At the Nga Whetu O Matariki Awards 2019 held in Auckland on July 4, legendary country singer Dennis Marsh received a Te Mata o te Ariki special award for his outstanding contribution to music.

The Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Hine descendant has released 20 albums, two No.1s, four gold albums and six platinum albums. That impressive record includes his latest, ‘Backyard Party’, which was released in 2018 and has since achieved a massive 300,000 sales after debuting at No.1 on the NZ Album Charts.

The Ngā Whetū o Matariki Awards honour and celebrate extraordinary Māori talent and achievement in a range of fields.