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RNZ News
a day ago
- General
- RNZ News
Hymns on Sunday, 22 June 2025
Celebrating the season of Matariki this week, with hymns in Te Reo Māori and hymns of remembrance. Holy Trinity Cathedral Photo: RNZ / Paul Bushnell Artist: Choir of the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, Michael Stewart (dir), Richard Apperley (organ) Words/Music: The Lord's Prayer, arrangement by Huia Beattie and Archbishop Brown Turei Recording: RNZ 2021 [Words from Māori ] Te Karakia O Te Atua (The Lord's Prayer) E tō mātou Matua i te rangi (Our Parent in the spirit world) Kia tapu tou Ingoa (Sacred is your Name) Kia tae mai tou rangatira-tanga. (Bring us Your Chiefly rule); Kia meatia tau e pai ai (May it happen in the way that is to You, good) ki runga i te whenua, (may it happen on earth) kia rite ano ki to te rangi. (In the same way as in spirit world). Homai ki a mātou aianei (Give us now) he taro mā mātou mo tēnei ra. (The food we need this day). Murua o mātou hara (Strip us of our sins); Me mātou hoki e muru nei (Give us back what we have lost); i o te hunga e hara ana ki a mātou. (So that we, the slaves of sin, may be with you again). Aua hoki mātou e kawea kia whaka-waia; (Do not lead us into temptation); Engari whaka-orangia mātou, i te kino: (May we be whole, away from things evil); Nou hoki te rangatira-tanga, (Through your chiefly position, is) te kaha, (the power) me te kororia, (and the glory). Ake, ake, ake. (Forever and ever) Āmine. (Amen) Where mountains rise to open skies your name, O God, is echoed far, from island beach to kauri's reach, in water's light, in lake and star. Your people's heart, your people's part be in our caring for this land, for faith to flower, for aroha to let each other's mana stand. From broken word, from conflict stirred, from lack of vision, set us free to see the line of your design, to feel creation's energy. Your love be known, compassion shown, that every child have equal scope: in justice done, in trust begun shall be our heritage and hope. Where mountains rise to open skies your way of peace distil the air, your spirit bind all humankind, one covenant of life to share! Artist: Choir of Sheffield Cathedral Words/Music: Psalm 67/Edward Bairstow Recording: Griffin Records 2014 God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and show us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us; That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; yea, let all the people praise thee. O let the nations rejoice and be glad: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth make forth her increase; and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the world shall fear him. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Artist: New Zealand Secondary Students' Choir 1999-2000, Roger Stevenson (dir) Words/Music: Anon/Wi-Patena Te Pairi Recording: E te Ariki, Whakarongo mai rā ki a mātou, E te Ariki, Titiro mai rā ki a mātou, Tēnei mātou Ō tamariki, E whakapono Ana mātou, Ki a koe Auē! Auē! Te matua te tamaiti. Wairua tapu e. Te matua te tamaiti. Wairua tapu e. [ Oh Lord, listen to us. Oh Lord, look at us. This is us, your children. We believe in you. The Father, and the Son and Holy Spirit. ] Artist: Coventry Singers Words/Music: Isaac Watts/Ralph Harrison Recording: Mission Praise Give to our God immortal praise: mercy and truth are all his ways; wonders of grace to God belong; repeat his mercies in your song. Give to the Lord of lords renown; the King of kings with glory crown: his mercies ever shall endure, when lords and kings are known no more. He built the earth, he spread the sky, and fixed the starry lights on high: wonders of grace to God belong; repeat his mercies in your song. He sent His Son with power to save from guilt and darkness and the grave; wonders of grace to God belong; repeat his mercies in your song. Artist: Choir of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco Words/Music: Herbert Brokering/David Johnson Recording: Grace Cathedral promo grace Earth and all stars! Loud rushing planets! Sing to the Lord a new song! Oh, victory! Loud shouting army! Sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain: He has done marvellous things. I too will praise Him with a new song! Hail, wind, and rain! Loud blowing snowstorm! Sing to the Lord a new song! Flowers and trees! Loud rustling dry leaves! Sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain: Trumpet and pipes! Loud clashing cymbals! Sing to the Lord a new song! Harp, lute, and lyre! Loud humming cellos! Sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain: Engines and steel! Loud pounding hammers! Sing to the Lord a new song! Limestone and beams! Loud building workers! Sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain: Classrooms and labs! Loud boiling test tubes! Sing to the Lord a new song! Athlete and band! Loud cheering people! Sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain: Knowledge and truth! Loud sounding wisdom! Sing to the Lord a new song! Daughter and son! Loud praying members! Sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain: Artist: Upper Norwood Salvation Army Band Music: William Runyon Label: Word SALCD 002 "Great is thy faithfulness," O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with thee; Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; As thou hast been thou forever wilt be. Refrain: "Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!" Morning by morning new mercies I see: All I have needed thy hand hath provided, "Great is thy faithfulness," Lord unto me! Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Refrain: Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! Refrain: Artist: Hatea Kapa Haka Words/Music: Anon/Wi-Patena Te Pairi Recording: Praise Be 2011 Tama ngākau mārie Tama a te Atua Tēnei tonu mātou Arohaina mai Murua rā ngā hara Wetekina mai Ēnei here kino Wakararu nei. Tama ngākau mārie Tama a te Atua Tēnei tonu mātou Arohaina mai. Son of peace Son of God here we are always. Show us compassion. Wipe away our sins, and unshackle these evil ties that are so troublesome. Son of peace Son of God here we are always. Show us compassion. Artist: Combined choirs and congregation, Wellington Cathedral of St Paul Music: William Walsham How/Ralph Vaughan Williams Recording: RNZ 2017 For all the saints, who from their labours rest; who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou wast their rock, their fortress and their might; thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight; thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light. Alleluia! Alleluia! O blest communion, fellowship divine! We feebly struggle, they in glory shine; yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine. Alleluia, Alleluia! But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day; the saints triumphant rise in bright array; the King of glory passes on his way. Alleluia! Alleluia! From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast, through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Alleluia! Alleluia! [recorded by RNZ at Professor Peter Godfrey's memorial service in Wellington, November 2017.]
Scoop
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
GENEVA AM Returns With Urban Planning, Announces Debut Album Pikipiki
Press Release – Naked PR June 6, 2025: Geneva AM is the moniker of Geneva Alexander-Marsters (she/her, Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Aitutaki, Palmerston), an award winning producer, beat maker and vocalist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Her bilingual approach to songwriting has been prominent throughout her musical career, most notably with the band SoccerPractise (2012-2018) and her debut release IHO (Waiata / Anthems). IHO went on to win Te Tohu Puoro o te reo Māori (Favourite Song featuring Te Reo Māori) at the 2023 Student Radio Network Awards. In 2024, she released the single 'T(M)²I' (Tangaroa Made Me Ill) in two versions (te reo and English), followed by ' Pikipiki ' which amassed over 200,000 streams on Spotify. A seasoned live performer, Geneva AM has recently performed alongside Anna Coddington, Ladi6 and Suzi Cato. Geneva AM is thrilled to release Urban Planning, the second waiata from her debut album Pikipiki (out August 15th on digital and Vinyl LP). To celebrate the release of Urban Planning and the forthcoming album Geneva AM will be hosting three events that coincide with the annual Matariki celebrations. Supported by friends and whanau, these events are not to be missed. Geneva AM built Urban Planning on gliding synthesizers, sweeping hi-hats and a crunchy back beat. The song speaks to the dispossession of urban Māori (where Pākeha have paved over their rivers and collected their tāonga for museums) and the assurance of knowing that whatever obstacle she may face that her tīpuna are always with her. 