New Music Pan-Asian funding

Funding of up to $11,000 is available for a developing artist of Pan-Asian descent to create, record, release and promote a new single.

Yogi - New Music Pan-Asian 2025 recipient
Yogi - New Music Pan-Asian 2025 recipient

This fund was created in response to a lack of equitable representation of Pan-Asian musicians in the Aotearoa music sector.

This under-representation was highlighted within the Music Diversity Report that has been produced by NZ On Air since 2020.

Current and upcoming deadlines

Explore all Music deadlines

New Music Pan-Asian

Music
Applications open:
Applications close:
Decisions due:
Find out more
Explore all Music deadlines

Funding details

Artists of Pan-Asian descent can apply for:

  • up to $10,000 (plus GST, if registered)
  • plus a 10% mandatory Artist Creation Fee
  • a total per fund of up to $11,000.

The mandatory 10% Artist Creation Fee, up to $1,000 plus GST (if applicable), will be added to your grant and paid out only in the final drawdown. This fee specifically covers the artist's creative work on the project.

What the funding is for

New Music Pan-Asian provides funding for developing Pan-Asian artists who are new to NZ On Air funding to:

  • professionally record, mix, and master a single song
  • create visual content to promote the single
  • pay other marketing and promotion costs to increase New Zealand audience awareness and engagement with the audio and visual content.

Additionally, the recipients will receive dedicated wrap-around support:

  • Two compulsory Music Manager Forum Aotearoa (MMF) mentoring sessions.
  • Compulsory webinars with the NZ On Air Music team and accountants around contracting and budgeting.
  • Upskilling webinars with industry partners.

Who is eligible to apply

New Music Pan-Asian has no entry criteria threshold for applying, however it is expected the artist has already released at least two songs and has a social media profile.

The fund is open to Pan-Asian identifying artists who have not received New Music Single or New Music Project funding.

Applicants can only receive a maximum of two Development grants in total (New Music Pan-Asian, New Music Pasifika, New Music Māori and New Music Development). The aim is to support the artist in building their audience to a stage where they will then be able to tick at least 10 of the 30 criteria to apply for New Music Single.

For New Music Pan-Asian funding, applicants are eligible if they self-identify with a Pan-Asian country. The document below defines the countries and regions included under the Pan-Asian classification for this funding stream, with the definition informed by the United Nations M49 Standard.

Budgets and templates

All Music funding applications must include an initial budget outlining your expected costs.

  • The Application Budget Template can be found as an Excel spreadsheet under the New Music Pan-Asian documents below, or it is available here on Google Sheets.
  • You can then upload or link to it in your New Music Pan-Asian funding application.

Successful applicants can claim any eligible expenses from the date the funding round opens.

Apply for New Music Pan-Asian funding

Register then apply for New Music Pan-Asian funding via our music funding portal.

New Music Pan-Asian documents

New Music Pan-Asian Documents

New Music Pan-Asian Documents

If you require any language translation of our funding documents and guidelines, please contact us at musicteam@nzonair.govt.nz

Download: NMPA27 - Application Information & Guidelines

What you should cover in a New Music Pan-Asian application.

PDF 397.8 KB

Download: NMPA27 Application Budget Template

A budget template for New Music Pan-Asian funding.

XLSX 36.3 KB

Download: NMPA27 Budget Expectations

Eligible and ineligible costs.

PDF 307.3 KB

Download: NZ Music Definition Checklist

What is the definition of “New Zealand music”

PDF 1.8 MB

Download: NZ On Air - Safe Spaces Agreement

Our mandatory Safe Spaces Agreement is part of all NZ On Air contracts and is aligned with our Code of Conduct.

PDF 122.3 KB

Subscribe

Sign up to receive communications such as media releases, newsletters and funding decisions.