HAVE YOU LOST SIGNIFICANT INCOME DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS? (UPDATED 20DEC21)

If so, you can apply for financial assistance from the government via the Resurgence Support Payment.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re self-employed / a sole-trader, a small business, or have employees, you are entitled to apply for this support if you have lost income.

We know many of our members have been severely impacted by the lockdown, and we want to make sure you’re getting all the financial support that’s available, so in collaboration with the other music organisations and some helpful accountants (thanks Entertainment Accounting!), we’ve put together some detailed advice and FAQs which should help you to access the $$.

We’ve got info about what you’re entitled to, what you need to apply, how to get an NZBN if you need one, deadlines, tax ramifications, helpful contact phone numbers, and even a video to show you how straight forward it can be.

The PDF below provides guidance and information about the Wage Subsidy, Resurgence Support Payment, and other available financial support (hot tip, read this one first):

This is a handy video which gives you the lowdown on applying for the Resurgence Support Payment, with thanks to Bruce Earle at Accountants Wellington.

Five wāhine toa to be inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame

The 2021 Hall of Fame inductees will be celebrated at the Aotearoa Music Awards in November 

The New Zealand Music Hall of Fame | Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa is proud to announce the induction of five incredible women. The latest inductees’ hard-fought journeys have left a lasting legacy and forged a path for others on-stage as well as behind the scenes.

Annie Crummer, Debbie Harwood, Dianne Swann, Margaret Urlich and Kim Willoughby will be inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame in December. They will be recognised for their individual contributions to Aotearoa’s music scene, the inspiration they provided to local artists and audiences, and their importance in shaping New Zealand’s popular culture.

All five women got their start in the early 80’s. Annie and Kim, each having already released music under either solo or group names, found themselves atop the charts as guest vocalists on Netherworld Dancing Toys ‘For Today’. Dianne’s band Everything That Flies was on the rise and earning plaudits everywhere. Debbie’s talent was picked up early with a signing to CBS Records and award nominations following soon after. And Margaret was unmissable as the frontwoman of Peking Man.

“When I was a young person, women were outnumbered in the business by perhaps 100:1,” says Harwood*.

“All of us had toured for years in original bands. As the touring circuit dissolved and radio shut its doors to local music, surviving as an original band became almost impossible. At this time, as video became the new radio, local artists were competing with the huge video budgets of overseas bands. Our videos looked tragic in comparison, and it perpetuated the self-effacing Kiwi attitude that New Zealand music was crap. It was a tough time. The only way to get to the people at this time was to tour the length and breadth of New Zealand, relentlessly building up a live fan base.”

Debbie, Dianne, Annie and Margaret had a chance meeting at the 1985 Aotearoa Music Awards where all of them were finalists. Not long after that, the idea was floated of getting together with the addition of Kim as When The Cat’s Away.

“The idea formed to get together, have some fun and sing a bunch of songs that we like, learn some harmonies. I don’t think anybody pictured it as being as popular as it became,” said Dianne in 2004.

“The Cats toured for two and a half years before ‘Melting Pot’ was released,” said Debbie.

“As the single shot to No.1 in 1988, the industry was incredulous. Considering the lack of support at the time, our success was like a flower cracking through concrete! The sharemarket crash had just happened, and the public loved the band because we were optimistic and energetic. Sometimes I felt like Vera Lynn cheering up the troops. The preference would have been that our original bands had been supported by radio and the public, so we reluctantly accepted the huge success of the band, never fully standing in the glare of it. There was a little bit of bitterness at the necessity of forming such a band: a band that was born out of exhaustion from trying to get airplay and support for our original music, a band that was supposed to be merely a short break from the slog.”

However, from this unexpected success came a multitude of positives and an enduring public and peer adoration and respect for these five supremely talented musicians:

Annie Crummer
Annie Crummer MNZM has one of New Zealand’s best-loved and most travelled voices. That voice has taken her from Avondale to Paisley Park, from local talent quests to duets with Sting, and back to her Rarotongan heritage. She first came to public notice with her inescapable performance on the Netherworld Dancing Toys’ ‘For Today’ (which also featured Kim Willoughby), before going on to a successful solo career as a featured performer, powerhouse vocalist for hire and an enviable CV in musical theatre, notably starring roles in The Lion King and Queen: We Will Rock You (“The voice of one in a million” – Brian May). Annie most recently contributed original work to Waiata Anthems last year and is currently working on a new solo album.

