Parachute Wraps Song Week 2020

Living up to its name as the songwriting capital of New Zealand, Kingsland has been humming with new tunes this week, with almost 50 music-makers coming together for Parachute Music’s 2020 Song Week.

The 5 day songwriting camp, organised by Jane de Jong (Ruby Frost), brought together a diverse group of songwriters, topliners and producers to team up and create a song a day. A mixture of established writers and fresh talent, the event involved Parachute’s development artists and producers as well as members of their in-house musical community. Taking place in Parachute’s studio complex in Kingsland, the event filled 11 studios with writing sessions each day, with the week ending in a batch of over 50 new tunes.

The second of its kind since Parachute’s inaugural Song Week last year, the event has been an important regathering of the New Zealand music community in the wake of lockdown’s isolation. 

Parachute CEO Mark de Jong says “Creativity never stops - in fact, it's more important now than ever. Songs and stories are a part of our collective processing. We’re proud to play our part in bringing this range of voices together.”

Thanks to APRA AMCOS NZ for their support of the event.

Artists & writers involved in the week include:
Paige, Lepani, Balu Brigada, RIIKI, Alex Farrell-Davey (Alae), Ash Wallace (Foley), Dave Baxter (Avalanche City), Georgia Lines, Jon Lemmon, Cassie Henderson, Sally, Reuben Fleetwood, Possum Plows, Neil MacLeod, Stephanie Brown (Lips), Jeremy Redmore, Nick Dow, Jayden Paul (Daily J) & Harry Parsons.Producers include: Rory Noble, Devin Abrams, Simon Oscroft, Matt Sadgrove, Abigail Knudsen, Will Henderson, EDY, Maude Morris & Dan Martin. Plus Parachute Studios tenant producers Nic Manders, Joseph Faris, Simon Gooding, Ben Malone & Josh Naley.

Northern Bass Celebrates 10 Years With Stacked Kiwi Line-Up

Northern Bass is ready to celebrate summer and see off the chaos of 2020 with a special 10th anniversary line-up announcement featuring New Zealand’s top bands, MCs and DJs.

Today’s Northern Bass 2020/21 first announcement features four headliners - Kiwi icons Shapeshifter and Australian legends Pendulum Trinity, alongside top-tier Kiwi drum and bass act The Upbeats, and returning for the first time since 2017/18, chart topping and genre-defying band L.A.B.

Belgian drum and bass DJ Alix Perez also features on the line-up with his impending move to New Zealand shores, Northern Bass can not wait to welcome him back.

Festival Director Gareth Popham says he’s excited about the heavily Kiwi-focused festival that’s in store to celebrate 10 years of Northern Bass.

“We can’t wait to welcome back many of the acts that have been such a huge part of the festival over the past nine years, as well as some very talented new artists,” Popham said.

“We’ve booked two Australian acts, Pendulum Trinity and producer and DJ ShockOne, and we’re hopeful that by the end of the year they’ll be able to travel to New Zealand. Alix Perez’s move to New Zealand is perfectly timed for us to add him to our 10th anniversary line-up.

“Before the world locked down we had secured a number of international acts and if the borders open in time we will be adding them to our already strong lineup.

“Even with uncertain borders, we think our audience will be excited about the quality of our line-up announcement, a testament to an incredible New Zealand music community.”

Northern Bass 20/21 First Line Up Announcement:

L.A.B. * PENDULUM TRINITY (AUS)
SHAPESHIFTER * THE UPBEATS

ALIX PEREZ (BEL) * AROHA + TALI * AVANTDALE BOWLING CLUB
BAILEY WILEY * CHAII * CONCORD DAWN * FLOWIDUS * ILL BAZ
JESSB * LADI 6 * LEE MVTTHEWS * MELODOWNZ
MONTELL 2099 * P-MONEY * SHOCKONE (AUS) * STATE OF MIND
SWIDT * TEAM DYNAMITE * TREI + JABZ * TRUTH

