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.
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.”
Spotify – Listen to a playlist of all Auckland Live Best Independent Debut finalists HERE
Youtube Music – Listen to a playlist of all Auckland Live Best Independent Debut finalists HERE
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.
Editors Notes:
The eponym for the awards is the late Dylan Taite, one of New Zealand’s most respected TV music journalists. He became known for his Liverpudlian wry wit and his unabashed chutzpah-love of music. Dylan’s unique style captured some rare interviews over the decades. Interviews with The Sex Pistols, Deep Purple, and the career-defining Bob Marley are still referenced today.
https://www.audioculture.co.
The Taite Music Prize
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: NZ Music Commission / APRA AMCOS / Media Arts Lawyers / FUGA / Merlin / ToneDeaf / College Hill / Loop / Parachute Music / Panhead Brewery
Media Partners: RNZ / 95bFM and the SRN Network
Charity Partners: MusicHelps
Previous winners of The Taite Music Prize:
2010 – Lawrence Arabia – Chant Darling (Honorary Bedouin Records)
2011 – Ladi6 – The Liberation Of (What? Music)
2012 – Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Seeing Records)
2013 – SJD – Elastic Wasteland (Round Trip Mars)
2014 – Lorde – Pure Heroine (Universal Music NZ)
2015 – Jakob – Sines (Shoot The Freak)
2016 – Silicon – Personal Computer (Weird World/Domino Recordings)
2017 – Street Chant – Hauora (Arch Hill Recordings)
2018 – Aldous Harding – Party (Flying Nun Records / 4AD)
2019 – Avantdale Bowling Club – Avantdale Bowling Club (Years Gone By)
2020 – Troy Kingi – Holy Colony Burning Acres (Triple A Records)
2021 – Reb Fountain – Reb Fountain (Flying Nun Records)
2022 – Anthonie Tonnon – Leave Love Out Of This (Slow Time Records)
2023 – Princess Chelsea – Everything Is Going To Be Alright (Lil Chief)
2024 – Vera Ellen – Ideal Home Noise (Flying Nun Records)
Previous Winners of the Independent Music NZ Classic Record:
2013 – Gordons – Gordons (Flying Nun)
2014 – Various Artists – AK79 (Ripper Records)
2015 – Herbs – What’s Be Happen? (Warrior Records)
2016 – Upper Hutt Posse – E Tū (Jayrem Records)
2017 – The Clean – Boodle Boodle Boodle (Flying Nun)
2018 – Headless Chickens – Stunt Clown (Flying Nun)
2019 – Moana and the Moahunters – Tahi (Southside)
2020 – Shona Laing – South (Pagan Records)
2021 – Patea Māori Club – ‘Poi E’ (Maui Records)
2022 – PROUD – An Urban-Pacific Streetsoul Compilation (Second Nature)
2023 – micronism – inside a quiet mind (Kog Transmissions)
2024 – Look Blue Go Purple – Compilation (Flying Nun Records)
Previous Winners of the Auckland Live Best Independent Debut:
2017 – Merk – Swordfish (Independent)
2018 – The Miltones – The Miltones (Independent)
2019 – Alien Weaponry – Tū (Independent)
2020 – Repulsive Woman – Relief (Independent)
2021 – Na Noise – Waiting For You (1:12 Records)
2022 – Jazmine Mary – The Licking of a Tangerine (Independent)
2023 – TE KAAHU – Te Kaahu O Rangi (Theia Music Ltd.)
2024 – Jujulipps – Get That Shot (Bigpop Records)
Independent Spirit Award
2019 – Bernie Griffin
2020 – Murray Cammick – ONZM
2021 – Pete Rainey and Glenn Common of Smokefree Rockquest
2022 – Karyn Hay – ONZM
2023 – Paul Huggins
2024 – Teremoana Rapley – ONZM
NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism
2022 – Tony Stamp – RNZ Journalist
2023 – Namnita Kumar & Nadia Freeman – Eastern Sound Stories Podcast
2024 – Cushla Dillon and Andrew Moore – Directors – King Loser Documentary
http://www.audioculture.co.nz/
https://www.nzonscreen.com/
Interview – Darcy Clay – https://www.youtube.com/watch?
RIP from ONE and TV3 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Interview – Bob Marley Doco – https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Interview – Go West (1980) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Interview – Deep Purple – https://www.youtube.com/watch?
NZ Herald Obituary – http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
NZ ON SCREEN LINKS:
https://www.nzonscreen.com/
https://www.nzonscreen.com/
https://www.nzonscreen.com/
https://www.nzonscreen.com/
https://www.nzonscreen.com/
