Rachel Ashby is a broadcaster, music journalist and arts writer based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. She has been the host of the 95bFM Breakfast show since 2019, and previously hosted the dedicated arts and culture show ‘Artbank’. Rachel is also the Capabilities Coordinator at the New Zealand Music Commission.

With a career in the music and events industry spanning over 20 years, Savina Fountain is the General Manager at BIG FAN – a charitable trust formed by Joel and Gemma Little that runs a live music venue and recording studios all under one roof in Morningside.

Abi Symes, the Kaiwhakahaere of The Stomach, is a testament to the power of local roots and dedication. Now managing the day to day operations, Abi ensures that this council-funded all-ages music hub, recording studio, and rehearsal space, which has been nurturing talent for 36 years, continues to be a supportive environment for artists.

Lora is a prolific musician hailing from Whāingaroa/Raglan, and is currently based in Kirikiriroa. Lora has worked as an Audio Engineer for the past 20 years, and she currently works as a freelance Audio Engineer/Guitar Tech for local and international acts.

Emily Wheatcroft-Snape is an audio engineer working freelance at multiple studios around Tāmaki Makaurau. She has worked with artists such as Fazerdaze, Louisa Nicklin, and Tiny Ruins. Her music project Em acts as an outlet for production exploration. In 2022, Emily launched Record Enable, an initiative to help more women and non-binary people develop sustainable careers in music engineering and production.

Maggie Tweedie grew up at Lake Tutira, a small village in rural Hawkes Bay. She has a Bachelor of Communications in Expressive Arts and Journalism. A broadcaster for nine years, Maggie began volunteering in community radio in Wellington and worked in Melbourne at SYN Media, before joining Radioactive.FM. In 2021 she began working for the public broadcaster hosting the RNZ Music Pocket Edition every week and continues to work as a journalist for the RNZ in Tamaki Makaurau.

Leah Harris is the Artist & Label Partnership Lead at Spotify, responsible for building and maintaining relationships with the artist community and their labels in Australia and New Zealand.

Jeff has been our music promo guy for the last 10 years and is tasked with getting the music we fund and some we don’t seen and heard as well as assessing our New Music Singles, New Music Project, New Music Kids, Pasifika and Waiata Takitahi funding rounds. Jeff worked in the radio industry for 14 years in a number of on-air roles at both Mediaworks and TRN (now NZME.).

Aneeka Moheed is the Programme Director at Auckland-based independent radio station 95bFM. In this role she manages all on-air and on-line broadcast content including show curation, station playlisting, DJ training and live to air performances from local and international musicians. She sources new music for the station on a weekly basis, focussing on platforming up and coming local talent.

Frances Carter is a photographer and director from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. A deep and lifelong love of music led her into photographing live gigs while still in high school, which over the years grew into an extensive portfolio spanning music, fashion and portrait photography as well as moving imagery. Her work has appeared in well-known publications including Rolling Stone, i-D, Nylon and Vogue, and on billboards around the world.

Kédu Carlö, the vibrant electronic powerhouse from Tamaki Makaurau, resonates at the heart of Aotearoa's music scene. Driven by Jess Penson and Carly Gill, the dynamic duo has carved a unique space with infectious beats, lush melodies, and electrifying performances. Following the success of their second EP, "Alien Fempire," in 2022 and the highly anticipated debut album, "Space Girl Finds Cash," in May 2023, Kédu Carlö rides a wave of acclaim.

Calvin works for Parachute Music, where he oversees their community and wellbeing initiatives. In addition to providing bespoke support and professional supervision to professionals in the music industry, Calvin has been a strong advocate for developing approaches to music careers that are healthy and sustainable and lends his insights to industry projects when needed. 

Anna (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) is Kaitiaki for SoundCheck Aotearoa, overseeing the build of programs, day-to-day operations, and mahitahi between SoundCheck Aotearoa and fellow community groups. Anna grew up in Aotearoa’s music community, adopting many kaumatua and whānau along the way, working in a number of artist support roles.

For over 25 years Carmel has been involved in the music industry. Her career started as the Epic Records Promotion Manager for CBS Records before she headed to Powerstation Concert Venue where she was General Manager for 5 years. She is now Community Relationship Consultant for MusicHelps, a charity that undertakes a Grants programme for organisations that use the power of music to help & heal and provides a 24/7 Helpline and counselling services to New Zealanders who make their living through music.

Of Rongowhakaata & Ngāti Porou whakapapa, Sarah grew up in the music industry before making her own mark.  Formerly managing the Aotearoa Music Awards on behalf of Recorded Music NZ, she now channels her expertise into event and artist liaison for AMA while also assuming the role of kairangaranga for the Māori Music Industry Coalition - breathing life into the innovative visions they hold for the future of their hapori puoro.

With over a decade of experience as an Artist and Storyteller, Stan Walker (tribe affiliations: Tūhoe, Ngāi TeRangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Pūkenga, Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Whakaue and Ngai Tahu) feels like it’s just the beginning. In this era of his artistry, he is experiencing a cultural renaissance that is reflected in his releases, forthcoming music and the varying projects he is involved in and championing.

Brandon Haru is a multi-instrumentalist and award-winning producer for the likes of Ladi6, Valkyrie, @peace and Niko Walters. Brandon explores and experiments with new forms of musical expression, always looking to the essence of his cultural roots. Brandon's talent has been recognised globally, with US production legend Timbaland singing praises of the New Zealand producer.

Growing up in the suburban-scapes of South Auckland, Jordyn has quickly impacted the Aotearoa music scene with her bilingual (Māori and English) soulful sounds. Descending from Whāingaroa, Mulifanua Lalovi, Falelatai and Vaimoso, the stories are woven throughout her music, with her second release, ‘Brown Melodies’ being nominated for ‘Best Single’ at the 2022 Māori Music Awards.

Mikee Carpinter is a experienced music manager with over 20 years in the New Zealand music industry. He has a proven track record of successfully guiding new acts into the industry, offering expert guidance on all aspects of the music business including funding, radio pitching, team building, content creation, and release strategies.

Alexander is a filmmaker based in Tāmaki Makaurau, with a distinctive style and a unique visual humour. Over the years he has worked on visuals with a range of other musicians like The Veils, Tiny Ruins, Maala, Anna Coddington, and Georgia Lines, with his videos winning awards around the world and racking up heaps of views.

Sports Team is the creative partnership of Callum Devlin and Annabel Kean. Our credits include the web series ‘Trash Recital’ for UnderTheRadar, the feature documentary ‘The Beths: Auckland, New Zealand, 2020’, as well as a few dozen music videos, including clips for The Beths, Hans Pucket, Marlon Williams and Princess Chelsea. Our short film ‘Blood Pact’ made it to the Grand National Final of the 2022 48Hours Filmmaking Competition. We’re currently in post production on our first feature.

Martin Sagadin is a Slovenian Born, New Zealand based non-binary filmmaker and artist. In 2018 they finished a Masters in Fine Arts - with focus on directing and writing at the University of Canterbury. Martin has been a central figure in the South Island music scene, making music videos for some of the region’s most celebrated artists including Aldous Harding, Marlon Williams, Delaney Davidson, Mousey, Nadia Reid and others as well meticulously documenting live music since 2014.