CHURCH & AP * EMWA * GINO OCTOBER * KATANAYAGI TWINS
PORIS * RUBI DU * SORAYA * THEIA * UNSUB * ZEISHA

More acts to be announced

NORTHERN BASS 20/21
29 DECEMBER - 1 JANUARY
MANGAWHAI

Two and three-day festival tickets, camping, caravan and Bass Hotel passes and bus passes are available now from northernbass.co.nz

Soundsplash 2021 - FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT

Raglan’s summer extravaganza Soundsplash is set to celebrate 20th anniversary in style

Headliners include heavyweights 
Fat Freddy’s Drop, Ladi6, Macky Gee,
Mako Road and Montell2099

Raglan’s renowned Soundsplash Festival will celebrate its 20th birthday in style in January 2021, when it returns with a legendary line-up. 
The all-ages eco-focused extravaganza will be held at Wainui Reserve in Raglan on January 22, 23, and 24, 2021. 

Tickets for Soundsplash 2021 go on sale at 7.00pm, Wednesday July 29 from https://ticketspace.nz

Just announced in the first line-up for the Raglan festival are headliners Fat Freddy’s Drop, Ladi6, Macky Gee, Mako Roadand Montell2099.
 
In keeping with Soundsplash’s ongoing commitment to supporting and showcasing rising New Zealand talent, there is also an exciting array of up-and-coming acts, such as Dolphin Friendly, Fairbrother, Flowidus, Heavy Chest, Jinja Cat & King Macka, Masaya, Paige, PollyHill, Poris, RIIKI, Rubi Du, Sin, Soaked Oats, Villette and Zeisha Fremaux. They will share stages alongside well-known Kiwi acts including Che Fu, Concord Dawn, Cornerstone Roots, Deadbeat, Home Brew, Katchafire, K Motionz, Lee Mvtthews, Mt Eden and Troy Kingi. 

More acts will be announced in the coming months. 

Due to circumstances around COVID in 2020, it is yet to be confirmed if the festival will return to Timaru for 2021.

The team behind Soundsplash is excited to celebrate two decades of Aotearoa’s much-loved festival, which strives to create a unique environment bringing together live music, art and culture. The aim of the zero-waste event is to embrace, inspire and influence people of all ages, backgrounds and genders and alongside the talent-packed line-up, will be performance art, workshops and speakers. 
 
"We are looking forward to celebrating 20 years since the first Soundsplash. We enjoy delivering an event that represents live music, arts and culture, whilst creating awareness and appreciation of socially, conscious sustainable ideas and practices,” says the festival’s director, Naomi Tuao.

With its picturesque location, just 500 metres from the beach and a short drive from the Raglan township and some of the world’s most famous surfing spots, Soundsplash is without question one of New Zealand’s most popular summer festivals. 
 
Held across three days, and just as many stages, the community-minded festival will also continue its commitment to its Zero Waste policy. There will also be lots of healthy food options and camping with hot showers.
 
www.soundsplash.co.nz

---

ZM presents Soundsplash 2021
Wainui Reserve, Raglan
January 22, 23, 24, 2021

Fat Freddy’s Drop, Ladi6, Macky Gee, Mako Road, Montell2099

Che Fu, Concord Dawn, Cornerstone Roots, Deadbeat, Dolphin Friendly, Fairbrother, Flowidus, Heavy Chest, Home Brew, Jinja Cat & King Macka, Katchafire, K Motionz, Lee Mvtthews, Masaya, Mt Eden, Paige, Pollyhill, Poris, RIIKI, Rubi Du, Sin, Soaked Oats, Troy Kingi, Villette, Zeisha Fremaux & more to be announced

2020 APRA Silver Scroll Awards - Top 20 Songs

• Best Thing In The Room, written by Lisa Crawley and Robert Kleiner, performed by Lisa Crawley (Published by St Music ANZ Pty / Songtrust Blvd) 

• Bone Dat Needs Pickin’, written and performed by Steve Tofa (Published by Songbroker) 

