New Pan-Asian Music Fund

NZ On Air has announced a new fund to support Pan-Asian musicians in Aotearoa. 

Funding agency New Zealand on Air has been part of the success enjoyed by many Kiwi musicians , and news that NZOA is moving to support the Pan-Asian music community in Aotearoa will be warmly welscomed.

 The NZ On Air New Music Pan-Asian fund is designed to increase the amount of quality Pan-Asian music content available in Aotearoa, and to support artists to connect with Pan-Asian and mainstream audiences.

 “At NZ On Air, we have produced a Music Diversity Report since 2020 that shows Pan-Asian New Zealand musicians are under-represented in the Aotearoa music sector,” says NZ On Air Head of Music, Teresa Patterson.

In 2021/22, the total number of applications to the New Music Single fund from applicants who identified as Asian was 4.14%, up from 3.56% in 2020/21. The number of applicants to the New Music Project fund who identified as Asian dropped from 4% in 2020/21 to zero in 2021/22. There were, however, 4.4% in 2021/22 who identified as European and Asian.

The new fund will open on 4 May 2023 and close on 25 May 2023, during May Music Month.

NZ On Air consulted with Pan-Asian representatives of the Aotearoa music community in developing the fund, including Yee Yang ‘Square’ Lee, an artist manager based in Tāmaki Makaurau and convener of Asian arts movement Where The Asians At‽ (Aotearoa).

“This is well overdue support for our Pan-Asian creative community in Aotearoa,” says Square.

“The overarching feeling from the consultation group that NZ On Air brought together was one of real anticipation. We believe it is the first targeted fund of its kind for Pan-Asian music in Aotearoa.

The fund itself provides up to $10,000 funding towards the costs of recording, marketing and promotion of a single music track – including video production.

It’s open to all musicians in Aotearoa who self-identify as Pan-Asian. as defined by the UN’s ‘M49 Standard’ – covering all of Asia (Central, Eastern, South-Eastern, Southern and Western Asia).

NZ On Air has successfully invested in Pan-Asian screen development and production initiatives previously with the Pan-Asian Screen Collective (PASC), to provide targeted investment to strengthen Pan-Asian participation in the screen sector.

 “That initiative successfully boosted the technical and business capability of Pan-Asian creatives in the screen space,” says Theresa.

For NZOA, the strategy now is to successfully replicate the screen initiatives in the local music scene.

And while musicians around the country will be applauding the decision to establish this kind of funding,  Theresa Patterson is optimistic that the NZ radio sector will also be enthused.

 “That is of course, what we would hope, but as this is the first targeted fund of its kind for the Pan-Asian music community in Aotearoa, it will depend on the applications we receive and what those applicants’ anticipated broadcast outcomes may be.” she says.

 “NZ On Air’s commitment to improving Pan-Asian representation is now something we would like to build on in the music sector.”

 All applications must be made before the deadline of Thursday 25 May, 4pm

Apply at newmusicsingles.nzonair.govt.nz.