Debbie Harwood
Debbie Harwood is a renaissance woman of the New Zealand music industry. As well as being a platinum-selling and award-winning artist, she has also been a radio host, publicist, tour manager, producer and a music mentor. She has always championed the work of female singer/songwriters. A successful stint touring Australia (most notably working with Jimmy Barnes) was followed by a return to Aotearoa where amongst gigging, Debbie released an all-female album of love songs and masterminded the Give It A Girl concerts, also finding time to lecture on music at the University of Auckland. Debbie’s most recent EP, The Sun, came out in 2019.

Dianne Swann
Playing live to 85,000 people. Signing to two international labels. Recording with Radiohead. Having her song ‘Birthday’ chosen as NME single of the week. These are just some of the highlights of Dianne Swann’s career as a vocalist, songwriter, and performer. After spending much of the 90s in the UK with her bands The Julie Dolphin and Boom Boom Mancini, Dianne returned home and formed the critically-acclaimed duo The Bads, releasing four albums since 2005, as well as touring and recording with the likes of Dave McArtney, Tim Finn and OpShop amongst many others. Having spent a career mostly in bands, Dianne released the album The War On Peace Of Mind under her own name this year to critical acclaim.

Margaret Urlich
Already a New Zealand superstar by the mid-80s thanks to her lead role in Peking Man, Margaret achieved what very few Kiwi artists in the 80’s and 90’s could do by cracking Australia. Her debut solo album Safety In Numbers sold over 250,000 copies across the ditch and established Margaret as one of the premiere artists of the 90’s with multiple platinum albums in both Aotearoa and Australia. Margaret relocated and made a home in rural New South Wales but returned often to New Zealand to tour, most recently in 2019.

Kim Willoughby
From post-punks The Gurlz through to Netherworld Dancing Toys, the platinum-selling and chart-topping When The Cat’s Away as well as being a go-to vocalist for seemingly everyone; Kim’s career is that of the consummate professional. A naturally gifted singer, blessed with a word-for-word perfect recall for song lyrics. Kim continues to tour as Kim Willoughby & the Bandoleros with fellow Hall of Famers Paul Woolwright and Rick Ball (Hello Sailor).

New Zealand Music Hall of Fame | Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa

Presented by NZ Music Hall of Fame Trust, the inductions are undertaken in a private ceremony whereupon inductees are gifted a tapu taonga, in accordance with tikanga Māori. All five women inducted will be publicly acknowledged at the 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards in December on TVNZ 2. The entire broadcast will be streamed on TVNZ On Demand.

Global Crowd Management Leaders Unite for a Safer World

The Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA) officially launched today, bringing together crowd managers, organisations, businesses, academics, and individuals with a shared interest in safety from across the globe.

The initiative, spearheaded by the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA), the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) and Event Safety Alliance Canada (ESAC) has Board members from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA, and a list of supporters and advocates spanning over 15 countries on five continents.

GCMA is a not-for-profit organisation which will promote reasonable crowd management and crowd safety practices worldwide, leading to a globally recognised body of knowledge for professional crowd managers. The Alliance will also create and deliver learning opportunities for crowd management practitioners at all experience levels, in all geographic locations, and regardless of financial means.

The New Zealand founding board representative is Cary Caldwell – a seasoned events and safety professional. He said “New Zealand previously had the enviable situation where, because of our country's original border closures, we were in a position to continue to have mass-scale sporting and musical events and tours. With the Delta variant bringing a new round of lock-downs and the cancellations of multiple events, new government procedures and protocols are being put in place to get events back on track, thus creating new challenges for ingress, security, and crowd flow management while still maintaining a safe environment for attendees. The danger of 'forgetting' about other risks and safety aspects is foremost in the minds of all safety management teams. Having an international team of experts working towards a standardised level of safety protocols goes a long way to mitigating that"

This view was echoed by GCMA Chair Eric Stuart said, I am delighted to have been elected by the founding committee of the Global Crowd Management Alliance to serve as its first Chair. This organisation will enable us to expand the opportunities for sharing knowledge and experience that will help keep people safe. While crowd plans are sometimes complex and need specialist knowledge, basic safety principles can be applied to many locations where crowds gather, and those principles can often be learnt and implemented at little cost. Most importantly, we should never forget that crowds are made up of people who expect to enjoy a pleasant day or evening out, then return home safely. Good crowd management can help achieve that simple, fundamental goal.

Now, as we emerge from the global pandemic that brought the events industry to a standstill, and which has seen a mass exodus of experienced workers, training and education is more important than ever.