• Don’t You Know Who I Am, written and performed by Reb Fountain (Published by Mushroom Music) 

• Get The Devil Out, written and performed by Nadia Reid (Published by Blue Raincoat Songs / Kobalt Music Publishing) 

• Glitter written by Stella Bennett, Joshua Fountain and Djesian Suskov, performed by Benee (Published by Universal Music Publishing / Sony/ATV Publishing) 

• Guilty Talk, written by Stephanie Brown and Fen Ikner performed by Lips  

• Hands, written by Bella Cook and Shannon Fowler, performed by Belladonna (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing) 

• I Might Disappear, written by Gussie Larkin, Lily West and Abraham Hollingsworth, performed by Mermaidens  

• In The Air, written by Arapekanga Hayden Adams-Tamatea, Brad Donald Kora, Hiriini Stuart Kora, Joel Charles Shadbolt, and Miharo Boaz Gregory, performed by L.A.B (Published by Loop Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing)

• Let’s Just Stay In Bed, written by Cass Mitchell and Bic Runga, performed by King Sweeties (Published by Mushroom Music) 

• Mighty Invader, written and performed by Troy Kingi (Published by Loop Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing) 

• Remote, written by Annabel Alpers and performed by Hamerkop (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing) 

• Ruffle, written by Matthew Barus and Lauren Barus, performed by Terrible Sons (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing) 

• Superfan, written by Chelsea Jade Metcalf and Leroy Clampitt, performed by Chelsea Jade (Published by EMI Music Publishing Australia/ Stellar Songs) 

• Take, written by Finn Scholes, Tam Scholes, Siobhanne Thompson, Cass Mitchell and Alistair Deverick, performed by Carnivorous Plant Society 

• Trouble, written by Mona Sanei and Frank Eliesa, performed by CHAII (Published by Big Pop Music Publishing / BMG Rights Management) 

• Walk, written and performed by Ria Hall (Published by Loop Publishing / Kobalt Music Publishing)

• War Outside, written by Elijah Manu, Albert Purcell and Rory Noble, performed by Church & AP  

• Who?, written by Lance Fepuleai, Tony Tz, Harry Huavi and Stephen Atutolu, performed by Team Dynamite feat. Diggy Dupe

• You Were Mine, written by Tamara Neilson and Joshua Neilson, performed by Tami Neilson (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing) 

This Top 20 list was chosen from over 200 entries by a judging panel of 10 fellow songwriters, who have each made wonderful contributions to the NZ music community.  

The judging panel were (in alphabetical order):

Amanda Cheng (Wax Chattels), Abigail Knudson (Missy), Cherie Mathieson, Delaney Davidson, Estere Dalton, Mark Williams (Slave, Fat Freddy’s Drop), Marlon Williams, Mel Parsons, Ned Ngatae (The Black Seeds, Fat Freddy’s Drop), and Shayne Carter.

All APRA members are now invited to vote for their top five songs from this list of 20. 

These votes from the APRA membership will determine the five finalists and winner of the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Award. 

You can listen to a Spotify playlist of all 20 songs HERE.

You can read more details on judging and voting processes for the Silver Scroll Awards HERE.

“We’re thrilled to find that there are plenty of established songwriters who are still surprising and delighting with their work, finding new stories to tell, and new ways to tell them. We’re also very excited to see so many new songwriters bringing fresh ideas and sounds to the landscape of music in Aotearoa” says APRA Head of NZ Operations Anthony Healey.  

“Of course it was a tough job for our judging panel to select these 20 songs from all the entries, and there are plenty of songwriters who missed out, who continue to create great and valuable work. The standard of songwriting we’re seeing in New Zealand is incredibly high, and we applaud everyone for their craft.”    

Past recipients of the esteemed award include a long list of iconic Kiwi music stalwarts - from Dave Dobbyn, Don McGlashan and Shona Laing to Neil Finn, Bic Runga, and Ray Columbus. They’re joined by a younger generation of music makers that include James Milne & Luke Buda, Ella Yelich-O’Connor (Lorde) & Joel Little, Tami Neilson, Ruban & Kody Nielson, Marlon Williams, and Aldous Harding.  

