Stories Past And Present Take Centre Stage In Latest NZ On Air Funding Round

Projects highlighting contemporary issues and Māori stories, past and present, are among the Non-fiction projects funded in the latest NZ On Air funding round.

Twenty Non-fiction projects have been supported in this latest funding round, with just under $7.8m committed.

“This round has seen an even split between fresh, new programmes with the potential for wide audience reach across multiple platforms, alongside returning series with proven track records and strong viewership,” says NZ On Air Acting Co-Head of Funding, Kelly Davis.

First up is Mozzies, a new series for Whakaata Māori and Māori+ that examines the largest voluntary Māori migration since their arrival in Aotearoa. With one in five Māori now living in Australia, the series interviews a range of Australian-based Māori about life there and keeping the culture alive.

Also for Whakaata Māori and Māori+, Skin Deep explores the stories of those wāhine Māori who regret their decision to wear moko kauae and asks what can be done when a moko is a cause for regret.

The Whales, Rats & Kauri, a new documentary and web series for RNZ, follows a father and son’s mission to restore and protect the world of their ancestors through the near-forgotten traditional practice of whale harvesting.

Offering a glimpse into a more recent historical event, Quarantine Nation captures an oral history of Aotearoa’s COVID-19 lockdowns. This podcast for Stuff looks at the lockdowns from a range of perspectives including the scientific arguments, the political debates, the international viewpoints and the social aspects across the country.

In an in-depth look at a modern-day issue, Jazz Thornton – influencer, mental health advocate and herself a target of stalking – hosts Stalked, for Sky Open, SkyGo and Neon, which follows three individual stories about Aotearoa’s stalking epidemic and discusses the need for stronger laws.

Mental health is also explored in an online comedy series that blends health awareness with humour in The Internet’s Guide to Mental Health from Viva La Dirt League Productions. Each episode delves into a different aspect of mental well-being, tackling serious topics with a distinct brand of Kiwi humour, with the goal of breaking down the stigma around mental health.

Meanwhile, The Elephant is a video series for the NZ Herald hosted by journalists Miriama Kamo and Mark Crysell that explores complex topics that are often avoided due to concerns about offence or controversy.

In sporting themes, Triple Threat (working title) for Sky Open follows three Aotearoa rugby players – Jorja Miller, Maia Joseph and Katelyn Vahaakolo – in the lead-up to their first Women’s Rugby World Cup (WRWC).

New series Coastal Wonders of the South Pacific for TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+ sees host Tom Webster of Grand Designs New Zealand fame reveal the challenges architects and housing communities face amidst the pressures of climate change in the South Pacific region.

Staying with our coastline, Tane Tarlton’s Ocean Adventures for ThreeNow and Three, sees Tane – the grandson of legendary Kiwi explorer and marine environmentalist Kelly Tarlton – explore Aotearoa’s unique marine wildlife and conservation efforts.

In returning series, Sonia Gray is back guiding Kiwi families on journeys of rediscovery in the hugely successful documentary series My Family Mystery 2 for TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+. Season one was the second most popular NZ On Air-funded show in 2024 behind Country Calendar.

Guy Montgomery’s Guy-Mont Spelling Bee 3 returns to Three and ThreeNow for another season and also returning – and funded by NZ On Air for the first time – is First Responders 3, capturing Aotearoa’s emergency workers in action as they respond to urgent calls for help.

Historical expert Dr Vincent O’Malley and iwi historians bring to life the story of the siege of Waerenga-a-Hika and its devastating consequences for the people of Te Tai Rāwhiti in another NZ Wars documentary and podcast series – NZ Wars: Stories of Waerenga-A Hika for RNZ, TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+.

In returning podcast series, The Spinoff’s Juggernaut is back with Juggernaut II: The Story of the Fourth National Government. The series picks up where the successful first Juggernaut series left off, covering the reforms of Prime Minister Jim Bolger and finance minister Ruth Richardson.

