Despite its relatively small population, New Zealand is a diverse powerhouse for music, boasting a rich tapestry of great bands, and solo artists across various genres.
Today, we'll look at the most famous singing Kiwis and the music that made them famous. We've listed them here in alphabetical order, but please let us know if we've missed any of your favourites.
Anika Moa
Anika Moa was born in Auckland but grew up in Christchurch. She showed musical talent from a young age, and by the age of 18, she'd been signed to Warner Music New Zealand.
She was still a teenager when her demo tapes caught the attention of major record labels, including Atlantic Records in the United States, who signed her to work on her debut album.
Moa's music is a unique blend that seamlessly weaves together folk, pop, and rock, while also incorporating traditional Maori music's influences.
Her most famous songs include “Youthful” and “Good in My Head” from her debut album “Thinking Room” as well as “In the Morning”, “Dreams in My Head”, and “Running Through the Fire (Storm)”.
Bic Runga
Bic Runga is one of New Zealand's most famous singer-songwriters. She was born in 1976 in Christchurch to a Maori father and a Chinese Malaysian mother, with her multicultural background playing an important role in her music.
Growing up, Runga's family was also musical. Her mother and her sisters were also very musical. Though Runga started with the drums, she later picked up the guitar and the piano.
Her music features her evocative voice, memorable melodies, introspective lyrics, and minimalist musical arrangements.
She found breakthrough success with her debut album “Drive.”
Bic Runga's most famous songs include “Sway”, “Drive”, “Listening for the Weather”, and “Get Some Sleep”.
Brooke Fraser
Brooke Gabrielle Fraser was born in 1983 in Wellington. She's the daughter of All Black Bernie Fraser, a Winger who played for Wellington.
At the age of 18, Brooke moved to Auckland to pursue a career in music. She quickly gained attention for her songwriting and voice and ended up with a record deal from Sony Music New Zealand.
Her debut album, "What to Do with Daylight", released in 2003, was a massive hit in New Zealand and went seven times platinum.
Her music is known for its lyrical depth, Fraser's emotive voice, strong melodies, and pop, folk, and alternative rock influences.
Her most famous songs include “Something in the Water”, “Deciphering Me”, “Shadowfeet”, and “Albertine”.
Dave Dobbyn
Dave Dobbyn is a singer-songwriter from Auckland. He was born in 1957, and while he did not initially intend to become one of New Zealand's best musicians, he found early success as a member of the band Th' Dudes.
Th' Dudes included Dobbyn's schoolmates Peter Urlich, Ian Morris, Lez White, and Bruce Hambling, becoming famous for their catchy rock songs and energetic live performances.
Th' Dudes' most famous songs include “Be Mine Tonight” and “Bliss”.
After Th' Dudes, Dobbyn formed the band DD Smash. This band was also successful, with songs like "Outlook for Thursday" and "Whaling".
In the mid-1980s, Dobbyn's solo career started to take off, making him one of New Zealand's most famous artists. As a solo artist, his most popular songs include “Slice of Heaven”, “Loyal”, “Beside You”, and “Magic What She Do”.
Gin Wigmore
Gin Wigmore was born in Auckland in 1986. She was passionate about music from a young age. She started taking her music far more seriously when her father died from cancer when she was just 16 years old.
In 2004, she won the International Songwriting Competition Grand Prize with her song "Hallelujah", which she wrote after her father's death.
Her music includes rock, blues, pop, and soul sounds and is recognisable for Gin Wigmore's distinctive raspy voice and deeply personal lyrics.
Her most famous songs include “Under My Skin”, “Oh My”, “Black Sheep”, and “Man Like That”.
Hollie Smith
Hollie Smith was born in Auckland in 1982. She grew up in a musical family, with her father being a jazz musician. At age 16, she was already performing with various bands and establishing herself as a vocalist. Her music combines elements of soul, jazz, blues, and R&B.
She found fame collaborating with one of New Zealand's most prominent groups, Fat Freddy's Drop, for their single "Hope". This contribution drew a lot of attention, and Smith was signed to a major record label.
Her most famous songs include "Bathe in the River", "Philosophy", "Fallen Flowers", and "Brother".
Kimbra
Kimbra is a singer-songwriter from Hamilton. She gained international recognition for her performance on Gotye's global hit song “Somebody That I Used to Know”.
