We are pleased to announce the results of our April 2026 New Music Single funding round. NZ On Air will be investing up to $11,000 in 30 songs by local artists to be released in the coming months. This funding supports artists' recording, video and promotion costs - with the aim of helping their work reach the audiences of Aotearoa and beyond.
This month we received 149 eligible applications and, within April's funded artists, there are eight first-time NZ On Air New Music Single recipients. It was also great to see a good spread of funded artists based all around the motu creating such a wide range of music.
We value the importance of a diverse and inclusive music industry — so as part of our mahi, we monitor our funding statistics to ensure our work supports such diversity within the music communities of Aotearoa. The following 30 songs support a diverse range of audiences and show strong potential to reach those audiences via broadcast, streaming and online media.
The quality of music submissions continues to be of an incredibly high calibre, and we thank this month's judging panel for their hard work and considerable expertise in deciding upon the final results. Tēnā rawa atu koutou:
- Cushla Aston - Aston Road Management [Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Pikiao]
- Greg Prebble - NZME
- Karl Lock - JB Hi-Fi
- Lani Purkis - Freelance [Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Te Uriroroi]
- So'omālō Iteni Schwalger - RNZ
- Stella-Rae Morris-Matchitt - RadioActive.FM
- Jeff Newton - NZ On Air [Tainui Awhiro, Ngāti Kahungungu]
In assessing applications for contestable funding, NZ On Air actively considers and manages any potential conflicts of interest within our judging panels.
