NZ Music Month / Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa - Amplifying Aotearoa: Week 1 Highlights

Carrying forward the revitalising spirit expressed on Geneva AM's new dance-pop waiata 'Pikipiki' (meaning "to climb" in te reo), NZ Music Month / Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa starts today, celebrating our nationwide identity in sound around this year's key theme of Amplifying Aotearoa. Befitting tradition, there's lots of NZMM events taking place during May around Aotearoa, plus a tonne of useful info and resources available over on the revamped official site, including a substantial new gig guide section HERE.

Beyond the diverse variety of live gigs happening — i.e. the engine room that continuously drives innovation in our community — there's also a hefty array of musical initiatives, performance programmes, exhibitions and awards coming up, including NZ Music T-Shirt Day, the 2024 NZ Music Month Summit and the Aotearoa Music Awards presentation ceremony. NZ Post have joined the party this year, issuing "a commemorative stamp collection celebrating the AudioCulture #1 Classic album True Colours by Split Enz". 

Notably each week of NZ Music Month in 2024 has its own sub-theme, this week revolves around "the amplification of people who make lives better through music". NZMM was officially launched with a performance by the aforementioned Geneva AM in Tāmaki Makaurau's still publicly inaccessible City Rail Link, the first ever artist to play "underground in the country’s largest transport infrastructure" — head along to nzmusiccomission.co.nz for footage and images. We've boiled down a selection of NZMM highlights happening this week below, and we'll keep you in the loop with weekly updates.

“NZ Music Month | Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa is an opportunity to celebrate our artists and music community, and the amazing music being made all over the country. There are some incredible and innovative artists, educators and businesses across our music sector, and more NZ artists than ever are reaching global audiences and making waves on the world stage. We look forward to sharing some of their stories throughout May.” — Cath Andersen, NZ Music Commission

“We’re proud to partner with NZ Music Month and literally use our ‘platform’ as a stage to showcase a Kiwi artist. This year’s theme is Amplifying Aotearoa, and what better way to ‘Amplify’ than in a rail station under construction beneath Auckland’s streets? Geneva Alexander-Marsters is a phenomenal artist and also a major public transport advocate. Our stations are steeped in Māori culture both in design and names so to have a Te Reo singer perform in Te Waihorotiu is particularly special to us - we count ourselves pretty lucky to have had her come along to visit the project and lay down a few tracks of her own.” — Dr. Sean Sweeney, City Rail Link Ltd’s CEO

Happening this week in New Zealand Music Month, check out the UTR gig guide HERE and the NZMM gig guide HERE for live shows and more events nationwide.

FromThePit 2024 New Zealand Music Photography Exhibition online HERE plus venues nationwide (for venue information head along to fromthepit.co.nz/venues) - all May 
FromThePit serves as a curated collection of live music photography, focusing exclusively on New Zealand musicians performing in local venues. This year, 66 photographers will contribute their recent work to the exhibition, providing a comprehensive view of the country’s diverse musical landscape.

Auckland Live Celebrates New Zealand Music Month - all May
There’s something for everyone, so come on down and celebrate the stories, experiences, and live music of Aotearoa right here in the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau. Explore a range of live music playing in our venues, including gigs, classical performances, and more.

May Music Month 2024, Palmerston North City Centre - all May
Celebrating and profiling our local musical talent through a series of events & performances throughout the City Centre in May, providing a variety of genres so there is something for everyone’s ears.

Art On Record - Kumeu Arts Members for NZ Music Month at Kumeu Arts Centre - Wednesday 1st May to Saturday 25th May
Member artists have been asked to create LP, album covers for real or imagined bands or musicians. At the opening event and launch party on Friday the 3rd of May there will be DJ’s as well as live music.

Taonga Pūoro - Te Ata & Mana Sebualala at the Elma Turner Library, Nelson - Wednesday 1st May, 12.30pm
Cindy (Te-Ata) Batt and Callum (Mana Sebualala) O’Leary demonstrate taonga pūoro (musical instruments).

Hawke's Bay Music Industry Gala on the Opera House Stage, Toitoi Hawke's Bay Arts and Events Centre - Wednesday 1st May
Experience inspiring talks from advocates beyond our borders and captivating performances by our very own local artists. It's an opportunity to unite, celebrate, and showcase the vibrant music scene of our community as we kick off NZ Music Month in style.

NZ Music T-Shirt Day - Friday 3rd May
Kiwis are encouraged to wear their favourite music t-shirt and donate to the MusicHelps appeal. The charity is using the power of music to change the lives of thousands of New Zealanders in need.

Charlotte Museum Te Whare Takatāpui-Wāhine o Aotearoa, Auckland - exhibition opening Friday 3rd May
Celebrating lesbian sapphic music at the museum. We are creating an exhibition for our archives to celebrate the woman's music genre and the lesbian sapphic musicians who embraced it in Aotearoa.

An Afrikan Market: Dancing Through The Diaspora at Freyberg Square, Auckland - Friday 3rd May
New Zealand Music Month is a time to celebrate homegrown talent. We have a range of musicians of African descent making waves in our music scene. This event will be a chance to highlight these artists and their crafts and introduce Tamaki Makaurau to some up and coming names in the scene. Market attendees will also get to see traditional dance and performance from various Auckland African cultural groups while also enjoying traditional foods from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana, Burundi, Zambia and Nigeria.

Hip Hop Fest at Sweat Shop Brew Kitchen, Auckland - Saturday 4th May
On the first Saturday of NZ Music Month, Mai Fm presents Hip Hop Fest live at Sweat Shop Brew Kitchen. Prepare for a night of big hip-hop hitters, and party tracks headlined by Kings, Che Fu & DJ Sir Vere. Joining the crew is Randy & Uzivana to round out this stacked lineup.

The Ngā Manu Tīrairaka | Childrens’ Music Awards at The Tuning Fork, Auckland - Sunday 5th May
Hosted by Suzy Cato, the winners for the 2024 APRA Best Children’s Song - Preschool and primary | He Manu Pīpī and He Pī Ka Rere, Recorded Music NZ Best Children’s Music Artist | Te Manu Taki Kerekahu o te Tau, NZ On Air Best Children’s Music Video | He Manu Tūtei and Kōkako Award for Best Children's Performer - as well as Baysting Prize for Children’s Champion - will all be announced at the awards event.