Eric, who also Chairs the UK Crowd Management Association (UKCMA), emphasised GCMA’s commitment to diversity in both leadership and membership. We welcome everyone who wishes to enhance crowd safety standards across the globe, and who supports GCMA’s goals to Educate, Advocate, and Motivate crowd management professionals.

If you would like to know more about membership, collaboration, or sponsorship opportunities please contact us on hello@thegcma.com or by visiting www.thegcma.com

Tō Uru Raumati, Have Yours? Campaign Launches

This project sees 20 much-loved stars come together in 18 empty venues across Aotearoa to deliver one message, ‘Tō Uru Raumati, Have Yours?’.

Directed by Kimiora Kaire-Melbourne and scripted by Te Aorere Pewhairangi, the idea of ‘Uru Raumati’ comes from ‘uruwhenua’ which is the Māori term for passport. Uru whenua literally translates to uru (enter) whenua (land or country). Being vaccinated against COVID-19 is your passport to this Raumati (summer) and all its musical festivities. 

Te Aorere Pewhairangi says “this campaign was about targeting rangatahi through social media-specific content and Māori humour. Music has always brought people together, and in a time where lockdown restrictions have become the norm, concerts give us something to look forward to over summer.”

Kimiora Kaire-Melbourne says “we wanted to be a part of this campaign because it was fun, light-hearted and the messaging wasn’t too forceful, something we thought would be more receptive to younger audiences who have likely grown tired of the heavy content in their feeds.” 

Producer Mikee Tucker says “the goal was to create a unique and genuine message that connected people through the lense of music. The safety of Māori communities is our primary concern, followed closely by getting the music industry and Aotearoa back on track.”

Funded by Te Puni Kōkiri (via its Karawhiua campaign), Te Māngai Pāho & Wero Hauora Immunisation Alliance (WeroHIA), the aim of ‘Tō Uru Raumati, Have Yours?’ is to educate and protect.

For more information see https://karawhiua.nz/summer-pass

Featured in alphabetical order:

Awatea Wihongi from Maimoa at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Auckland
Hamo Dell at the Tuning Fork, Auckland
JessB at the Auckland Town Hall
Ka Hao at Te Poho-o-Rawiri Marae, Gisborne
Paige at Western Springs, Auckland
Ria Hall at Wharepai Domain, Tauranga
Theia outside the Whammy Bar, K Rd
DJ Sir-Vere at a nightclub in Wellington
Joel Shadbolt from L.A.B, in his garage, Tauranga
Kings at Eden Park, Auckland
Laughton Kora at the Bay Court Theatre, Tauranga
Logan Bell from Katchafire at Claudelands Arena, Hamilton
Maaka Pohatu at Spark Arena, Auckland
PDigsss from Shapeshifter at Rhythm & Alps sign, Wanaka
Pere Wihongi from Maimoa at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Auckland
Rei at the Tuning Fork, Auckland
Rob Ruha at Te Poho-o-Rawiri Marae, Gisborne
Stan Walker at the Whanganui Opera House
Te Aorere Pewhairangi at Te Poho-o-Rawiri Marae, Gisborne
Teeks at the Civic Theatre, Auckland
Troy Kingi at the Turner Centre, Kerikeri

“On top of all the medication I take to keep myself healthy, I’ve taken the Pfizer vaccine to help stop the spread of Covid. I have the choice of staying home for god knows how long a few times a year OR the choice of getting a Pfizer vaccine to keep myself and others protected when I’m around them. Let’s do our part in moving forward and helping look after each other.” - Paige 

"I want to be excited about a future where I can see & hug my whaanau & friends, where I can play gigs & go to see others play gigs. And most importantly, I want to make sure it’s safe for our most vulnerable to do the same. That’s why I’m vaccinated, and why I urge others who aren’t, to consider it." - Theia 

“I got vaxxed to protect my whānau, my friends, my whakapapa and my tinana. We Māori have always used new technologies for the betterment of our own people, whether it was through writing, new cultivation techniques or medicine. The vaccine is no different!' - Rei

"We want to keep people safe, we want to be able to play events and we also just want to be friendly as well, because I think there are quite a few people out there that maybe have made up their mind or think they have a view on not getting vaccinated or something like that. It's important to be open and still communicate with those people in a calm way and listen and find out why are they thinking that and what their fears are... and tell them that it's okay if you decide to get vaccinated, it's okay, it's not like you've sort of reneged on some integrity." - Sam Trevethick (Shapeshifter)

Pasifika youth group BODIES OF ART release track ‘Our Narrative’!

