​P A c i f i c     M U s i c     A w a R d s     t r u s t
​

​PACIFIC MUSIC AWARDS - Celebrating Pacific Music
TAUTUA PROGRAMME  - ADVOCACY & SUPPORT FOR THE pACIFIC MUSIC COMMUNITY
​HIVA FOLAU VAKA  - rEVITALISING LANGUAGE THROUGH MUSIC

​The Pacific Music Awards Trust are dedicated to celebrating Pacific music and we are looking forward to the 2026 awards ceremony which will be held on Wednesday 12 August, Due Drop Events Centre, Manukau, Auckland, Aotearoa. 

Finalists for the 2026 Music Awards were officially announced at the Finalist Announcement event held on Monday 22 June at the Mangere Arts Centre.  The Pacific Music Awards welcomed and celebrated 33 artists confirmed as finalists, reflecting the depth of Pacific music with the diverse cultures, languages and genres represented.  For more  information, go to the Finalists page on our website.  All the finalists are now eligible for the SunPix People's Choice Award, voting is open now and closes 22 July - vote  now for your favourite Pacific artist.
​
Over 2024 and 2025, the Trust worked on the Hiva Folau Vaka project, creating and recording new original songs in Pacific languages.  This is our legacy project, created to honour the 20th anniversary of the Pacific Music Awards.  It is our contribution to language revitalisation, with the first phase focusing on Vagahau Niue, Te Gagana Tokelau and Te Reo Maori Kuku Airani.  The project involves a village approach, bringing a collective together for three days, with all the elements provided for the artists, including experienced producers, knowledge holders and quality recording studios.  The gatherings were hosted at Big Pop Studios in Auckland and Ahumairangi Studio, Massey University in Wellington.   United as a family, the village of artists, producers and knowledge holders all came together with the common purpose to honour these languages and contribute to their revitalisation. A compilation album of all the songs from the project was released on 28 November 2025.  ​​

​We thank and acknowledge the funding received from NZ On Air, which allowed the project to take place; the partnership with the Centre for Pacific Languages; the support from Big Pop Studios, Massey University, APRA|AMCOS and Universal Music.  Most of all we thank the artists, producers, knowledge holders, engineers and supporters who brought Hiva Folau Vaka to life.

Our Tautua Programme connects us with our families and community, bridging the time between the awards. The 2026 plans began in January with a Music in Parks event, co-presented with Auckland Council, which featured 2025 PMA finalists Brotherhood Musiq, Village90 and artists from the Hiva Folau Vaka project: Vitinia, Jere Snohh and Liana.  Then across two weeks in March, Hiva Folau Vaka artists performed as pre-show entertainment for Fonoti Pati Umaga's arts festival show 'Music Portrait of  a Humble Disabled Samoan' in Auckland and Wellington.  We are now making plans for the Tautua Programme and building collaborations for the next 12-18months; and look forward to sharing updates soon.

  
For more information or if you have any questions please contact the Trust on:  [email protected]​ 

​