Independent Music NZ (IMNZ) is thrilled to announce the finalists for the 2025 Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award, the recipient of the IMNZ Classic Record, and the finalists for the NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award.
The Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award celebrates Aotearoa’s most promising emerging talent. The winner will receive a $2,000 cash prize, a performance or technical upskilling opportunity courtesy of Auckland Live, and, new for 2025, a $1,200 studio recording package from Parachute Studios—further demonstrating IMNZ’s dedication to fostering creativity and supporting the next generation of musical innovators. The finalists are:
Pony Baby - Pony Baby
Pony Baby is the country music brainchild of celebrated Aotearoa musical talent Arahi (Te Matau-a-Māui) and songwriter Jazmine Mary (Gippsland, Australia). Their self-titled debut release, Pony Baby, blends gentle melodies with proudly country sounds like banjos, cowbells, and twangy guitars. Drawing inspiration from their coastal home, their music explores themes of love, vulnerability, and belonging.
Aquatopialien - VIDA
VIDA Gibson is a Tāmaki-based artist and musician whose debut EP, Aquatopialien, fuses soul, art pop, jazz, and funk. Inspired by their alien alter ego, Takavi, VIDA crafts immersive, ritualistic soundscapes that blend performance, storytelling, and music into transformative live experiences.
Flowers Dream - 花溪 Flowerstream
花溪 Flowerstream is a Māori/Chinese psychedelic noise duo from Auckland, blending electric guzheng and drums into an experimental sound rooted in Chinese traditions. Their 2024 EP Flowers Dream captures a world of chaotic energy and transcendent beauty, weaving together dreamy textures and experimental noise into something uniquely their own.
Filter - Byllie-jean
Byllie-jean is a Māori artist, writer, whose debut solo EP Filter blends experimental sounds, from acoustic purity to electronic grit, that reflects her deep connection to her Māori heritage. As a leader in the Indigenous music scene, she explores themes of cultural identity, healing, and memory. Filter is a powerful and personal exploration of what it means to be an island dweller and indigenous storyteller in today's world.
Parachute Music Founder & CEO, Mark de Jong, says, "Parachute is proud to support the exciting local talent emerging in Aotearoa. We look forward to hosting the winner of the Auckland Live Independent Debut Award in our studios, giving them space to develop their future work."
This year IMNZ are proud to acknowledge another recording artist with the award for The Independent Music NZ Classic Record. To acknowledge New Zealand’s rich history of making timeless albums that continue to inspire us and also define who we are. This year, the award, as determined by the judging panel, goes to:
SHIHAD - KILLJOY (Wildside Records 1995) to be honoured as the 2025 IMNZ Classic Record
SHIHAD are well-known as New Zealand’s hardest rock band since their early beginnings. The group broke through with it’s second album Killjoy, released on Wildside Records in 1995, which blended the colossally heavy riffs of debut album Churn, with a newfound pop sensibility. This potent mix would become the signature SHIHAD sound.
Killjoy spawned two Top 20 singles, ‘You Again’ and ‘Bitter’, and won four Aotearoa Music Awards - including Album of the Year, to begin a winning streak that would see SHIHAD collect 18 AMA’s throughout their career and be inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
Killjoy also garnered the admiration of legends like Iggy Pop and members of Metallica, with MTV noting their high praise—an endorsement that solidified the album’s place in rock history.
In 2025, the Loud Forever tour marked the final live shows that the band performed over a remarkable 37 year period.
NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award 2025
The NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award, now in its fourth year, is now an integral part of the Taite Music Prize. This award honours a journalist, blogger, editor, or creator whose work has had a significant and enduring impact on the Aotearoa music scene through ethical, and innovative reporting. At a time when music media in New Zealand faces increasing challenges, this award highlights those who continue to champion and contribute to the vitality of the music ecosystem. Whether through written articles, audio, video, or podcasts, the recipient will be a creator who demonstrates an unwavering commitment to truth-telling and the transformation of the media landscape. The award celebrates both emerging and established figures, with a national and/or international reputation for their contribution to music journalism. This year’s round produced a record number of nominations that resulted in very spirited and robust discussions around the judging table.
The finalists are; Karl Puschmann (Antenna Media); Rosa Nevison, Sam Elliot, Flynn Robson (Newzician Magazine); Chris Schulz (Boiler Room).
Karl Puschmann (Antenna Media) - Renowned freelance arts and culture writer based in the Bay of Plenty. With a background as editor of Rip It Up and TimeOut magazines and former culture editor at The New Zealand Herald, his work spans over a decade of entertainment columns. His features regularly appear in top publications such as The New Zealand Herald, The New Zealand Listener, Stuff, and Radio New Zealand.
Rosa Nevison, Sam Elliot, Flynn Robson (Newzician Magazine) - Founded by three friends, their magazine celebrates Aotearoa’s vibrant music scene through in-depth features on emerging artists and the people behind the scenes. With three successful issues, the magazine has gained recognition for its unique blend of storytelling, photography, and its commitment to diverse, local talent.
Chris Schulz (Boiler Room NZ) - Chris Schulz is an independent music journalist based in Tāmaki Makaurau, with over 20 years of experience contributing to publications such as The New Zealand Herald, Stuff, and The Spinoff. He currently authors the Boiler Room NZ newsletter, focusing on the Aotearoa music industry.
The recipient will receive a $2500 cash prize, generously supported by NZ On Air.
‘We are thrilled to once again be supporting the NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award. In what is an incredibly challenging environment for our media, it is really important that we continue to recognise the great work music journalists do and the role they play in helping audiences discover great New Zealand music.’ Teresa Patterson, Head of Music at NZ On Air.
These honours will be revealed on Tuesday, 15th April, at Tāmaki Makaurau’s Q Theatre, as part of a night that also celebrates the Taite Music Main and the Independent Spirit Award—marking a standout moment in Aotearoa’s music calendar.