To empower other disabled pasifika youth and raise awareness.

Talofa lava, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Introducing BODIES OF ART, a group of disabled Pasifika youth who were brought together by MacMaya Consulting Limited, thanks to Le Va and the Faiva Ora Community Innovation Fund, to create the track ’Our Narrative’. The track & video aims to empower Pasifika disabled youth and shed more awareness and light on some of their challenges.

“The name ‘Bodies of Art’ transpired from communicating the entire process “virtually,” as in, different bodies contributing to the art. Highlighting that we are simply upcoming artists eager to create works of art to share. Not only are we producing a work of art, but we are art “embodied”. Despite our disabilities we grow through the beauty of creativity.” - Maretta

Maretta Brown, Ziah Fue, Kassi Scarlett and Jayke Homarirangi Hope were all asked to be a part of this project to create the track. Ese Aumalesulu of Tejit Records reached out to each of the individuals.
A couple of the members jumped on the project before knowing what it was fully about and became inspired to contribute when they found out more. With each member of Bodies of Art having a different musical background, this was something different to what they would normally work on and they had to also adapt to the current lockdown situation in Aotearoa, but they were happy to do it.

“As a collective we bring a range of skills, backgrounds and talent combined. This opportunity has enabled us to express our emotions, messages and our narratives with not only our pacific communities but the world.
We worked on every aspect from arranging parts and ideas, to recording individual pieces. I am really proud that in our current circumstances of lockdown, we were able to unite and create positivity and a special message through the gift of music. “ – Maretta

Due to lockdown, a lot of this project was discussed and created via messenger voice communication. The group contributed ideas for themes and Kassi’s recommendation, which became the key theme was “Be part of my story, and not my story. Walk with us and not for us.” The video depicts Kassi Scarlett on a journey in the Auckland CBD with images of the group shown throughout to show it isn’t just one person on this journey or who feels this way.

DRM Appoints Andy Morris As New General Manager

New Zealand’s premiere digital distribution company ups-the-Andy for next phase of business development and enhanced client services.

 DRM announced today that Andy Morris has been appointed General Manager of the company. An experienced DRM team player and long-time 2.I.C., Andy Morris will succeed Andy Low and has assumed responsibilities as of November 1st, 2021. Andy Low has left the company to spend quality time with his family and their slew of puppies on a lifestyle property in West Auckland.

Andy Morris has been with DRM for five years, joining as Content Manager and quickly showing high enthusiasm for the work and clients, absorbing all the nuances of a tech company with a people-centred focus. Prior to this Morris received a Bachelor of Communication Studies degree from AUT in 2015 and has since achieved YouTube Certifications in: Music, Rights Management & Content Ownership. As such, Morris has been instrumental in the company attaining their A level status in YouTube ensuring highest possible returns for clients.

“It has been an absolute pleasure to work side by side with Andy Low during the past five years I’ve been at DRM. Andy has been the best teacher one could hope for and a prime example of integrity above all. We’ll miss his sharp American humour and most importantly his enormous passion for DRM and our wonderful artists - a passion we will be carrying the torch for stepping into the future.  It’s a privilege to continue on with the legacy he has brought to DRM.” said Andy Morris

There is more behind the DRM magic than Andys as the talented DRM also consists of Danya Yang as Label and Artist Services Manager, Holly Kilmartin as Editorial along with Catalogue Assistants Claudia Paine and Josh Zhong.

Morris adds, “Despite the hurdles 2021 has thrown at the industry & Aotearoa as a whole, the future has never been so exciting for us all at DRM. This year we have welcomed more staff, forged relationships with emerging DSPs launching in Asia Pacific, attained the A-Tier status in our YouTube content management and most importantly released some bloody fantastic music. We are also giddy with excitement over the upcoming launch of our new DRM app, a renewed focus on direct relationships with our artists and an enthusiastic outlook to 2022.”

About DRM

DRM is a New Zealand owned and operated company specialising in the digital distribution of music audio and visual. Formed in 2006, the company has blossomed into a market leader holding the largest catalogue of New Zealand recordings and providing people-focused service to nearly 3000 clients across the motu. Annual audio streams for the past 12 months are over 550 million and YouTube views over 3 billion.

Having built strong relationships with the key decision makers at DSPs; digital service providers, (Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube etc), the list of DRM’s achievements is vast from breaking new artists, reclaiming artists’ rights from pirates,  important back catalogue launches, debut album releases and more.

