AMA 2026 Te Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year finalists announced
Te Wehi & Hori Shaw, and MĀ to perform
Recorded Music NZ, producer of the Aotearoa Music Awards, has announced the finalists for 2026 Te Iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year.
The artists that burst through the proverbial canopy in 2026 are infectious indie pop group Borderline; alt singer-songwriter, producer and sound artist MĀ; award-winning radio king Shane Walker; and chart-dominating Whakatāne fencer Te Wehi.
The winner of the Breakthrough Tūī is determined based on data illustrating audience growth and commercial performance of recordings in terms of radio airplay and streaming/sales in Aotearoa during the AMA 2026 eligibility period (1 January–31 December 2025).
Borderline are an exciting new act on the climb. Also up for Te Manu Taki Arotini o te Tau | Best Pop Artist alongside Lorde and BENEE, the group released their debut EP Chrysalis in 2025 – which spent seven weeks in the Aotearoa Top 20 Albums Chart. Each track from the release also charted on the Aotearoa Hot 20. They completed a headline tour of Aotearoa, as well as showcases at SXSW (US), The Great Escape (UK), BIGSOUND (Aus), and Rolling Stone Local Legends (Aus), collecting rave reviews via international media. ‘New Romance’ and ‘Tainted’ were both also named Track of the Week on BBC Introducing on Radio 1.
MĀ dropped her bilingual sophomore LP Blame It On The Weather in 2025 to critical acclaim and much student radio play, landing a couple of Aotearoa Hot 20 singles along the way. Her music blends soul, hip hop, neo soul, jazz and te reo Māori, creating immersive, downtempo soundscapes. As well as Breakthrough, the Te Whanganui-a-Tara artist is also a finalist for NZ On Air Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year, Te Māngai Pāho Te Manu Taki Māori o te Tau | Best Māori Artist and Te Manu Taki Whanokē o te Tau | Best Alternative Artist.
Shane Walker blew up the local airwaves and the local Charts with his breakthrough hit ‘Coasty Girl’ in 2025. The track spent a whopping 70 weeks on the Official Top 20 Aotearoa Singles Chart, peaking at #1, where it stayed for 12 weeks. He also shook up the Charts with 2025 releases ‘Whakapara Girl’, ‘Mama’ and ‘Waimā Girl’ – and took home ‘Best Pacific Male Artist’ and ‘Best Pacific Song’ at the 2025 Pacific Music Awards for his 2024 single ‘Believe’.
Te Wehi also proved a mainstay on the Aotearoa Charts in 2025. At peak, he simultaneously held six of the Top 20 positions on the Official Top 20 Aotearoa Singles Chart, and closed the year with five singles in the Top 20 End-of-Year Aotearoa Singles Chart. Having played his first-ever live show last March, by year’s end he was touring with L.A.B, playing the Rhythm & Vines mainstage, and preparing to announce his own headline tour of Aotearoa.
In addition to sharing the finalists for 2026 Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Recorded Music is also thrilled to reveal Te Wehi as one of the first performers for the AMA 2026 event. He will appear with 2025 Breakthrough Artist of the Year winner and fellow AMA 2026 finalist in multiple categories Hori Shaw. The duo will perform their chart-topping hit ‘Ready To Ride’, which spent a total of 11 consecutive weeks at #1 on the Official Aotearoa Top 20 Singles Chart. As announced on 16 April the track is also up for Spotify Te Tino Waiata o te Tau | Single of the Year.
MĀ has also been revealed as a performer for AMA 2026. An autodidact artist who shapeshifts between singer, rapper, spoken-word poet, beatmaker, producer and bandleader, MĀ is loved by artists, audiences and critics alike. She will present a special performance of her track ‘TrapsJam’ with her live band The Fly Hunnies.
The 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards will take place on Thursday 28 May at The Civic in Tāmaki Makaurau. The event will be livestreamed via AMA Official Media Partner RNZ. The broadcast is brought to our screens with the invaluable support of sponsorship and broadcast partner Irirangi Te Motu | NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho.
About Aotearoa Music Awards
The Aotearoa Music Awards is the annual showcase event for the music industry, celebrating artists and music from Aotearoa. The event recognises the biggest musical successes of the year while also providing a platform to promote emerging artists. Grounded in 60 years of history, the Aotearoa Music Awards has evolved to reflect our unique cultural identity. It has launched music careers, told artists’ stories and created memorable moments.
Recorded Music NZ produces the Aotearoa Music Awards and acts as its kaitiaki – preserving our musical heritage, celebrating the hits of today and paving the way for the artists of tomorrow.
Find out more at aotearoamusicawards.co.nz
Code of Conduct
Aotearoa Music Awards is committed to a safe and inclusive environment for everyone involved. All participants, including nominees, are required to abide by the AMA Code of Conduct
AMA 2026 Partners
Irirangi Te Motu | NZ On Air, Te Māngai Pāho, Spotify, RNZ, Auckland Live, JD Sports, BurgerFuel, 5GUM, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori | Māori Language Commission.
View all AMA 2026 partner information here
Assets & imagery
AMA assets and artist imagery is available to download here
Please direct media enquiries to
Lauren Went, Pead
lauren.went@pead.co.nz
027 363 0291