'The natural geography of the city doesn't lie,' notes Geneva AM. 'We can see old pā sites and waterways that once nourished people. I grew up in the bottom of a big valley with a motorway in my back garden. This area would have been a vast wetland and waterway going out to sea.' 'I made this waiata to help me memorise a pepeha which took my Uncle William his lifetime to learn as he took it upon himself to delve into our whanau history, bringing up all of the mamae of the past and giving the next generation this gift. We initially thought we were from Ngāti Kahungunu but we also share a connection to Ngāti Ruapani as well.' 'My pepeha is a foreign place because I grew up in the city, but I never felt lost or alone because I was fortunate to learn Te Reo Māori at urban schools. Urban Planning is my way of sending it out and making new connections with whanau I've never met.' 'This waiata is about never really being lost because everything around us has been touched by our tīpuna in one way or another – now in our lifetime we get to stitch together uncovered mysteries to further our understanding of the true history of Aotearoa.' To celebrate the release of Urban Planning and the forthcoming release of Pikipiki Geneva AM will be hosting three events that coincide with the annual Matariki celebrations. Supported by friends and whanau these Pikipiki events are not to be missed. Tickets for events at Goblin Bar & Leigh Sawmill shows can be purchased through Undertheradar. Geneva AM was asked to curate an evening at Whammy Bar as a part of Whāia Te Waiora 2025 – Karangahape Road's Matariki Festival. She'll perform alongside Mara TK, Christoph El Truento, Sezzo, Dylan Biscuit and AJ Honeysuckle – and it's free! Before the end of June Geneva AM will perform alongside Che Fu & The Krates and LEAO at the Auckland Museum. Inspired by Mana: Protest in Print, and as Matariki and Puanga rise, the museum are celebrating the sounds on their very own doorstep for a night not to be missed. Event details: 19th June: Goblin Bar – Album Preview with Ngā Whetu Ensemble and AJ Honeysuckle. 20th June: Artspace Aotearoa – Album Listening Party 20th June: Whammy Bar – Matariki Rising w. Mara TK, Christoph El Turento, Sezzo, Dylan Biscuit & AJ Honeysuckle 21st June: Leigh Sawmill Cafe – Hakari Kanikani with Halfqueen, Kaiviti, AJ Honeysuckle and IBSXC 27th June: Auckland Museum with Che Fu & The Kratez and LEAO This Matariki, Geneva AM will be releasing her debut album ' Pikipiki ' which intends to uplift the wairua and encourage the listener to overcome life's obstacles. Geneva AM will be playing across many genres which serve as a backdrop for her strong vocals and bilingual lyrics. She has also paid homage to waiata she grew up with, providing a modern treatment of Purea Nei by Hirini Melbourne, Pokarekare Ana by the returning soldiers of WWI and Tutira Mai Ngā Iwi by Wiremu Te Tau Huata. Pikipiki takes a piecemeal approach to genre, utilising Classical, Dance, Drum'n'Bass, and Emo Rock to accompany new bilingual songs and reimagined covers of Aotearoa favourites—such as 'Pokarekare Ana,' 'Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi,' and 'Pūrea Nei.' The album features a number of collaborations, with appearances from Mara TK, Hawkins, Samara Alofa, and Rewi McLay, alongside the puoro of Tyson Campbell (Pikipiki); The Deadly Sins arranged by Eric Scholes (Toitū Te Tiriti); Ruby Walsh (Na Noise, Lips); Fiona Campbell (Guardian Singles, Coolies) and Lani Purkis (Elemeno P) on 'Pokarekare Ana.'
