Pacific Music Awards Lifetime Achievement awarded to Will Crummer

Media release
3 August 2026

(Photo Credit:  WOMAD 2011, Trevor Villers)

The Pacific Music Awards Trust is proud to announce the 2026 Ministry for Pacific Peoples Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to pioneering Cook Islands musician Will Crummer.

Will is best known to many music fans as frontman of the Royal Rarotongans, alongside Pepe and the Rarotongans, a trailblazing Cook Islands group that became a fixture of Auckland's Polynesian music scene in the 1960s.  Decades later, his passion for performing remained undiminished. In January 2015, he took to the stage aboard HMNZS Otago, performing to an audience of around 10,000 with his daughter, Annie Crummer, by his side.

Born in Rarotonga, Will grew up in the village of Turangi speaking Cook Islands Maori, Te Reo Maori Kuki Airani, as his first language. His mother led the church choir, and it was her influence, alongside the Rarotongan string bands he heard locally, and the American pop stars like Pat Boone and Nat King Cole on the radio, that shaped the singing style he would make his own.

In his teens he formed a vocal group and would sing wherever he could, with a favourite spot being the top of a coconut tree – and was soon a regular winner at local talent quests.  At 20, Will left Rarotonga for New Zealand for a concreting job his brother had arranged, a shoebox of hand-written Rarotongan songs among his belongings so they would never be forgotten.

He settled into Auckland life fronting his own band, performing at The Orange Ballroom and The Reefcomber, signing to the Viking label and releasing Rarotonga as Will Crummer and the Seastars in 1962, followed by Romantic Rarotonga, Cook Islands Magic and Love Songs of Polynesia as Will Crummer and the Royal Rarotongans.

As his family grew, Will stepped away from professional music to provide for his children, David and Annie.  Luckily, music ran in the family. Annie went on to become one of Aotearoa's most recognised singers, while David built a career as a bassist and vocalist in Australia, opening his own recording studio.  And it was a trip to this very studio that reignited Will's musical singing career, old shoebox of hand-written songs in tow, where these songs were first recorded. What came out of those sessions led to a collaboration with, musician and writer Nick Bollinger and songwriter Arthur Baysting.  With funding from Creative New Zealand, the pair produced Shoebox Lovesongs – The Rarotongan Music of Will Crummer along with an accompanying documentary 'Songs for a Bigger Island'.  Its release reignited Will's career, leading to performances at WOMAD, the World Music Festival in Penang 2011 and the Ukulele Festival in 2014. And Will has continued performing to this day.

Pacific Music Awards Trustee Petrina Togi-Sa’ena says the Trust is thrilled to honour Will's career and legacy with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Will Crummer epitomises what it means to have a life long career in music. He has a charismatic personality and vibrant energy that shines through every performance, bringing so much joy to everyone," says Togi-Sa'ena.
“It's important for all of us, especially our next generation and the Cook Islands community, to have Will Crummer celebrated and recognised.
"Will has made a significant contribution by creating and recording music in the language and sound of his beloved Rarotonga – treasures from a past era that are now rare for us all to enjoy.  Thank you, Will, for your love of performing, for sharing your culture and your love of family with us all. 

When the Trust spoke with Will Crummer about the award, he was lost for words and was very happy and thankful for the recognition.  And in true Will style, he had more questions about the performance, than about the award itself. His family are very humbled and proud for their Dad to recognised with this award. 

Annie Crummer shared that her Dad hasn’t been honoured like this before so he doesn’t quite realise the magnitude of this award.  “He is so rare. There are so many stories and layers to Dad’s story. I can’t put it into words but performing is what Dad knows and his focus is on the performance. All he can do is his best – with what he does best.  And if he does a good performance, then he is serving, that is what he has taught me.” 

The Pacific Music Awards will take place on Wednesday 12 August 2026 at the Due Drop Events Centre, Manukau. Will Crummer will perform on the night alongside 2026 finalists Sam V, A.R.T, Island Vibes, Kenzie from Welly, JAHBOY, Jaro Local, Wameblood and more.

Tickets are on sale via Eventfinda, with the official PMA26 Finalist Playlist and finalist profiles here. The awards will be live streamed by Tagata Pasifika on TP+ and shared across the Pacific by Pasifika TV.

The Pacific Music Awards are a powerful celebration of the artists, storytellers and cultural leaders who enrich Aotearoa's music landscape.

This year, the Pacific Music Awards Trust is inviting the wider community to play a part in keeping that legacy strong, partnering with Koha for a fundraising campaign to support the awards.
Every contribution, no matter the size, helps ensure Pacific artists continue to be recognised, celebrated and inspired.

For those who value the impact Pacific music has had on generations of listeners, it's an opportunity to give back and help safeguard an important platform that shines a spotlight on Pacific talent, culture and creativity for years to come. Support the campaign here.
ENDS
Issued for the Pacific Music Awards by Pead
Contact
Lotte Corrigan | 027 500 2800 | [email protected]

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