Presented by: Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ)

Founding Partner: Recorded Music NZ

Official Partners: NZ On Air / The Taite whānau

Award Partner: Auckland Live

Event Partner: Q Theatre

Supporting Partners: FUGA / Parachute Studios / Panhead Brewery / NZ Music Commission / APRA AMCOS / Media Arts Lawyers / Merlin / ToneDeaf / College Hill / Loop

Media Partners: RNZ / 95bFM and the SRN network

Charity Partner: MusicHelps

Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, NZ — Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ) is proud to announce the winner of the prestigious 2025 Taite Music Prize at an exclusive ceremony held at the Q Theatre in Tāmaki Makaurau. The event celebrated outstanding New Zealand albums released in the previous calendar year and showcased exceptional local talent across genres.

Pippa Ryan-Kidd of IMNZ set the tone of the night with an inspiring opening speech, "By recognising and celebrating the most creative and talented musicians, these Awards help to elevate music as an art form and highlight its importance within our culture. It is our job to inform and remind the rest of the nation - how important Aotearoa Music is to them."

Tonight’s main prize winner, MOKOTRON, was awarded the Taite trophy for his album, WAEREA, released via local label, Sunreturn. Mokotron receives a $12,500 cash prize, courtesy of founding partner Recorded Music NZ. The award was presented by 2024 winner Vera Ellen and Nick Atkinson (Supergroove, HopetounBrown and Independent Artist Representative from Recorded Music NZ). During the presentation, Vera Ellen said: “May this award be a beautiful sound that echoes out to your family, kids, and community.”

The winning album, WAEREA has been recognised as a bold and uncompromising statement—reclaiming space through sound by intertwining whakapapa with contemporary narratives. This work not only confronts present-day realities but also expands the horizons of bass music in Aotearoa. Reflecting on the intent behind the album, MOKOTRON said: “Whānau, when I write music, I want people to know that it could only come from one place in the world — Aotearoa.”

Additional Honours of the Evening:

• The Auckland Live Best Independent Debut award goes to Byllie-Jean for her debut album Filter. With a distinctive blend of pop and experimental sounds, Filter has drawn acclaim for its fearless lyricism, genre-defying production, and sharp political edge. Tracks shift seamlessly from soulful vulnerability to wry social critique, marking Byllie-Jean as a vital new voice in Aotearoa music. “Well, this is going to take a young minute to process — thank you! For me, this is a win for all wāhine Māori. Congratulations, wāhine Māori! No matter what happens, we just keep holding it down,” said Byllie-Jean in her acceptance speech. Daniel Clarke, Director of Performing Arts at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, leading Auckland Live says: “Supporting Aotearoa’s community of independent music artists is an important part of our mahi. We’re incredibly proud to be part of the Taite Music Prize eco-system and to help empower our local singers, songwriters and musicians with their artistic endeavours. I’d like to personally congratulate Auckland Live Best Independent Debut winner Byllie-jean for her extraordinary work on Filter.” 

• ​The Independent Spirit Award was presented to Rohan Evans, a true champion of New Zealand's independent music scene. As the founder of The Wine Cellar, a beloved venue beneath Auckland's St Kevin's Arcade, Rohan has been instrumental in nurturing emerging artists since 2004. His dedication has earned him immense respect within the industry. 

• Chris Schulz took home the NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award for Boiler Room, his Substack dedicated to longform stories from the heart of New Zealand music. From revisiting overlooked albums to tracing cultural shifts through sound, Schulz’s work combines deep research with personal insight—bringing new light to artists and movements that have shaped Aotearoa’s musical identity.  Presenting the award, Suzanne De Spong, Senior Communications Advisor for New Zealand On Air said, “Music journalists are vital in helping New Zealand artists gain the recognition they deserve and play a key role in keeping our music industry thriving. Which is why NZ On Air is very proud to be sponsoring the NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award for the fourth year in a row.”

• The Independent Music NZ Classic Record Award was presented to SHIHAD for their groundbreaking album Killjoy (Wildside Records, 1995). A cornerstone of New Zealand’s rock legacy, Killjoy continues to resonate with both fans and musicians. While presenting the award, Murray Cammick said: “What’s so special about Killjoy is the energy it captured in its time. As the decades have passed, the songs from Killjoy have become the encores people look forward to.”

Event Highlights:

The ceremony featured performances by previous Taite Music Prize award winners, including Vera Ellen and JUJULIPPS, who joined forces with other artists to celebrate the achievements of the night. The hot ticket event, attended by over 450 IMNZ members and industry professionals, was a vibrant showcase of New Zealand’s rich musical heritage.

Government Officials were in attendance including Hon. Chris Bishop - a self-confessed SHIHAD fan, Green Party Co-Leader and MP for Auckland Central, Chlöe Swarbrick; long time Taites Award supporter, Steve Abel - Green Party MP and Reuben Davidson, MP for Christchurch East (Also Delaney's cousin) from the Labour Party.

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 ofAuckland 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.