The APRA Silver Scroll Award will be presented at the Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday October 14. The other awards presented on the night are: 

• APRA Maioha Award, celebrating exceptional waiata featuring te reo  

• SOUNZ Contemporary Award, celebrating excellence in contemporary composition 

• APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award 

• APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award  

NZ Music Recovery Package: COVID-19 NZ Music Month & Outward Sound Make Good Funds

The NZ Music Month and Outward Sound Make Good Funds are to provide support for NZ artists and music businesses who had outlaid funds for planned activity in NZ Music Month 2020 or for Outward Sound projects that were unable to proceed as a result of COVID-19.

The NZ Music Month Make Good Fund is available to NZ artists, sole traders and music businesses who had confirmed original NZ music activity to occur in May 2020, that was cancelled due to COVID-19.  Over 1,000 original NZ music events are usually held during NZ Music Month each year. The Fund is available for recoupment of confirmed outlaid costs and to compensate fees for contracted work that was unable to proceed due to COVID-19.  The Fund will also provide a contribution towards confirmed lost income for NZ artists for performances in NZ Music Month as a result of COVID-19.

The Fund will not cover wages or other general business costs that can be addressed through alternative initiatives in the Government’s COVID-19 Economic Response Package.

Applicants must provide evidence of expenditure or loss of income (i.e. invoices for expenditure, contracts for services and confirmation of cancellation or similar), and demonstrate the expenditure or loss incurred is due to COVID-19. Applicants must agree to be subject to audit if required.

Application does not guarantee payment or a full reimbursement of costs.

The NZ Music Month Make Good Fund is open until 5:00pm on Monday 20 July 2020 and the application form is available here. This Fund is for one round only and all applications will be assessed after the closing date.  All applications will be processed within 28 days of the Fund closing.

The total investment for the NZ Music Month Make Good Fund is $1million and the full list of successful applicants will be published on the Music Commission website on Monday 17 August.

There are three parts to the NZ Music Month Make Good Fund:

1. Reimbursement of Eligible Costs (with evidence)

2. Contribution Of Contracted Fees (with evidence)

3. Contribution Towards Lost Income Relating To Cancelled Performances (with evidence)

These all related only to original NZ music performances that were confirmed for May 2020 and cancelled because of COVID-19

1. Reimbursement of Eligible Costs (with evidence)

NZ artists and music businesses can apply for reimbursement of eligible costs for activity scheduled occur during NZ Music Month that could not be undertaken due to COVID-19 related cancellations.

These eligible costs are:

·      Accommodation (where the costs are not held in credit)

·      Air travel (where the costs are not held in credit)

·      Ground transportation

·      Ticketing fees and inside charges

·      Promotion including paid publicist fees

·      Advertising and marketing costs

·      Artwork

·      Insurance

·      Venue deposits

·      Expenditure on non-CAPEX equipment for events in May 2020. 

The Fund will not reimburse per diem costs anticipated to be paid in May 2020.

2. Contribution Of Contracted Fees (with evidence)

NZ artists and music businesses can apply for a contribution towards compensation of contracted work fees for original NZ music activity scheduled to occur during NZ Music Month that could not be undertaken due to COVID-19 related cancellations. This includes:

·      Sound engineer fees for confirmed dates

·      Tour manager and crew fees for confirmed dates

·      Booking agent fees

·      Publicist fees for confirmed campaigns

·      Advertising fees for confirmed campaigns

·      Session musician fees for original NZ music performances (i.e. a drummer who performs with a musician performing original NZ music can apply for lost income due to the cancellation of confirmed shows).

3. Contribution Towards Lost Income Relating To Cancelled Performances (with evidence)

NZ artists can also apply for a contribution towards lost guaranteed performance fees, or lost ticketing income that has been refunded to audiences for shows scheduled occur during NZ Music Month that could not be undertaken due to COVID-19 related cancellations. (NB. The Fund will not contribute to events where the sold tickets have been transferred to a performance at a later date.) Evidence of income and subsequent cancellation will be required.