Scoop
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
GENEVA AM Returns With Urban Planning, Announces Debut Album Pikipiki
June 6, 2025: Geneva AM is the moniker of Geneva Alexander-Marsters (she/her, Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Aitutaki, Palmerston), an award winning producer, beat maker and vocalist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Her bilingual approach to songwriting has been prominent throughout her musical career, most notably with the band SoccerPractise (2012-2018) and her debut release IHO (Waiata / Anthems). IHO went on to win Te Tohu Puoro o te reo Māori (Favourite Song featuring Te Reo Māori) at the 2023 Student Radio Network Awards. In 2024, she released the single 'T(M)²I' (Tangaroa Made Me Ill) in two versions (te reo and English), followed by ' Pikipiki ' which amassed over 200,000 streams on Spotify. A seasoned live performer, Geneva AM has recently performed alongside Anna Coddington, Ladi6 and Suzi Cato. Geneva AM is thrilled to release Urban Planning, the second waiata from her debut album Pikipiki (out August 15th on digital and Vinyl LP). To celebrate the release of Urban Planning and the forthcoming album Geneva AM will be hosting three events that coincide with the annual Matariki celebrations. Supported by friends and whanau, these events are not to be missed. Geneva AM built Urban Planning on gliding synthesizers, sweeping hi-hats and a crunchy back beat. The song speaks to the dispossession of urban Māori (where Pākeha have paved over their rivers and collected their tāonga for museums) and the assurance of knowing that whatever obstacle she may face that her tīpuna are always with her. "The natural geography of the city doesn't lie," notes Geneva AM. "We can see old pā sites and waterways that once nourished people. I grew up in the bottom of a big valley with a motorway in my back garden. This area would have been a vast wetland and waterway going out to sea." "I made this waiata to help me memorise a pepeha which took my Uncle William his lifetime to learn as he took it upon himself to delve into our whanau history, bringing up all of the mamae of the past and giving the next generation this gift. We initially thought we were from Ngāti Kahungunu but we also share a connection to Ngāti Ruapani as well." "My pepeha is a foreign place because I grew up in the city, but I never felt lost or alone because I was fortunate to learn Te Reo Māori at urban schools. Urban Planning is my way of sending it out and making new connections with whanau I've never met." "This waiata is about never really being lost because everything around us has been touched by our tīpuna in one way or another - now in our lifetime we get to stitch together uncovered mysteries to further our understanding of the true history of Aotearoa." To celebrate the release of Urban Planning and the forthcoming release of Pikipiki Geneva AM will be hosting three events that coincide with the annual Matariki celebrations. Supported by friends and whanau these Pikipiki events are not to be missed. Tickets for events at Goblin Bar & Leigh Sawmill shows can be purchased through Undertheradar. Geneva AM was asked to curate an evening at Whammy Bar as a part of Whāia Te Waiora 2025 - Karangahape Road's Matariki Festival. She'll perform alongside Mara TK, Christoph El Truento, Sezzo, Dylan Biscuit and AJ Honeysuckle - and it's free! Before the end of June Geneva AM will perform alongside Che Fu & The Krates and LEAO at the Auckland Museum. Inspired by Mana: Protest in Print, and as Matariki and Puanga rise, the museum are celebrating the sounds on their very own doorstep for a night not to be missed. Event details: 19th June: Goblin Bar - Album Preview with Ngā Whetu Ensemble and AJ Honeysuckle. 20th June: Artspace Aotearoa - Album Listening Party 20th June: Whammy Bar - Matariki Rising w. Mara TK, Christoph El Turento, Sezzo, Dylan Biscuit & AJ Honeysuckle 21st June: Leigh Sawmill Cafe - Hakari Kanikani with Halfqueen, Kaiviti, AJ Honeysuckle and IBSXC 27th June: Auckland Museum with Che Fu & The Kratez and LEAO This Matariki, Geneva AM will be releasing her debut album ' Pikipiki ' which intends to uplift the wairua and encourage the listener to overcome life's obstacles. Geneva AM will be playing across many genres which serve as a backdrop for her strong vocals and bilingual lyrics. She has also paid homage to waiata she grew up with, providing a modern treatment of Purea Nei by Hirini Melbourne, Pokarekare Ana by the returning soldiers of WWI and Tutira Mai Ngā Iwi by Wiremu Te Tau Huata.
