August 2025 Newsletter

6 Aug 2025

Our first funding round of the 25/26 financial year has concluded. Read all the news from the latest round.

A note from the CEO

Tēnā koe,

Our first funding round of the 2025/26 financial year is done and dusted. You may have noticed it attracted a little more media attention than usual. We weren’t surprised – these are, to quote someone else – unprecedented times.

I don’t say that lightly. When the Broadcasting Act was written more than 35 years ago, it was envisaged NZ On Air would fund content for audiences that wouldn’t otherwise be made. As local platforms continue to face declining advertising revenue, we are receiving more requests to fund previously commercially sustainable local series. In assessing these applications, there is a need to balance public media priorities alongside support for local productions that have established audiences.

It is important to maintain content that reflects NZ and has broad audience reach, among the wide range of content we support. Whilst broad reach reality shows may in general be seen as having more limited public media value, where those programmes have a strong focus on reflecting a diverse New Zealand culture, represent a strong business case and have strong audience engagement, they will be assessed in a robust way. We use our assessment criteria and investment principles in the same way for all content. And we take a holistic view to the slate of content funded across the round and the year.

If you'd like to hear more about the decision-making in this round and have a ShowNews subscription check out our Head of Funding Amie Mills interview with Keith Barclay here.

Another area I want to acknowledge, and a further response to the changing marketplace, is our recent announcement of a New Music Project Touring fund. This pilot fund is designed to help local artists take their music on the road, connecting with audiences across the motu through live performances to promote their album or EP release. We had been told by the music community that the cost and risk of touring has become prohibitive, yet we recognise the importance of touring to promote a new body of work, as well as building fanbases and audiences. We are grateful for the support of the Music Commission on this project.

Finally, one new change you will see in this newsletter is the inclusion of high level data about our funding in this round. This information will be updated both in the newsletter and on our website after each round.

Ngā mihi

Cam

Looking ahead

Our next funding round, Rua, is the second round of the 25/26 financial year.

Applications open: Thurs 21 August, 2025 9:00 am

Applications close: Thurs 11 September, 2025 4:00 pm

Decisions due: Fri 21 November, 2025

Information for applicants

The Round Rua Information for Applicants will be available on our website from next Wednesday 13 August. These guidelines will give a clear outline of the applications that will be prioritised across the funding streams in this round, as well as the financial allocations for each.

Round Rua applicant information webinar

We will be hosting a Round Rua applicant information webinar on Thursday 14 August from 3-4pm, the day after the Information for Applicants guidelines are available. This is an opportunity to hear from the NZ On Air Funding team and ask any questions you have about the application process or priorities for this round.

To register for the webinar, just email funding@nzonair.govt.nz with the subject line 'Round Rua Info webinar' and we will send you a Zoom link closer to the time.

Latest funding round

Round Tahi had total contestable funding available of $24.5m. We invited projects under Scripted, Non-fiction and Content Development. Children’s content, games, podcasts and part-financing of feature films were considered within the Scripted and Non-fiction streams. We also accepted funding applications for our Discoverability and Industry Capability streams.

This round welcomed projects seeking to access the NZ Screen Production Rebate for either Scripted or Non-fiction productions. We sought to prioritise applications that required ‘last-in’ funding in the range of $1m-$3m, with the potential to contract and move into pre-production swiftly.

We received 118 applications from 95 applicants requesting total funding of $64m.

Scripted and Non-fiction funding in this round: percentages by primary platform

*Hover over the graphic to read the labels.

Funding in this round: percentages by audience

Target audiences as identified by the applicant.

*Section 36(c) of the Broadcasting Act audiences include children, youth, persons with disabilities, and minorities in the community including ethnic minorities.

**Section 36(a)(ii) of the Broadcasting Act requires us to promote Māori language and culture.

Scripted

$9million was allocated in this round for Scripted projects, with priority being given to those accessing the Screen Production Rebate in the interests of encouraging third party investment and creating ambitious content that delivers to local and international audiences. Ten applications were received seeking close to $22million.

The four successful applications included a new series from the makers of the hit BAFTA-nominated show After the Party, and another year of support for Shortland Street and the comedy musical Happiness. Read more in our media release.

2025 musical-comedy television series, *Happiness*

Non-fiction

In this round $9m was available for Non-fiction projects, with 41 applications received, requesting $24.3 million. $12.6 million has been committed to the projects listed. The additional funding demonstrates our commitment to accelerating local production as we head into the second half of the year.

Children's

Approximately $6.8m has been allocated to five tamariki projects in this round, which is over half of NZ On Air’s total allocation for tamariki content for FY 2025/26.

Funded projects include the return of a much-loved preschool series from the beloved Suzy Cato, whānau favourite Secrets At Red Rocks, and more. Read more about the projects funded in this round in our media release.

Music Update

New Music Project Touring Fund launched

In July, we announced the New Music Project Touring fund—a new initiative, with support from the NZ Music Commission, to boost Aotearoa’s live music scene.