The list is long but the highlights reel includes; helping launch the careers of Benee and Broods, platinum sales for Kings ‘6 Figures’ and Lee Mvtthews ‘Takeover’, NZ Music Charts number one album for Tomorrow People (knocking Ed Sheeran off the top spot), Kaylee Bell on a Billboard in Times Square, Jawsh 685’s  career launch including digital rights management take-back from pirates and legitimising the launch of 'Laxed - Siren Beat' leading into Savage Love and Tom Scott (Avantdale Bowling Club, Homebrew) premium homepage takeover on Spotify for the extensive back catalogue + Years Gone By debut music launch.

Announcing the finalists for 2021 Artisan Awards

Recognising the success of Aotearoa’s behind-the-scenes music talent

For the sixth year running, Recorded Music NZ and Massey University will celebrate the unsung heroes of Aotearoa’s music industry at the AMA Artisan Awards.

The 2021 Artisan Award finalists and winners will be celebrated in a pre-recorded showcase made at Massey University and released on TVNZ OnDemand. 

The show will feature performances from Jaedyn Randell and Dream Chambers, The Nudge V Troy Kingi, and Ka Hao.

The five Tūi presented are:

·         Massey University Te Kaiwhakaputa Toa | Best Producer

·         NZ On Air Te Kiko Puoro Ataata Toa | Best Music Video Content

·         Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Album Artwork

·         Te Kaipukaha Toa | Best Engineer

·         Kaiārahi Puoro o te Tau | Music Teacher of the Year

Alongside these five the Music Managers Forum Aotearoa will also be presenting the Recorded Music NZ Kaiwhakahaere Puoro o te Tau | Manager of the Year

Recorded Music New Zealand Kaiwhakahaere o Ngā Tohu Puoro o Aotearoa Sarah Owen says it’s been another challenging year for the creative industries, with COVID-19 impacting all aspects of Aotearoa’s hapori puoro.

“While this year has certainly had its challenges, it’s also been filled with success stories from Aotearoa’s music community. Everything comes together behind the scenes and we’re lucky to have some of the world’s best producers, engineers, designers, directors, teachers, managers and artists,” says Owen.

The Best Album Artwork finalists for 2021 are Amanda Cheng for her work on Wax Chattel’s Clot, Jaime Robertson, Matthias Heidrich and Andrew Spraggon for their work on Sola Rosa’s Chasing the Sun, and Frances Carter for TEEKS’ Something to Feel. All three album covers can be found here.

The finalists for Massey University Best Producer are Delaney Davidson and Jol Mulholland for Troy Kingi’s fifth studio album Black Sea Golden Ladder, Harry Huavi for his work on Team Dynamite’s Respect The Process.

Joel Little is the third finalist for Best Producer for his work on Noah Kahan’s ‘Part of Me’, Jarryd James’ ‘Miracles’, Tate McRae and Khalid’s ‘Working’, Imagine Dragons’ ‘Follow You’ and Vance Joy’s ‘Missing Piece’.

Jol Mulholland sees his second 2021 Artisan nod for Troy Kingi’s Black Sea Golden Ladder in the Best Engineer category, alongside Lee Prebble and Ara Adams-Tamatea on L.A.B.’s fourth album L.A.B. IV and Simon Gooding on TEEKS’ Something to Feel.

The finalists for this year’s NZ On Air Best Music Video Content are Alexander Gander for Georgia Lines’ ‘No One Knows’, Anahera Parata for Louis Baker’s powerful tribute to his late grandfather ‘Brighter Day’ and Connor Pritchard for MELODOWNZ’s ‘Money’.

Andre Ktori, Head of School, School of Music and Creative Media Production at Massey University says: “As always Massey University is proud to be hosting the Artisan Awards. Like so many in our sector, we have been challenged again with producing a live event this year but are pleased that our students, staff and industry whānau have all come together to create a show that acknowledges and celebrates the awesome talent here in Aotearoa”

This year, we will again be recognising the enormous impact music teachers have on the beginning of our homegrown talents’ musical careers and the foundation of their understanding.

The nominees for Music Teacher of the Year are Papakura High School’s Andrea Rabin, Hobsonville Point Primary School’s Jeni Little, while Gisborne Girls High School’s Jane Egan receives her third nomination for the award.

Finally, the three nominees for Recorded Music NZ Manager of the Year celebrates the strong wāhine paving the way for their artists, with Cushla Aston, Lorraine Barry and NicNak Media’s Nicole Thomas and Paula Yeoman.