Scoop
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Famous Faces Feature In 2025 Children's Book Awards Shortlist Announced Today
Well-known media personalities, bestselling-authors and previous awards winners are among the extremely strong shortlist of 32 titles for the 2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults announced today. Musician and presenter Anika Moa, respected journalist and broadcaster Miriama Kamo and bestselling author and child psychiatrist Hinemoa Elder join previous winners, including Gavin Bishop, Ruth Paul and Bren MacDibble, as well as numerous other highly regarded and emerging writers and illustrators. The 2025 shortlist 'explores some of the many ways to be a New Zealander: our people, our place and our preoccupations,' says the convenor of judges Feana Tu'akoi. 'Among the finalist books, big ideas from our past, present and possible dystopian futures are considered in absorbing and thoughtful ways, providing springboards for deeper discussion. Themes include identity, connection, mental health, our histories, traditional wisdom, indigenous languages, and the importance of being exactly who we are.' This year's two expert judging panels – a bilingual English and Māori panel and a separate Te Kura Pounamu panel to judge titles written in te reo Māori – were impressed by the calibre of the 156 entries. Whether a deceptively simple board book aimed at our youngest tamariki, or a sophisticated novel for rangatahi, this year's shortlist deftly connects our best writers and illustrators with the most discerning of readers – children and teenagers, the judges say. These young readers were again involved in the judging process. Kura kaupapa Māori, primary, intermediate and secondary schools across the motu all put their hands up to receive entries in relevant categories, and were given judging guidelines and review templates to encourage considered feedback for the judging panel. In total 51 schools participated, and 450 reviews were supplied for consideration. The winners of each of the six main categories – Picture Book, Junior Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, Illustration and Te Reo Māori – take home $8500 and are then in the running to be named recipient of the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year, an award with a further $8500 prize money. In addition, the judges will award a Best First Book prize of $2500 to a previously unpublished author or illustrator. The ceremony to announce the winners will take place at Pipitea Marae in Wellington on the evening of Wednesday 13 August. The 2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults finalists are: The BookHub Picture Book Award This year's finalists feature stunning illustrations in a range of masterful styles that combine with perfectly pitched text to tell engrossing, multi-layered stories, which the judges feel are sure to become family favourites. • Beddy Bye Time in the Kōwhai Tree, Juliette MacIver, illustrated by Lily Uivel (Scholastic New Zealand) • Mataali'i, Dahlia Malaeulu (Vaivase Tai, Sinamoga), illustrated by Darcy Solia (Mila's Books) • Ten Nosey Weka, Kate Preece, illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu) (Bateman Books) • Titiro Look,Gavin Bishop (Tainui, Ngāti Awa), translated by Darryn Joseph (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rereahu) (Gecko Press, Lerner Publishing Group) • You Can't Pat a Fish, Ruth Paul (Walker Books Australia) Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award Junior Fiction continues to be a hotly contested category and the judges found this year's submissions possessed a real depth of exploration in both subject matter and age range. • Brown Bird, Jane Arthur (Penguin Random House New Zealand) • Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat, Li Chen (Penguin Random House New Zealand) • The Apprentice Witnesser, Bren MacDibble (Allen & Unwin) • The Raven's Eye Runaways, Claire Mabey (Allen & Unwin) • Violet and the Velvets: The Case of the Missing Stuff, Rachael King, illustrated by Phoebe Morris (Allen & Unwin) Young Adult Fiction Award For an age group that can smell insincerity from a mile away, the judges found it heartening to see writing that triumphed for the YA reader and managed to be deeply emotional but never cloying or sentimental. • Bear, Kiri Lightfoot, illustrated by Pippa Keel Situ (Allen & Unwin) • Gracehopper, Mandy Hager (One Tree House) • Migration, Steph Matuku (Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Mutunga) (Huia Publishers) • The Mess of Our Lives, Mary-anne Scott (One Tree House) • The Paradise Generation, Sanna Thompson (umop apisdn press) Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction These pukapuka were chosen for their engaging writing, captivating illustration and range of perspectives. The judges felt they exemplify the different ways we can connect with non-fiction information and narratives. • Black Magic, David Riley, illustrated by Munro Te Whata (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Makefu) (Reading Warrior) • Dear Moko: Māori Wisdom for our Young Ones, Hinemoa Elder (Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāi Takoto, Ngāpuhi nui tonu) (Penguin Random House New Zealand) • Ruru: Night Hunter, Katie Furze, illustrated by Ned Barraud (Scholastic New Zealand) • The Treaty of Waitangi, Ross Calman (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, Kāi Tahu) (Oratia Books) • Tui Pea Luva, by Mele Tonga Grant, illustrated by Luca Walton (Mila's Books) Russell Clark Award for Illustration These books feature collage, dreamy, Japanese woodblock-like composition, a waiata-evocative weaving of the abstract, watercolour and cartoon-like illustration. The judges believe these finalists showcase the sheer depth of the illustrator's craft to be found in New Zealand publishing right now. • Alice and the Strange Bird, Isaac du Toit (Isaac du Toit) • Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro, illustrated by Rehua Wilson (Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa), written by Elizabeth Gray (Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Uepōhatu, Tama Ūpoko ki te awa tipua, Ngāti Tūwharetoa anō hoki) (Huia Publishers) • Poem for Ataahua, illustrated by Sarah Wilkins, written by Alistair Teariki Campbell (Reading Warrior) • Sad Sushi, Anna Aldridge (Anna Aldridge) • You Can't Pat a Fish, Ruth Paul (Walker Books Australia) Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Awards From retellings of pūrākau to contemporary kaupapa, the judges found that this year's Kura Pounamu entries, both written originally in te reo or translated from English, showed great understanding and engagement with te ao Māori as well as fluid, sophisticated use of the language supported by skilful, sensitive illustration. • A Ariā me te Atua o te Kūmara, Witi Ihimaera (Te Whānau a Kai, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Ngāti Porou), illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu), translated by Hēni Jacob (Ngāti Raukawa) (Penguin Random House New Zealand) • *Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro, Elizabeth Gray (Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Uepōhatu, Tama Ūpoko ki te awa tipua, Ngāti Tūwharetoa anō hoki), illustrated by Rehua Wilson (Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa) (Huia Publishers) • Ka mātoro a Whetū rāua ko Kohu i Rotorua, Hayley Elliott-Kernot, translated by Te Ingo Ngaia (Taranaki, Ngāruahine, Te Ātiawa, Waikato-Maniapoto, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Whānau-a-Karuai ) (Round Door Design) • Ko ngā Whetū Kai o Matariki, ko Tupuānuku rāua ko Tupuārangi, Miriama Kamo (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga), illustrated by Zak Waipara (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata), translated by Ariana Stevens (Poutini Ngāi Tahu) (Scholastic New Zealand) • * Ngā Kupenga a Nanny Rina, Qiane Matata-Sipu (Te Waiohua, Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pikiao, Cook Islands), illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu) (Penguin Random House New Zealand) * Indicates a finalist book originally written in te reo Māori NZSA Best First Book Award These shortlisted titles cover all age groups and genres. The judges praised their richly textured, wrap-around storytelling, captivating world-building, evocative illustration and powerful messages of authenticity, inclusion, aroha and fun. • Brave Kāhu and the Pōrangi Magpie, Shelley Burne-Field (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Rārua, Te Ātiawa, Sāmoa) (Allen & Unwin) • Play Wild, Rachel Clare (Bateman Books) • The Raven's Eye Runaways, Claire Mabey (Allen & Unwin) • The Witch of Maketu and the Bleating Lambs, Anika Moa (Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri), illustrated by Rebecca ter Borg (Penguin Random House New Zealand) • The Writing Desk, Di Morris (Bateman Books) As well as acknowledging the best and brightest in books for children and teens, a core mission of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults is fostering literacy and a love of reading among New Zealand's tamariki and rangatahi. This includes a programme of large-scale Books Alive events, in which finalist authors and illustrators bring the magic of books to life at sessions for school children. This year, thanks to the generous support of the Mātātuhi Foundation, for the first time a day of joyous Books Alive fun will be held for Palmerston North and Manawatū school children on Tuesday 22 July, alongside events in Invercargill (30 July), Christchurch (8August) and Wellington (13 August). The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults also administers the ever-popular HELL Reading Challenge, which has now been running for over a decade. Last year over 800 schools and libraries around the motu took part in the programme and more than 340,000 pizza wheels were distributed, leading to an estimated 2.3 million books read. The formidable task of narrowing the field to a shortlist of finalists was met by this year's experienced English and bilingual judging panel: Convenor of judges Feana Tu'akoi, a Kirikiriroa-based writer; Don Long, a children's and educational publishing expert; Linda Jane Keegan, a Singaporean-Pākehā writer and reviewer; Stacy Gregg (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Pukeko, Ngāti Maru Hauraki), recipient of the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the 2024 NZCYA awards; and Mero Rokx (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tai), an education specialist who is on the English-language and bilingual panel, as well as Te Kura Pounamu panel. They were joined by a separate panel especially appointed to judge te reo Māori entries: Convenor Mat Tait (Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Kuia), a freelance artist, illustrator, writer and te reo Māori tutor based in the Motueka area; Justice-Manawanui Arahanga-Pryor (Ngāti Awa ki Rangitaiki, Ngāti Uenuku, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki), a kaitakawaenga / library programming specialist; and Maxine Hemi (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne), a kaiako with over 30 years' experience teaching. The New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults and their associated programmes are made possible through the generosity, commitment and vision of funders and partners: Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, the Wright Family Foundation, LIANZA Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa, Wellington City Council, BookHub presented by Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand, New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa, the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, the Mātātuhi Foundation, and NielsenIQ BookData. The Awards are administered by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa. Notes: Key Date: The winners will be announced in Wellington on Wednesday 13 August. The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are a unique celebration of the contribution New Zealand's children's authors and illustrators make to building national identity and cultural heritage. Awards are made in seven categories: Picture Book (the BookHub Award), Junior Fiction (the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award), Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction (the Elsie Locke Award), Illustration (the Russell Clark Award), Te Reo Māori (the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Awards) and Best First Book (the NZSA Award). The main category awards carry prize money of $8,500 and the Best First Book winner receives $2,500. The overall prize, the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award, carries a further prize of $8,500. The awards are governed by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa (a registered charity). Current members of the Trust are Nicola Legat (chair), Richard Pamatatau, Garth Biggs, Elena de Roo, Renée Rowland, Laura Caygill, and Suzy Maddox. The Trust also governs the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day. Creative New Zealand has been a sustaining partner of New Zealand's book awards for decades. The national arts development agency of the New Zealand government encourages, promotes and supports the arts in New Zealand for the benefit of all New Zealanders through funding, capability building, an international programme, and advocacy. Creative New Zealand provides a wide range of support to New Zealand literature, including funding for writers and publishers, residencies, literary festivals and awards, and supports organisations which work to increase the readership and sales of New Zealand literature at home and internationally. HELL Pizza was established in 1996 and now has 78 outlets throughout New Zealand. HELL has been proud to sponsor the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults for over a decade. Known for doing things a little differently, in 2014 the company initiated the awards-associated HELL Reading Challenge, which encourages kiwi kids to swap screen time for stories by rewarding a love of reading with pizza. The programme rewards students with a free 333 kids' pizza once they have read seven books, because, HELL says, getting kids into reading 'is worth going to Hell for'. In 2024, 814 schools and public libraries around New Zealand took part and over 340,000 pizza wheels were distributed, which means that more than 2.3 million books were potentially read by Kiwi kids as a result. The Wright Family Foundation 's goal of 'growing the good' in New Zealand Aotearoa means literacy features prominently in its aspirations for the country's youth. Founder, the late Chloe Wright, was delighted to have the Foundation support the mahi of the New Zealand Books Awards for Children and Young Adults, believing that reading creates imagination, ultimately leading to the emergence of writers. 