A lot of acts have been nominated at the Aotearoa Music Awards. Not as many have won two Pacific Music Awards. Even less have been invited to be part of an official Prime Ministerial delegation visit to the Pacific.
A.R.T have earned all three of those landmark distinctions — the most exciting thing is they’re really just getting started.
The Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington girl group’s stylish sonic concoction of R&B-meets-pop-meets-reggae is quickly winning them fans in Aotearoa, the wider Pacific, and beyond.
After winning in the Best Group and Radio Airplay categories the 2025 Pacific Music Awards, they followed those honours with a nomination for Best R&B Artist at this year’s Aotearoa Music Awards.
Away from awards season, their monthly listener total on Spotify is growing and growing, almost reaching the 100,000 mark. Add in over 100,000 Facebook followers, and A.R.T have won of the strongest new fanbases in New Zealand music.
Their quick rise is due in large part to a supreme work ethic: their highly ambitious ‘First Thursdays’ campaign will see them release a brand-new single on — you guessed it — the first Thursday of every month throughout 2026.
So far, the drops have been worth the hustle.
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“Make Me Believe” is a particular standout, a powerhouse collaboration with Sammy Johnson that gave A.R.T a lovely full-circle moment (more on that below).
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How much did music influence you in your early life?
A.R.T: Music was always around us growing up. It was in our homes, at family things, at church, at school, everywhere really. We probably didn’t even realise how much it was shaping us at the time because it just felt normal.
Singing was something we all naturally loved from a young age. It was never really forced. We just enjoyed it and being around Pacific families and communities, there’s always music and harmonies happening somewhere, so that definitely became a big part of who we are.
A lot of what A.R.T is now comes from that. The harmonies, the feeling, the way we connect with each other when we sing — it all started from those early moments.
What artists influenced you growing up?
We all listened to a lot of different music growing up, but anything with strong vocals and harmonies definitely stood out to us. R&B was a big one but so was reggae, soul, pop, and of course Pacific music.
We loved artists who could really sing but also artists who made you feel something. That’s probably what influenced us the most. It wasn’t just about big vocals. It was the emotion, the melodies, and the way a song could take you somewhere.
We’ve also always been inspired by the music around us in Aotearoa and the Pacific. That sound has always felt close to home for us.
What are some career highlights so far?
There have been a few moments where we’ve had to stop and be like, “Wow, this is actually happening.”
Being nominated at the Aotearoa Music Awards was a big one for us. Winning two Pacific Music Awards for Best Group and Radio Airplay was really special too, especially because that space means so much to us.
Another huge highlight was being chosen to be part of the New Zealand Prime Ministerial Delegation visit to the Pacific. That was such an honour and something we don’t take lightly.
We’ve also been lucky to support some amazing artists, like Josh Tatofi on his New Zealand and Australian tour, Tomorrow People, and Sons of Zion. Performing in the Aotearoa Music Awards finale medley with artists we’ve looked up to was also a crazy full-circle moment.
And then there are the release moments too: seeing songs like “When He Was Mine” and “Over Now” connect with people online has been really encouraging. We’re still growing but those moments make us feel like we’re on the right path.
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Tell us about your latest release.
Our latest release is “Make Me Believe” featuring Sammy Johnson, or Sammy J.
This song is really special to us because we first met Sammy when he came to visit our school years ago, so to now have a song out with him feels pretty surreal. Back then we were students watching him as an artist we looked up to, and now we’re friends and artists working together.
“Make Me Believe” has more of an island reggae/lovers’ rock feel. It’s about wanting to believe in love again, even after you’ve been hurt or disappointed before. It’s soft and honest but still warm and feel-good.
Anastasia sings the lead duet with Sammy, and Rosetta and T-R3X bring the backing vocals and harmonies. The song was produced by The Ikonics, with Elias from Maoli playing drums recorded in Hawaii, and it was mixed and mastered by EDYONTHEBEAT.
For us, the whole song feels like a beautiful full-circle moment.
What kind of personality traits and values do you believe it takes to succeed in the music industry?
You definitely need thick skin, because the industry isn’t always easy. There are a lot of highs but there are also moments where things don’t go how you hoped, so you have to be able to keep going.
Discipline is a big one too. You can’t just wait until you feel inspired. You have to keep showing up, keep rehearsing, keep creating, keep posting, and keep learning.
For us as a group, communication and loyalty are really important. We’re three different people, so we have to be honest with each other, listen to each other, and move as a team.
And staying grounded matters a lot. We never want to lose sight of why we started or the people who helped us get here.
How would you describe your music to a potential fan?
We’d probably say it’s R&B and reggae fusion with big harmonies and a Pacific feel.
It’s music you can sing along to, vibe to, cry to, or play in the car with your friends. We love songs that have feeling, whether it’s about love, heartbreak, confidence, or moving on.
The harmonies are a big part of our sound, but we’re also still exploring. Some songs lean more R&B, some lean more reggae, some are more pop, but the common thread is always our voices and the feeling behind the song.
Credit: Supplied
Are you looking forward to the rest of the year? Tell us about what’s to come.
Yes, definitely. This year has already been full-on but in a good way.
We’re doing our ‘First Thursdays’ campaign, which means we’re releasing a new song on the first Thursday of every month throughout 2026. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also been exciting because people get to hear different sides of us.
We’ve already released songs like “Rain”, “Over Now”, “Full Attention”, and “Make Me Believe,” and there’s still more music to come. Some of it will feel familiar to people who already know our sound, and some of it might surprise them a bit.
We’ve also got more visuals, more content, and hopefully more live shows coming. We’re just trying to keep building and keep getting better with every release.
What are your goals for 2026 and beyond?
Long-term, we want A.R.T to be a group that represents Wellington, Aotearoa, and the Pacific proudly on bigger stages. We want to tour more, collaborate more, and keep making music that feels true to us.
We’re still at the start of the journey in a lot of ways, but we’re excited for where it can go.