Kimbra's music blends pop, art pop, R&B, soul, jazz, funk, and electronic music. Her performances are often theatrical and visually compelling complete with elaborate costumes, choreography, and stage design.
Her most famous songs include “Settle Down”, “Cameo Lover”, “90s Music”, “Miracle”, “Top of the World”, and “Everybody Knows”.
Ladyhawke
Phillipa "Pip" Brown is a singer-songwriter born in Masterton but grew up in the nearby town of Carterton. Her stage name is Ladyhawke.
Her mother was a singer, and her stepfather was a drummer. She started learning to play the guitar as a teenager. Still, she became interested in electronic music and taught herself to use synths and drum machines.
Brown had been involved in the bands Two Lane Blacktop and Teenager. When Teenager disbanded in the mid-2000s, she decided to pursue a solo career. She chose the stage name Ladyhawke and started writing songs that combined new wave, indie rock, and electronic music.
Her most famous songs include “My Delirium”, “Paris Is Burning”, “Dusk Till Dawn”, and “Magic”.
Lorde
Born Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor but known by her stage name, Lorde is arguably one of New Zealand's most famous singers.
She was born in Devonport, Auckland, and her talent was evident from a young age. She was signed by Universal Music Group from a young age.
Her music could be defined as minimalist pop, stripping traditional pop music to its essential parts with sparse beats, simple melodies, and a powerful yet haunting sound.
Lorde found global success with her debut single, "Royals", in 2013. The song topped the charts in many countries, including the US, where she was the youngest solo artist to gain a number-one single in 25 years, establishing it as one of New Zealand's best ever songs.
In addition to “Royals”, her other famous songs include “Team”, “Tennis Court”, “Green Light”, and “Liability”.
Marlon Williams
Marlon Williams is a singer-songwriter from Christchurch who grew up in Lyttelton.
His father, David Williams, was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who helped inspire Marlon by exposing him to various types of music. Marlon Williams grew up listening to Maori waiata, Elvis Presley, and a vast range of music.
Marlon Williams' music includes elements of country, folk, blues, indie rock, and classical music. It's recognisable for Williams' rich, resonant voice, emotional storytelling, and cinematic quality of the sound.
William's most famous songs include "Hello Miss Lonesome", "Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore", and "I Wonder Why".
Nadia Reid
Nadia Reed is a singer-songwriter famous for her music, which combines folk, indie, and alternative rock. She was born in Dunedin but raised in the small coastal town of Port Chalmers.
Reid's musical breakthrough came with her debut album, "Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs", in 2014. The album was critically acclaimed and praised for its mature songwriting and Reid's evocative voice.
Some of her most famous songs include “Call the Days”, “Richard”, and “Best Thing”.
Ria Hall
Ria Hall is a singer-songwriter from Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region. She grew up immersed in Maori traditions and language, which impacted and inspired her music.
She was an active member of her community, working as a television presenter for the Maori Television network before she pursued music full-time.
Hall gained attention when she performed at the 2011 Rugby World Cup opening ceremony, singing the New Zealand national anthem in Maori and English.
After this, she released her self-titled debut EP, which was well-received and established her as a rising star.
Her most famous songs include ""Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō", "Best Thing", "Te Ahi Kai Pō", and "Tell Me".
Stan Walker
Stan Walker is a New Zealand-Australian singer, actor, and TV personality. He was born in Melbourne, Australia, but grew up in Tauranga, New Zealand.
He is of Maori descent and had a troubling upbringing. However, he found refuge in music, particularly gospel, R&B, and soul.
He appeared on Australian Idol in 2009, performing "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen and "Purple Rain" by Prince. His performances helped him to win the competition. After that, he was given a recording contract with Sony Music Australia.
His most famous songs include “Black Box”, “Unbroken”, “Light It Up”, and “Take It Easy”.
Tami Neilson
Tami Nelson is a singer-songwriter originally from Canada. She grew up as a member of The Neilsons, a family band that performed in North America.
In 2007, Neilson married a Kiwi and moved to New Zealand to become a solo artist. She found fame and critical acclaim with her 2014 album, "Dynamite!"
She's one of New Zealand's most famous country singers.
Her famous songs include: “Walk (Back to Your Arms)”, “Lonely”, “Stay Outta My Business”, and “Queenie, Queenie”.
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you didn’t include Jaedyn Randell