Winners of the 2022 NZ Radio Awards were announced late July, including a couple of special awards that reflect the strides toward greater domestic inclusivity made over the last few decades. 

An award for Outstanding Contribution to Radio was made to Dame Hinewehi Mohi, recognising her tenacious work as a champion for Te Reo Māori in the local music industry.

A second Outstanding Contribution to Radio award went to former NZ On Air Music Manager Brendan Smyth, who notably described the commercial radio landscape back in the 1990s as a “New Zealand music desert”. The percentage of local music being played back then was under 2% and Smyth was applauded for the path he laid to get where we are in 2022, with those figures having risen to well over 20% on several major stations in recent years.