One application per band or activity will be accepted. If an application relates to a multi-band or multi-artist line up event, only one application will be accepted for the event.

If you are submitting an application for the NZ Music Month Make Good Fund, please ensure you read the Acknowledgement and Confirmation section at the end of the form, which outlines the release of information pertaining to grants and legal confirmation.

The NZ Music Month Make Good Fund application form is here.

The NZ Music Month Make Good Fund closes at 5:00pm on Monday 20 July 2020.

The Outward Sound Make Good Fund is for for artists who had active Outward Sound grants where the artist had incurred costs, and the international activity was cancelled or disrupted due to circumstances related to COVID-19.  All eligible artists have been contacted directly by the Outward Sound team. The total investment for the Outward Sound Make Good Fund is $400,000 and the list of supported artists will be published on the Music Commission website on Monday 17 August.

'LIVE VIBES'

‘Live Vibes’ is a Creative New Zealand funded initiative which aims to stimulate the NZ music scene during the time of COVID-19 bringing you some of New Zealand's most talented up and coming artists, recorded in the highest definition audio and video quality, and streamed right to the comfort of your own couch.

Broadcasting on Saturday the 25th of July from 7pm - 10pm on Freeview Channel 200 and streamed across a range of social media channels, Live Vibes seeks to empower all artists involved and deliver a polished live set for their fans.

Unique lighting design by Angus Muir Design (Splore, Illuminate), footage by JR Imaging and audio mixed and mastered by Scott Seabright Productions (Alien Weaponry, Mumford and Sons). Live Vibes is brought to you by a dream team of New Zealand creatives at the top of their game.

Footage includes the combined work of 3 moving camera-men, 3 stationary shots and a  360* angle to capture every part of each artist's masterclass live showcase.

We are currently looking for any additional Brands & Social Presences who would like to restream this event live in tandem with us during the premiere date and utilize the content to promote themselves.

THE BANDS

Strangely Arousing are a 5-piece progressive reggae/ska band, effortlessly blending other genres and styles of music to create their unique sound, laced with brass, synth, dub, and guitar. Strangely straddles the line between the bizarre you know you love and the weird you don’t know you love yet, like old pros. 

Whether you come to marinate in dubs and bass, or simply to melt into a puddle on the floor, Strangely Arousing offers a new wave of music inspired by New Zealand’s legendary hip-hop and reggae dub forefathers.

Strangely are currently working on their much-anticipated EP set for release September 2020, and bring their eclectic, electric live set to Live Vibes filled with a range of instrument wizardry and lyricism.

Otium are a 5 piece with a diverse spectrum of influences ranging from Aotearoa’s own Fat Freddy’s Drop and Sons of Zion, to soul collectives Vulfpeck and Snarky Puppy. 

In 2018 Otium released ‘You’, a two-track project comprising the thematically similar but vastly different tracks, With You and For You.

The band enjoyed a busy and successful 2019. They shook up Raglan with their Soundsplash set, celebrated the release of new single ‘Dollar For The Man’ and revived their Late Night Hype local talent showcase. Currently they are working on a new EP set for release early 2021. Otium bring their signature tight, polished and punchy live vibes to this showcase.

Hailing from Auckland’s North Shore, The Vibes gained national attention on ‘X-Factor New Zealand’ in late 2015. Electric summer festival performances were followed by an EP release which culminated in their seminal album from 2017, ‘Wrap You in the Sun’ produced by Eddie Rayner. 

With 2 new singles released in late 2019 which have accumulated nearly 40,000 streams across platforms & a new album in the works for September 2020 The Vibes bring you their signature live energy and Zeppelin like prowess in a cultivated live set.

Premiere Date:

Saturday 25th July | Freeview Channel 200 | Instagram, Facebook, Twitch & Youtube, with The Vibes, Otium, Strangely Arousing

Tui time: Nominations open for the 55th New Zealand Music Awards

Recorded Music New Zealand announce nominations are now open for the 55th annual New Zealand Music Awards | Ngā Tohu Puoro o Aotearoa.

