Growing Your Audience at Home’)
The NZ Music Month Summit is the official launch event for NZ Music Month 2026, bringing together industry professionals and music practitioners to connect, share knowledge and celebrate the sector. I’m especially excited to be hosting the ‘Growing Your Audience at Home’ panel, which will dig into some of the practical tools available for artists working in Aotearoa to build and strengthen their local fanbase.
We’ll be discussing how touring and playing live can help grow your music community, what a great release strategy can look like in New Zealand, and taking a look at some of the music platforms that can connect you with fans. I’m really looking forward to hearing from three experienced musicians about their journeys, as well as learning more about the new music platform Lume.
I’m excited to see what conversations come out of the day – it’s always a really great time to connect with practitioners from around the country, and a great opportunity for emerging and established music industry folks to connect with each other.
Rachel works at the NZ Music Commission as their Capability Programmes Coordinator. She also runs her own music-heavy podcast, In the Pits.
Noema Te Hau III (‘Ko Tō Tātou Reo, Ko Tō Tātou Oro — Our Language, Our Sound’)
I’m proud to be part of ‘Ko Tō Tātou Reo, Ko Tō Tātou Oro – Our Language, Our Sound’ at the New Zealand Music Month Summit 2026. My reo isn’t perfect, but I’ve built my career as a producer and songwriter, and I understand Te Ao Māori in a way that allows me to support artists authentically.
We’re in a strong place right now with Te Reo Māori in New Zealand music, and if it feels natural in your art, you should absolutely lean into it. For me, the Reo Māori SongHubs were a turning point, being in rooms with other Māori creatives who shared similar experiences was powerful, and it reinforced how important these spaces are. There’s real momentum behind the language at the moment, and the key is to keep that going, so that future generations don’t feel disconnected from it in the way many of us have.
Events like this Summit are vital, they create space to connect, learn, and strengthen the industry at every level. Ultimately, I’d love to see Te Reo Māori continue to thrive as a natural, viable creative choice for any artist, without hesitation or limitation.
Noema is a prolific Aotearoa producer, songwriter and musician, working with artists such as Anna Coddington, Triggar Happy, Paige, MOHI, Ratbag, and Troy Kingi. He also played a key role in the launch and development of Tamaki Makaurau’s not-for-profit, multi-purpose music space Big Fan.
Audrey Siataga (‘Practical Side of Live’)
As an artist manager working with a wholly independent roster, my belief system is centred on creating outputs that are led by art and its intention. I can only do this through the partnerships and friendships I’ve built across our industry, and I love championing connection wherever possible. I am a current board member of MMF Aotearoa and genuinely believe that workshops such as the NZ Music Month Summit, along with the MMF’s various activations throughout the year, provide vital opportunities for emerging and self-managed artists to access valuable knowledge from industry experts.
We have a wonderfully genuine music industry here in Aotearoa, especially in this age of independence, and these programmes offer a chance to reconnect with other like‑minded artists along the way. I’m proud of all the independent artists out there putting in the work, backing yourself is hard, and we want to remind you that you are welcome in these spaces, because they are for you. I’m excited to see some new faces at this month’s NZ Music Month, please come say hi!
Audrey has extensive industry knowledge in personal tour management and promoter representation. Some of her clients include Ladi6, Christoph El Truento, and Mokomokai.
Nick Lindstrom (‘In the Neighbourhood’)
Being an independent artist in this day and age requires you to wear many hats in order to achieve your creative vision on a budget. Across the motu, there are council and community spaces stocked with affordable and accessible resources designed to support that mahi.
Our Summit panel ‘In the Neighbourhood’ aims to highlight the local libraries, makerspaces and creative hubs that are available to aid up and coming DIY musicians. The greatest resource these spaces have to offer is knowledgeable people who are passionate about helping artists and music professionals.
I’m really pleased that we are joined by some of those awesome advocates on this panel — including DJ, curator, and arts programmer Gene Rivers, CEO of Creative Waikato Dr. Jeremy Mayall, Maggie Cocco from Creative Northland, and award-winning vocalist, drummer, songwriter, and cultural advocate from Ōtautahi Henare Kaa.
Nick is an all-round music lover, building his career from his love for the industry through hosting weekly slots on 95bFM and recently across the New Zealand Music Commission’s Music Mentoring in Schools programme.