'Books, whether read or written, bring centuries of people together. Through the written word we gain tolerance and understanding, enabling us to share in the cultures, histories, myths, and magical spaces in time,' she said. The Foundation also supports Kids' Lit Quiz and the New Zealand Spelling Bee. LIANZA Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa, the association for library and information professionals in New Zealand, introduced the country's first award for children's fiction, establishing the Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award in 1945. LIANZA added other awards over the years including the Russell Clark Award for Illustration in 1975 and the Elsie Locke Non-fiction Award in 1986. Te Kura Pounamu Award for books written in te reo Māori was established in 1996, in partnership with Te Rōpū Whakahau. In 2016 the LIANZA Children and Young Adult Book Awards were merged with the Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, strengthening the long legacy of the LIANZA Awards. Wellington City Council 's Arts Strategy Te Aho Tini is about artists and writers being central to Wellington City, working on some of the city's biggest challenges and generating connected, inclusive communities. Te Aho Tini seeks to support and celebrate writing and illustration within future careers. Founded in 1921, Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand is the national association for bookshops. It helps booksellers grow and succeed through education, information, advocacy, marketing campaigns – such as Bookshop Day – and services – such as BookHub. Launched in 2023, BookHub is an e-commerce platform that enables people to browse books, buy books and find local bookshops, directly connecting readers with independent bookstores across the motu. Local bookshops are essential community hubs, and champions of Aotearoa New Zealand books and of the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (NZSA) was established in 1934 as the New Zealand PEN Centre and remains the principal organisation for writers in Aotearoa today. Now representing over 1,800 writers, NZSA advocates for authors' rights and incomes, acts as a communications hub, administers prizes and awards, and runs a raft of digital and in-person professional development programmes and assessment and mentoring opportunities that support writers at all stages of their writing journeys. The Society works closely with industry partners and collaborates widely across the sector to advance the visibility and readership of NZ writers and NZ writing. NZSA is a non-profit Incorporated Society and registered charity, governed by a Board, with 8 regional branches, Ngā Kaituhi Māori, a growing Youth Writers Network, and a national office. The National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa helps all New Zealanders access and use the collective knowledge of the nation. It's their job to collect, connect, and co-create knowledge to power Aotearoa. The National Library has long supported literacy and learning, and recent reading initiatives related to its 'Growing a Nation of Readers' strategy include Communities of Readers and Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador. Award-winning author Kate De Goldi has been appointed as the third Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador from June 2025. Kate will advocate for and champion the importance of reading in the lives of young New Zealanders, their whānau and communities. In 2025 The National Library is supporting the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults by hosting its Books Alive events in the multipurpose spaces of the Tiakiwai Conference Centre facility on the Wellington premises. The Mātātuhi Foundation was established by the Auckland Writers Festival in 2018 to support the growth and development of New Zealand's literary landscape. To achieve this outcome, the Foundation funds literary projects that have the potential to develop sustainable literary platforms that help grow awareness and readership of New Zealand books and writers, increase engagement with New Zealand children's literature, or build access to, and awareness of, New Zealand's literary legacy. In 2025, the Mātātuhi Foundation has provided a second year of funding to enable the expansion of the Books Alive programme – which engages finalist authors in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults with tamariki and rangatahi in a series of large-scale immersive events – to four centres around the country. NielsenIQ BookData provides a range of services to the book industry internationally, aiding the discovery and purchase, distribution and sales measurement of books. The company employs more than 100 staff and has offices in 17 countries, including New Zealand and Australia. NielsenIQ BookData is wholly owned by NIQ.
RNZ News
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
More than hockey
Ruamata: It's More Than Hockey (the first documentary ever to be entirely in Te Reo Māori) was a remarkable story of pride, passion, and determination capturing the journey of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ruamata's rise to the upper echelons of hockey in Aotearoa, as they became the first Māori immersion school in a century to compete in the prestigious Rankin Cup. It was the subject of an RNZ online series and was nominated for Best Documentary Series and won Best Māori Programme at the New Zealand TV Awards. Ruamata Series Two is back, and this season it's definitely more than hockey. The hockey players are taking their skills and language further afield to South Africa. Ruamata 2 is released at 5pm on Monday on Series Producer Kereama Wright talks to Mihi.