Damian Vaughan, Recorded Music New Zealand CEO, says it’s more important than ever to celebrate the incredible music coming out of Aotearoa.

“COVID-19 has devastated our local music scene and it’s no secret that many of our musicians, our artists and songwriters and the many workers and organisations who support them are all struggling.

“In November we intend to not only honour and celebrate the spectacular music released over the past year but also shine a light on the vital work of MusicHelps and the many initiatives throughout Aotearoa that use the power of music to unite and heal communities”.

Nomination details can be found at www.nzmusicawards.co.nz. Unless otherwise specified, awards are open to New Zealand artists who have had recordings commercially released between 1 August 2019 and 31 July 2020. Nominations stay open until 5pm on 7 August 2020.

Mana Reo Award

The NZ Music Awards continues its dedication to the promotion of Te Reo Māori as an ordinary means of communication and a living language, and we are pleased to announce the reintroduction of the Mana Reo award in 2020.

Supported by our artists, our music community and Te Mangai Paho, the Mana Reo award recognises albums, singles or live performances with at least 50% Te Reo content.

Sarah Owen, Kaiwhakahaere o Ngā Tohu Puoro o Aotearoa says Te Reo Māori should be viewed as a cornerstone of our culture, giving all NZ’ers access to Te Ao Māori, and to Māori world views.

“Te Reo’s presence in the daily life of Aotearoa should no longer be limited to place names and key phrases, and the situation today indicates that the future is positive. 

“We only have to look at the success of 2019’s Waiata Anthems and Six60’s arena wide sing alongs to ‘Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō’ to see Te Reo’s impact on our music industry.  It is time we celebrated this.”

Alongside the Mana Reo award, the New Zealand Music Awards | Ngā Tohu Puoro o Aotearoa will continue to present the Best Māori Artist | Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa.

2020 categories

The Tui presented at the 2020 New Zealand Music Awards | Ngā Tohu Puoro o Aotearoa will be:

·         Te Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of The Year

·         Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau | Single of the Year

·         Te Roopu Toa | Best Group

·         Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa | Best Solo Artist

·         Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year

·         Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa | Best Rock Artist

·         Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa | Best Pop Artist

·         Te Kaipuoro Manohi Toa | Best Alternative Artist

·         Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa | Best Soul/RnB Artist

·         Te Kaipuoro Hipihope Toa | Best Hip Hop Artist

·         Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Roots Artist

·         Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Electronic Artist

·         Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa | Best Māori Artist

·         Mana Reo Award

·         Te Kaipuoro Kairangi Toa | Best Worship Artist

·         Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa | Best Classical Artist

·         Te Pukaemi Hoko Teitei | Highest Selling Album

·         Te Toa Hoko Teitei | Highest Selling Artist

·         Te Rikoata Marakerake o te Tau | Radio Airplay Record of the Year |

·         Tohu Tutuki o te Ao | International Achievement

·         Tohu Whakareretanga | Legacy Award

·         Te Kōwhiri o te Nuinga  People’s Choice

The Artisan Awards will also return in 2020, presented by Massey University. They will feature awards for Te Kaiwhakaputa Toa | Best Producer, Te Kaipukaha Toa | Best Engineer, Te Toi Ataata Pukaemi | Best Album Artwork, Te Puoro Ataata Toa | Best Music Video and the Recorded Music NZ Manager of the Year | Kaiwhakahaere Puoro o te Tau award (presented by the Music Managers Forum). The Music Teacher of the Year | Kaiārahi Puoro o te Tau award is presented biennially with the next winner being selected in 2021.

Other ngā Tui presented during the year include those for best artists in Te Kaipuoro Tuawhenua Toa | Best Country Music Artist, Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Folk Artist, Te Kaipuoro Tautito Toa | Best Jazz Artist, Te Pukaemi Toa o Te Moana Nui a Kiwa | Best Pacific Music Album and Te Kaipuoro Waiata Tamariki Toa | Best Children’s Music Artist. These winners will also be acknowledged at the 2020 New Zealand Music Awards ceremony.

