Music Industry News

Entries for the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards are now open. Artists and their teams are invited to submit their nominations by 5pm on Wednesday 17 December 2025. The eligibility period for AMA 2026 is 1 January 2025–31 December 2025 (one calendar year).

Enter here.

AMA 2026 will take place on 28 May 2026 in Tāmaki Makaurau, bringing a fitting end to Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa | New Zealand Music Month.

Please note that there have been some small changes to the AMA eligibility Terms & Conditions for 2026, including to align more closely with the Official Aotearoa Music Charts Rules. We are also pleased to reveal that the Best Rock Artist category is being renamed Best Rock / Metal Artist to acknowledge the strong and thriving metal community in Aotearoa.

View the AMA 2026 Terms & Conditions of Entry here.

Additional AMA 2026 details and partner information will be shared in early-2026. In the meantime, take note of the slightly shorter window for getting your nominations through this year, and don’t wait to get started!

2025 marked 60 years of the Music Awards, and 50 years of the Official Music Charts in Aotearoa. We had a wonderful time celebrating these historic milestones with the music community at AMA 2025 – take a moment to relive some highlights below.

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The Aotearoa Music Awards is the annual showcase event for the music industry, celebrating artists and music from Aotearoa. The event recognises the biggest musical successes of the year while also providing a platform to promote emerging artists. Grounded in 60 years of history, the Aotearoa Music Awards has evolved to reflect our unique cultural identity. It has launched music careers, told artists’ stories and created memorable moments.

Recorded Music NZ produces the Aotearoa Music Awards and acts as its kaitiaki – preserving our musical heritage, celebrating the hits of today and paving the way for the artists of tomorrow.