Waiata Takitahi - Waiata Takitahi

Ka tautokohia ake e Waiata Takitahi, te pūtea tae noa ki te $15,000 (+Take Hokohoko (GST) mō tētahi waiata kōtahi, mā Irirangi Te Motu rāua tahi ko Te Māngai Pāho te pūtea tautoko.

Waiata Takitahi provides funding of up to $15,000 (plus GST if registered) for a single song, jointly funded by NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho.

Stan Walker - Waiata Takitahi 2023 recipient
Stan Walker - Waiata Takitahi 2023 recipient

He puna pūtea a Waiata Takitahi mō te hunga ringapuoro e aro tonu ana kia rekoatangia me te whakaputaina tētahi waiata reo rua mō te minenga puta noa. Me 25% te itinga rawa o te reo Māori i ngā kupu o te waiata.

Whaiā e mātau ngā waiata:

  • E hāngai pū ana ki ngā minenga ā-ipurangi, ā-pāoho hoki.
  • Ka taea te noho i ngā kohinga waiata auraki.

Ka āhei koe te tono, mehemea:

  • E tika ana tō momo waiata hei waiata nō Aotearoa.
  • Ka taea e koe te whakatinana i te 5 o ngā 25 āhuatanga o te paearu.

Waiata Takitahi is a fund for New Zealand artists who are interested in recording and releasing a bilingual single with potential general audience appeal and a minimum of 25% te reo Māori in the song lyrics.

We are looking for songs that will:

  • target online and broadcast audiences
  • have potential to find a home on mainstream playlists.

You can submit a Waiata Takitahi application if:

  • your music qualifies as New Zealand music
  • you can demonstrate you meet five of the 25 pre-application criteria.

Ko ngā aukatinga kei te heke mai - Current and upcoming deadlines

Explore all Music deadlines

Waiata Takitahi

Music
Applications open:
Applications close:
Decisions due:
Explore all Music deadlines

Ngā Whakamārama mō te Tono Pūtea

Ki ngā ringapuoro e tono ana ki te Waiata Takitahi:

  • Tae atu ki te $14,000 (+GST kua rehita).
  • Tāpirihia atu tētahi $1,000 (+GST kua rehita) mō te Utu Ringapuoro Mahi Waihanga.
  • Ka taea te tiki ake i te $15,000.00.

Whai muri i te whakatutukinga o te mahi a te ringapuoro, ka whiwhi ia ki te Utu Ringapuoro Mahi Waihanga o te $1,000.00 i te wāhanga whakamutunga mō te kaupapa.

Funding details

Artists applying for Waiata Takitahi can receive:

  • up to $14,000 (plus GST, if registered)
  • plus a mandatory Artist Creation Fee up to $1,000 (plus GST, if registered)
  • a total per fund of up to $15,000.

The mandatory Artist Creation Fee will be added to your grant and paid out only in the final drawdown. This fee covers the artist's creative work on the project.

Hai Aha te Pūtea nei?

Ka āhei te whakamahi i te Waiata Takitahi mō ngā kaupapa e whai ake nei:

  • Kia rekoatangia ai tētahi waiata kōtahi.
  • Kia waihangatia ai ngā arapāho kiriata me taua momo āhuatanga.
  • Tuku moni ki te puna rauemi hei āwhina atu i te whakatairanga o te kaupapa me te wetekanga tuatahi o te waiata.
  • Hei utu i tētahi mātanga reo.

What the funding is for

Waiata Takitahi funding can be used for:

  • recording a single song
  • creating video content and other visual collateral
  • putting resource towards promotion, publicity and marketing for the single release
  • paying for a te reo Māori language consultant (mātanga reo).

Mō wai tēnei pūtea?

Ka takea mai te ringapuoro i ngā ahurea katoa o te ao, heoi, ko te whāinga matua kia rangona ai te reo Māori. Mā tētahi mātanga reo e whakatūturu i te kounga o te reo me te horopaki i te waiata.