New direction

Recorded Music NZ also confirms the New Zealand Music Awards and Vodafone have agreed to part ways, ending a 15-year partnership celebrating the New Zealand music industry’s most outstanding achievements.

“We’d like to thank Vodafone for all its support over the past 15 years, it’s been a pleasure working alongside their team as we honoured the very best of New Zealand music,” says Vaughan.

Full Terms and Conditions for the 2020 NZ Music Awards can be found HERE

To enter your nomination/s for the NZ Music Awards please click here

For any questions regarding the nominations process please contact Sarah Owen at sarah@recordedmusic.co.nz.

To be eligible for judging, all nominations including any accompanying material must be received and confirmed as correct by 5pm, Friday 7 August 2019.

NZ ON AIR NEW MUSIC FUNDING CHANGES

On 29 May the Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern announced details of a Cultural Recovery Package which included $7.1million to NZ On Air over the next two years to ‘boost NZ On Air’s New Music programmes’.  
 
They can now announce some of the detail of how that additional funding is being allocated, with changes to their two main New Music funding schemes – New Music Single and New Music Project. These changes will come into play in time for the next funding rounds – New Music Single closing on 25 June, and New Music Project closing on 6 August. 
 
NZ On Air designed these changes with the impact of the Covid-19-related restrictions in mind, and also as a response to the findings in their 2019 research with Creative NZ – Profile of a Creative Professional – which revealed that musicians are amongst the worst remunerated practitioners in the arts.  They note that the funding boost over the next two years and the enhancements to our funding schemes are for a finite two year period – they are not permanent.
 
In 2020/21 they are doubling their investment in these two schemes, meaning they will be committing $2 million to New Music Single funding and $2 million to New Music Project funding. This gives them the ability to increase the number of grants and therefore the number of artists they can support with funding for music creation and promotion. They will also increase the amount of funding per grant, and introduce a new ‘Artist Creation Fee’ designed to remunerate the artist for some of the time and creative inspiration they have put into writing and recording their music. 

New Music Single

-Single grants increase from $8,000 to $10,000 - which includes a $1,000 (10%) Artist Creation Fee. 
-Co-investment from the rights holder is not required.
-New Music Single grants cover the eligible costs of recording, video content creation and promotion for an individual song release.
-Applicants for New Music Single grants must be able to meet a minimum of 10 specified criteria from a list of 30 options to make an application, details can be found here.
-The next New Music Single funding deadline is Thursday 25 June at 4pm. The online application site for Single funding is newmusicsingles.nzonair.govt.nz
 

New Music Project

-Project grants increase from $30,000 to up to $40,000 - which includes an up to $4,000 (10%) Artist Creation Fee. 
-The co-investment requirement from the rights holder is reduced from a minimum of 40% to a minimum 20%.
-New Music Project grants cover the eligible costs of recording, video content creation and promotion for an multi-song release campaign (eg. album, EP or similar).
-Applicants for New Music Project grants must have the support of a New Zealand-based third-party music company to oversee the project through to release and promotional campaign.
-Prospective Project applicants must have a strong track record of significant audience and online/broadcast outcomes before an application will be considered. More details on pre-application criteria for Project applicants can be found here.
-The next New Music Project funding deadline is Thursday 6 August at 4pm but expressions of interest must be received 2 weeks prior to that deadline. More details here.
 

Please note for both funding schemes the Artist Creation Fee is optional. The artist or rights holder can decide to invest that fee into the overall single or project campaign if they wish.
 
Further details of how the remaining additional funds will be allocated will be announced in the coming weeks. These will include extra investment in children’s music, more focus rounds for Pasifika music and music incorporating Te Reo Māori, new music development opportunities, more professional support options for funded artists, and an extra fund for projects and features promoting New Zealand music to New Zealand audiences.