Dame Hinewehi Mohi 2024 NZ Music Hall of Fame Inductee

A pivotal force in the widespread revitalisation of te reo Māori in contemporary song and on Aotearoa's airwaves, Dame Hinewehi Mohi (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tūhoe) has been announced as the Recorded Music NZ Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa | NZ Music Hall of Fame inductee for 2024. Dame Hinewehi's many significant achievements include her defining performance of ‘God Defend New Zealand’ in te reo at a Rugby World Cup match in 1999 — which sparked "renewed debate around the use of te reo in Aotearoa, and ultimately normalised the singing of our national song in both Māori and English" — initiating the ongoing Waiata Anthems project enabling new te reo versions of homegrown hits, and her double-platinum, all te reo 1999 debut album with Jaz Coleman Oceania, "the first contemporary Māori language album to be released internationally."

Dame Hinewehi Mohi will be inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame at the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony on Thursday 30th May — to be live streamed via RNZ and across related social media channels from 6pm, available via TVNZ+ from 31st May.

"I think being able to connect with New Zealanders and to help them to find a place where they are comfortable and proud about singing along to a waiata and being part of our rich cultural heritage, has been the most exciting aspect of my musical career. I love sharing with others, it makes it meaningful and we see how the power of music really works." — Dame Hinewehi Mohi

“Hinewehi is one of the most insightful, influential and passionate people I have ever met. Her vision is inspirational and her energy is infectious. Hinewehi’s simple but powerful idea to create Waiata Anthems has made a huge impact on the New Zealand music industry and Aotearoa as a whole. It energised the movement focussed on building a successful bilingual music industry and introduced te reo Māori to the widest possible audience. Throughout her career, Hinewehi has shown us what’s possible and reminded us to never stop dreaming big and keep fighting for what is right. It’s Hinewehi’s leadership that has illuminated the path for us to follow.” — Adam Holt, head of Universal Music NZ

Experience the video for 'Kotahitanga', from Dame Hinewehi Mohi and Jaz Coleman's 1999 album Oceania...