Mō rātau kāore i te whai wāhi ki tētahi mātanga reo mō tō tono, ka āwhina mātau ki te rapu i tētahi mātanga reo mā te hunga i raro i Te Māngai Pāho.

Who is eligible to apply

Artists can come from any background but we expect the use of te reo Māori in the song will be overseen by a mātanga reo to ensure quality control and contextual relevance in the song.

For applicants who are not able to confirm a language consultant in their application, there will be an opportunity to be matched with a range of consultants via Te Māngai Pāho.

Paearu Tono

Me tutuki e koe te iti rawa o ngā paearu e rima o te 25 i mua i tō tono mō te pūtea Waiata Takitahi. Me mātua whai mana anō tōu waiata hei Waiata Aotearoa.

Anei ngā paearu:

  • Kai a koe te pitomata ki te awhina i te whakapiki o ngā waiata nō Aotearoa i te reo irirangi.
  • He pitomata anō tōu ki te whakaaweawe i ngā minenga ā-ipurangi mā ngā pāhotanga pāpori, pāhotanga mataora, me ngā pānga rerekē.
  • Ko te whakaurutanga o te reo Māori ki rō waiata.
  • He whakaaturanga tōu hei ringapuoro.
  • Whakaoho ake i te pāpātanga ahurea o te kaupapa ki ngā minenga o Aotearoa.
  • He autaia te katoa o te tono, te mahere, me ngā whāinga pāpori.

Application criteria

You must meet a minimum of five out of 25 criteria before you can apply for Waiata Takitahi funding. Your music also needs to be classified as New Zealand music.

Criteria include:

  • Potential to assist with increasing levels of New Zealand music on radio
  • Potential to impact online audiences with significant streams/views/shares/likes/sales
  • Integration of te reo Māori in the waiata
  • Track record of the artist
  • Cultural value of the project for New Zealand audiences
  • Strength of the overall application, plan and media targets
Download: WT25 Criteria and Guidelines

This document outlines the guidelines for applying and the 25 criteria you can achieve to apply for Waiata Takitahi funding

PDF 140.2 KB

Download: WT25 FAQ and Detailed Criteria

Waiata Takitahi Frequently Asked Questions and detailed criteria

PDF 116.1 KB

Tonoa mai mō te Waiata Takitahi

Rehitatia tō tono mā te pae tono pūtea.

Apply for Waiata Takitahi funding

Register then apply for Waiata Takitahi funding via our music funding portal.

Apply for Waiata Takitahi funding

Register then apply for Waiata Takitahi funding via our music funding portal.

Waiata Takitahi documents

Waiata Takitahi documents

Waiata Takitahi documents
Download: WT24 Application Information and Guidelines

Mā tēnei tuhinga e whakawhānui ake ngā mōhiotanga me whakauru atu ki te tono mō te Waiata Takitahi. This document sets out the details that should be covered in a Waiata Takitahi application.

PDF 345.8 KB

Download: Waiata Takitahi - Animated Logo Pack

Ko te Kaupapa Whāiti Tohu mō te Waiata Takitahi hei tiki ake, hei whakamahi mō ngā kaupapa kua whiwhi pūtea i raro i te Waiata Takitahi (pērā i ngā ataata pūoro). Waiata Takitahi logo pack to download and use for any Waiata Takitahi funded content (such as music videos)

ZIP 11.3 MB

Download: NZ Music Definition Checklist

He aha te whakamāramatanga o te “Pūoro o Aotearoa”? What is the definition of “New Zealand music”

PDF 1.8 MB

Download: NZ On Air - Safe Spaces Agreement 2025

Ko tā mātau Whakaaetanga Wāhi Āhuru he mea here hei whakatakoto i ngā ture mō tētahi takiwā pai, āhuru hoki. Our mandatory Safe Spaces Agreement is part of all NZ On Air contracts and is aligned with our Code of Conduct. It establishes some common ground rules for a positive and safe environment when working on your project.

PDF 49.8 KB

Subscribe

Sign up to receive communications such as media releases, newsletters and funding decisions.