MMF Aotearoa chair Teresa Patterson says: “We’re so honoured to be presenting the 2021 Music Manager of the Year award with the Artisan Awards again. Our industry has taken such a massive hit this year, and music managers have been critical in helping our nation’s artists continue to create and their business to survive. This award allows us to recognise and appreciate all that hard work.”

The 2021 Artisan Awards are being pre-recorded at Massey University’s flagship recording studios in Wellington and will be available on TVNZ OnDemand at a later date.

2021 Artisan Award Finalists

Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa | Best Album Artwork

-       Amanda Cheng – Clot (Wax Chattels)

-       Jaime Robertson/Matthias Heidrich/Andrew Spraggon – Chasing The Sun (Sola Rosa)

-       Frances Carter – Something To Feel (TEEKS)

Massey University Te Kaiwhakaputa Toa | Best Producer

-       Delaney Davidson & Jol Mulholland - Black Sea, Golden Ladder (Troy Kingi)

-       Harry Huavi – Respect The Process (Team Dynamite)

-       Joel Little – ‘Part of Me’ (Noah Kahan), ‘Miracles’ (Jarryd James), ‘Working’ (Tate McRae & Khalid), ‘Follow You’ (Imagine Dragons), ‘Missing Piece’ (Vance Joy)

Te Kaipukaha Toa | Best Engineer

-       Jol Mulholland - Black Sea, Golden Ladder (Troy Kingi)

-       Lee Prebble & Ara Adams-Tamatea – L.A.B IV (L.A.B)

-       Simon Gooding – Something To Feel (TEEKS)

NZ On Air Te Kiko Puoro Ataata Toa | Best Music Video Content

-       Alexander Gander – ‘No One Knows’ (Georgia Lines)

-       Anahera Parata – ‘Brighter Day’ (Louis Baker)

-       Connor Pritchard – ‘Money’ (MELODOWNZ)

Kaiārahi Puoro o te Tau | Music Teacher of the Year

-       Andrea Rabin (Papakura High School)

-       Jane Egan (Gisborne Girls High School)

-       Jeni Little (Hobsonville Point Primary School)

Recorded Music NZ  Kaiwhakahaere Puoro o te Tau | Manager of the Year (presented by the Music Managers Forum Aotearoa

-       Cushla Aston (Aston Road)

o    Louis Baker

-       Lorraine Barry (Lorraine Barry Management)

o    Sir Dave Dobbyn, Tom Scott, Team Dynamite, Aaradhna and VGB

-       Nicole Thomas & Paula Yeoman (NicNak Media Ltd)

o    Theia, Chores, Paige, Abby Wolfe, & Nganeko

MUSICHELPS COVID-19 DELTA HARDSHIP GRANT, OCTOBER 2021

Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Carmel Sepuloni recently announced a further targeted support package of reprioritised funding to protect jobs and incomes in the arts and culture sector as it faces the ongoing challenges of COVID-19. This COVID-19 Delta Relief Package, managed by Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, included funding for cultural agencies to support at risk organisations, key infrastructure, artists, and projects.

In association with the New Zealand Music Commission, MusicHelps can announce the details of an emergency hardship fund grant in response to this continuing crisis, which has impacted the livelihoods of artists, and music workers across Aotearoa.

“People are at the heart of our music community and it is critical we do everything we can to support them right now when the need is so great” says MusicHelps Chair, Anthony Healey.

“We need to navigate through this current difficult period in the hope that there is a busy summer of music ahead. This support should help those who we will rely on to make that summer happen” he says.

The MusicHelps COVID-19 DELTA HARDSHIP GRANT will be making a $1000 rapid response grant available to people that are New Zealand citizens; who reside in New Zealand; who have been in paid work in the music industry for at least the last 2 years; and have experienced loss of income as a result of COVID-19 restrictions and cancellations. To assist MusicHelps with the assessment and review of the submissions, it will be useful if applicants can provide their confirmation of accessing the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy scheme.

The charity will be making 250 grants available initially, after which it will review the outcomes of the Fund to date.

MusicHelps is encouraging applications from the full range of music industry workers. Artists, roadies, riggers, technicians, crew, performers, songwriters, managers and anyone who has lost income from their work in the production or performance of live or recorded music in Aotearoa are invited to apply.

Applications for the grant can be made online from 9am Monday 1st November through the Music Commission application portal website. More information on the grant is available at this address and the MusicHelps website MusicHelps Covid-19 Emergency Grant