The winners of the 2026 Taite Music Prize and related awards were announced on April 29, in a ceremony held at the recently opened NZ International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Tāmaki Makaurau.

The Taite Music Prize was awarded to Marlon Williams for his 2025 album ‘Te Whare Tīwekaweka’, which has previously been distinguished with lead single Aua Atu Rā winning the 2025 APRA Silver Scroll Award in October last year.

Co-written with KOMMI (Te Pononga Tamati-Elliffe), ‘Te Whare Tīwekaweka’ is a deeply personal and expansive body of work, with Williams drawing on te reo Māori as a creative framework for themes of connection, identity, and whakapapa. In collaboration with Kommi, who contributed to its lyrical and linguistic shaping, the album is framed by the concept of ‘a messy house’ – a metaphor for the warmth, complexity, and the continual evolution of Māori identity and home. 

Joining via a recorded acceptance speech from Norway, where he’s on tour, Williams acknowledged the late Dylan Taite for his legacy.

“Not only for this award, but for the incredible standard you brought to journalism in NZ. Thank you very much to my fellow musicians – incredible music you all put out this year – very honoured to be amongst your number. Kommi, without your help, I wouldn’t have made this record at all. Thanks for representing this record in the room.”

Following Mokotron’s win in 2025, this is the second consecutive year Māori-led projects have been recognised across the Taite Music Prize’s contemporary categories, and Kommi’s speech in acceptance of the Taite trophy, on behalf of Marlon Williams, was a notable first fully delivered in te reo Māori.

Staged by Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ) the 2026 ceremony was a step up for the Taite Music Prize, the first time it has been ticketed and open to the public, the 500 tickets issued allowing for the event’s expansion into the NZICC’s Te Paepae theatre.

With a handful of MPs among the audience there was evident admonishment of the current political landscape in a number of the speeches, as well as the live performances, which included previous Taite winners MOKOTRON and Byllie-Jean (2025 Best Independent Debut award) – continuing the Taite Music Prize tradition of honouring past recipients through live performance.

The main prize winner was announced by Chris Van De Geer (representing Recorded Music NZ) and Mokotoron, (Tiopira McDowell) who reflected on the past year since he won of the 2025 Taite Music Prize as being “…the wildest 12 months of my life,” adding that he’s achieved so many musical dreams that he’d previously given up on.

Four other awards were also presented…

The Auckland Live Best Independent Debut award went to Geneva AM for her bilingual debut album ‘Pikipiki’, which spans classical, dance, hiko, and emo rock influences, alongside originals and reimagined versions of Aotearoa favourites. Also among the finalists for the Taite Music Prize itself, Geneva accepted the award with a considered, poetic and often hilarious speech, finishing with; “We need to stay united, keep creating, and continue enjoying the art of tinkering—free all occupied territories.”

The Independent Spirit award was presented to Auckland operational legend Carmel Bennett, whose “say yes, figure it out later” ethos has shaped a career spanning almost every corner of the music industry — from lighting and production through to artist management. Across decades of work, she has played a pivotal role in landmark events, including Big Day Out and Soundsplash, as well as formative years at The Powerstation. More recently she has been helping musicians and crew through her work with MusicHelps, continuing a career-long support of the wider music community. “I spent many years having a cup of tea with Dylan Taite in the back bar of the Powerstation. So this is really special to me,” said Bennett in her acceptance speech.

The NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award went to Rosa Nevison, Flynn Robson, and Sam Elliott for their Newzician magazine. Newzician is an independent print magazine founded by the three friends from Ōtepoti, which documents our music culture as an interconnected ecosystem, and has now published four issues. 

Announced previously, the Independent Music NZ Classic Record Award was presented to The Mint Chicks for their 2006 album ‘Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!’ recognised for its lasting impact on Aotearoa’s alternative music landscape and influence on successive generations of artists. (Ruban Nielson was missing due to a current tour with his Portland-based act UMO.)

Recorded in a DIY garage studio, the album pushed NZ pop and punk into more experimental territories, defined by abrasive textures, fractured structures, and a rejection of conventional polish. It earned five Tūī trophies at the 2007 Vodafone NZ Music Awards – Best Group, Album of the Year, Rock Album of the Year and Best Music Video, with Ruban Nielson also winning the trophy for Best Cover artwork..

Chris Nielson, father of singer/pianist and producer Kody and guitarist Ruban, who joined three of the band members on stage, reflected on the making of ‘Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!’ as an intention to create “a punk album dressed as candy.” In accepting the award bassist Michael Logie noted, “Kody made this in a garage, so that’s independent music – stay together, help each other.”