This pilot fund offers $10,000–$50,000 per successful applicant, supporting national headline tours for artists with NZ On Air New Music Project-funded albums or EPs. A total of $500,000 is available in this first pilot round.

The fund covers key touring costs including travel, accommodation, marketing, production and more, and is open to artists yet to release or tour their funded project.

This initiative is a collaborative effort between NZ On Air and the NZ Music Commission, aimed at helping local artists connect with audiences across the motu. The response has been very encouraging, with eight expressions of interest already received and a lot of positive feedback from the industry.

touring image — New Music Project Touring

Awards

Celebrating 60 Years of the Tūī at the Aotearoa Music Awards
The 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards were held on Thursday 29 May, marking a major milestone—60 years of the Tūī. The event celebrated the incredible talent and diversity of Aotearoa’s music community, with a strong lineup of finalists and winners.

As a proud long-time partner of the AMAs, NZ On Air was pleased to support this iconic event once again and to celebrate the artistry that continues to shape our local soundscape. 80% of this year’s winners had been supported through NZ On Air’s music funding and initiatives.

Included in these were the following NZ On Air-sponsored award recipients:

NZ On Air Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year – Fazerdaze for Soft Power 
NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Ataata | Best Music Video Content – Oscar Keys, Ezra Simons, Kristin Li – Paradise (DARTZ)
NZ On Air Te Taumata o te Horapa | Radio Airplay Record of the Year – L.A.B

Tami Neilson, David Dallas and Aaradhna - all winners at 2025 AMA's and New Music Project funded — Tami Neilson, David Dallas and Aaradhna - all winners at AMA 2025 and New Music Project funded

The 2025 NZ Radio & Podcast Awards and 2025 Children’s Music Awards
The 2025 NZ Radio & Podcast Awards were held on 5 June, bringing the industry together to honour the outstanding personalities, programming, news and sports reporting, production and creativity that shape radio and podcasting in Aotearoa.

On 29 June, children’s music creators from across the motu came together to celebrate the Aotearoa Children’s Music Awards. NZ On Air is proud to also support this kaupapa, which celebrates and shines a spotlight on the music being made for the tamariki of Aotearoa and beyond.

A huge congratulations to all this year’s award winners.

Coming up:

Pacific Music Awards – Celebrating Pasifika Excellence
The 2025 Pacific Music Awards will be held on Wednesday 21 August, with 34 finalists across 13 categories, including 15 first-time nominees. It's set to be a vibrant celebration of the incredible Pasifika talent in Aotearoa.

Go Live Christchurch: Music Funding Seminar Announced
NZ On Air and the NZ Music Commission are holding an in-person seminar in Ōtautahi-Christchurch, presenting ‘Building Support and Music Funding 101’on Saturday 23 August from 1:30-4pm at Auaha Hīhī / Spark Place in Tūranga.

Running alongside the Go Live Festival 2025, the seminar will feature two panel discussions focused on developing a music career and navigating the key support, and funding opportunities available to artists in Aotearoa.

To sign up for the seminar, go here to register.

GDSR Update

GDSR 2025

The 2025 round of the New Zealand Game Development Sector Rebate (GDSR) is now complete, and early data paints a promising picture for the local video games industry.

With GDSR recipients rising from 33 to 40 over the past year and industry revenue climbing an impressive 61% in just two years, the rebate is showing clear signs of delivering on its goals. Studios are scaling up, hiring more staff and investing in long-term capability, with Full-Time Equivalent roles (among rebate recipients) growing by over 20% from 2024 to 2025.

These results suggest a vibrant and maturing industry that is contributing meaningfully to New Zealand’s creative economy.

Looking ahead, the GDSR team will be presenting at the New Zealand Game Developers Conference (NZGDC) on 27 October as part of Wellington Games Week. Our session, Navigating the Future – Insights from the NZ Game Development Sector Rebate, will offer a deeper dive into the impact of the rebate, spotlighting success stories and emerging trends. We look forward to sharing our findings, engaging with the community, and continuing to support a thriving, innovative game development ecosystem here in Aotearoa.

To find out more about the NZGDC, check out the NZGDC 2025 website.

Sector success

There've been several standout moments for Aotearoa’s game development industry of late, with GDSR-supported studios making waves both locally and globally.

Dunedin’s Deep Field Games officially launched their co-op survival title Abiotic Factor on Steam, following a successful early access debut that saw it hit number one on the platform. Since its full release, the game's attracted more than 30,000 concurrent players.

In Wellington, Floating Rock signed a publishing deal for their upcoming sci-fi action-adventure Kyōryū, marking a bold step into original IP for the studio.

Nelson-based Splitting Point also made international headlines with Grow a Garden, a Roblox title that achieved 16.4m plays in a single day – reportedly surpassing Fortnite. Co-founder Janzen Madsen was also named in the 2025 Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list.

And, Tales of the Shire, a charming Hobbit-themed game developed by Wētā Workshop, has officially launched, delighting fans around the world.

KYŌRYŪ — Floating Rock's sci-fi action adventure game *Kyōryū*