Both back for a third series are podcast series No Such Thing as Normal 3, which discusses neurodiversity; and The Good Sex Project 3 which gives listeners a deeper understanding of their sexual and romantic lives.

Toitū te Whenua 2 continues its exploration of te reo Māori place names of Aotearoa for Allied Press/odt.co.nz; while web and podcast series Untold Pacific History 3 returns for a third season on RNZ and The Coconet TV, delving into remarkable events from Pacific history.

And finally, Mānawatia a Matariki 2025 is back with another commercial-free, multi-channel telecast live from Ruapehu that will begin at dawn with the Hautapu Ceremony and Matariki Address.

Funding Details 
Note: All funding commitments are based on the funding applications received and must be contracted within a specified timeframe. Funding is only released, in stages, as contractual commitments are met. Funds committed but not contracted within the specified timeframe are written back and distributed in future funding rounds.

New
Stalked, 3 x 44' Workparty for viewing on Sky Open, Sky Go and Neon, up to $728,681.

Mozzies, 12 x 12', Faultline Films for viewing on Māori+, Whakaata Māori, NZ Herald, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, up to $595,907.

Coastal Wonders of the South Pacific, 6 x 44', Imagination Television for viewing on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+, up to $497,794.

Skin Deep, 6 x 15', Aotearoa Media Collective for viewing on Whakaata Māori, Māori+ and YouTube, up to $333,396.

Triple Threat (working title), 8 x 22', NHNZ Worldwide for viewing on Sky Open, NZR+ and YouTube, up to $327,282.

The Internet’s Guide to Mental Health, 8 x 4’, Viva La Dirt League Productions for viewing on YouTube, VivaPlus, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, up to $257,194.

The Elephant, 12 x 25’, Herd Productions for viewing on NZ Herald as well as AirNZ in-flight entertainment, and social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and TikTok, up to $249,800.

Tane Tarlton’s Ocean Adventures, 8 x 23’, Magnetic Pictures for viewing on ThreeNow and Three, up to $240,000.

The Whales, Rats & Kauri, 7 x 13’, Kimihia Films for viewing on RNZ, Rialto Channel, TP+ and Waatea Digital, up to $235,210.

Quarantine Nation, 8 x 45', Te Pūrongo Productions podcast series for Stuff, Instagram, Spotify and YouTube, up to $184,026.

Returning
My Family Mystery 2, 6 x 44’, Warner Bros. International Television Production NZ for viewing on TVNZ1 and TVNZ +, up to $1,040,820.

Guy Montgomery's Guy-Mont Spelling Bee 3, 8 x 44', Kevin and Co for Three, ThreeNow, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, up to $731,051.

NZ Wars: Stories of Waerenga-a-Hika, 1 x 44’, Aotearoa Media Collective for viewing on RNZ, TVNZ 1, TVNZ+, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, up to $693,015.

First Responders 3, 8 x 44', Screentime NZ for viewing on Three, ThreeNow and YouTube, up to $500,000.

Untold Pacific History 3, 3 x 22’, Tikilounge Productions for viewing on RNZ and The Coconet TV, up to $283,741.

The Good Sex Project 3, 10 x 50' and 4 x 40’, Popsock Media podcast series for RNZ, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and TikTok, up to $263,951.

Mānawatia a Matariki 2025, 1 x 240’, Kahawai Productions for viewing on TVNZ1, TVNZ+, RNZ, Sky Open, Stuff, Three, ThreeNow and Whakaata Māori, up to $250,000.

Juggernaut II: The Story of the Fourth National Government, 6 x 45', The Spinoff podcast series for The Spinoff, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, TikTok and YouTube, up to $216,009.

No Such Thing as Normal 3, 12 x 33' for Team Uniform podcast series for NZ Herald, up to $99,506.

Toitū Te Whenua 2, 8 x 12’, Allied Press for viewing on odt.co.nz, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, up to $35,000.

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