First Artists Receive Mandatory Artist Creation Fee For Their Songs

The very first music artists to receive a mandatory Artist Creation Fee have been announced by NZ On Air.

A total of 32 artists have been funded in this latest New Music Single funding round, with $10,000 going to support their recording, video and promotion costs and a mandatory $1,000 going direct to the artist.

The mandatory Artist Creation Fee was introduced in January 2024 as a way that NZ On Air could ensure homegrown musicians directly benefit from their creative endeavour, on top of the allocated funding to record their song and promote it.

“This change came out of our 2023 Review of Music,” says Teresa Patterson, NZ On Air Head of Music. “It was a really indepth review of all of our funding and what it highlighted was that career and financial sustainability was a huge challenge for artists in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

A 10 percent Artist Creation Fee was introduced earlier in 2020, however it was optional and part of the overall total funding approved.

“What we noticed over the years is that artists were not taking up the option of the fee but everyone else involved in the recording and promotion of the single or project was being paid,” says Patterson. “So it was clear the fee needed to be mandatory and added on top of each New Music funding grant, to ensure that the artist was also being paid for their craft. This is the very first cohort of artists that will receive that.”

The Review of NZ On Air’s Music Funding was conducted over six months by Victoria Kelly. Kelly interviewed a wide cross section of music professionals from across the industry to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the music industry in Aotearoa New Zealand – and then examined the role and efficacy of NZ On Air Music’s funding initiatives within that.

NZ On Air received 219 eligible applications for this latest round and one-third of the funded songs come from first time recipients of NZ On Air New Music Single funding. Of the 32 funded artists, over 60% of the successful applicants identified as female, mixed gender group or gender diverse. Funding was also spread around artists based throughout Aotearoa creating a wide range of music.

Funding Decisions
Alba Rose - Subside (Wasting My Days)
Altercation - Destination
Arahi - We've Seen Better Days
Avish - Dhoop (sunlight)
Black Comet - Oooh Yeah Baby
Brandn Shiraz - Manea
Brody Leigh - Overdue
CRYSTAL - Past Life
deepState - Games
Dera Meelan, Caru - See No Evil feat. Church & deadforest
ELENA - A Little Bit feat. Jaevan
Emma Dilemma - Ready or Not
Gracie Moller - Fun!
hanbee - days months years
Jazmine Mary - In a field
Jujulipps - Nightshift
Kédu Carlö - But, I Can't
Leonard Simpson Duo - Bang Bang Boogie feat. The Movement
Marlin's Dreaming - Lucky Star
Myshaan - Summer Serenade
Neil MacLeod - I Need A Battle
Noah Slee - dreaming
Phodiso - Troublemaker
Phoebe Rings - Drifting
PONZ - Spinning
Rita Mae - Kiss The Sky
Soft Plastics - Drown!
TE KAAHU - I Roto I Te Poo, I Roto I Te Ao
T. G. Shand - Scenes
Tom Lark - Dumb Luck
Tusekah - Baby's Breath
Womb - Only You

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