Music Commission News

The New Zealand Music Commission Te Reo Reka Aotearoa welcomes the return of the Aotearoa Touring Programme. The September round is open now, and closes on Wednesday 5th October @ 5.00pm.

The Aotearoa Touring Programme is an initiative run by the NZ Music Commission to grow the potential for original New Zealand artists touring across Aotearoa and enable more New Zealanders to experience live, local music. The Aotearoa Touring Programme is a contestable fund intended to reinvigorate the live music sector and assist in the recovery from the effects of COVID-19 in the domestic touring market. This programme will invest in approved domestic touring costs, to enable more NZ artists to grow sustainable careers and increase the access to live music for NZ audiences.

About the Aotearoa Touring Programme:

The Aotearoa Touring Programme is a matched investment programme (i.e. the Programme will match your investment), so applicants can apply for 50% of the eligible costs for undertaking national tours across the two Tiers. The different Tiers have a maximum limit for each grant. A national tour will include at least three dates.

There are two Tiers in the Aotearoa Touring Programme – Tier 1 and Tier 2. See the following section for more details.

It is encouraged that tours include:

⦁ Shows for all ages audiences

⦁ Shows outside of the main centres

⦁ Shows accessible to communities that may not usually get to experience live, local music

⦁ And that tour budgets include local media spends and venue hire costs.

Tours and shows which are underway or sold out are not eligible to apply.

An artist can receive two grants in a twelve-month period until 30 June 2023. There is no restriction on how often you can put in an application.

Applications can be from any entity that represents the artist – including managers, promoters, booking agents and the artists themselves.

Prospective applicants need to contact the Music Commission for access to the online application portal. When you get in touch with the office, you should know when your proposed tour would be taking place, where in the country you intend on playing, why you want to play in these towns (previously successful shows, good airplay on local radio, interest from the area etc), and approximately how much you intend to apply for. The application process will require you to have a full budget and business plan that will show how this investment will contribute to growing the artist’s business and career.

If you are the successful recipient of a grant and your touring plans are postponed or cancelled due to changes in the COVID-19 Protection Framework, the Music Commission intends to honour the funding agreement for fixed costs incurred that cannot be moved to later date. In this scenario, each applicant will be dealt with on a case by case basis, as there are many variables that will make each artist’s tour situation unique.

There are additional eligibility guidelines detailed on the Grant Application Support Document available here.

Aotearoa Touring Programme application dates for 2022 – 2023:

September round

Monday 5 September Applications open

Wednesday 5 October Applications close at 5.00pm

Thursday 17 November ATP results communicated to applicants

January round

Monday 10 October Applications open

Wednesday 11 January Applications close at 5.00pm

Thursday 16 February ATP results communicated to applicants.

March round

Monday 16 January Applications open

Wednesday 8 March Applications close at 5.00pm

Thursday 20 April ATP results communicated to applicants.

May round

Monday 13 March Applications open

Wednesday 10 May Applications close at 5.00pm

Thursday 15 June ATP results communicated to applicants.

For further information and advice about the Aotearoa Touring Programme please contact Emily Crowther at touring@nzmusic.org.nz.