14 May 2026

Che Fu inducted into Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa | New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, 25 years on from the release of Navigator.

The achievement will be celebrated at the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards on 28 May – Che Fu to perform with band The Kratez.

Recorded Music NZ is thrilled to announce that Aotearoa hip hop legend Che Ness a.k.a Che Fu (Ngāti Whakatere, Mutalau) will be inducted into Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa | New Zealand Music Hall of Fame at the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards on Thursday 28 May at The Civic in Tāmaki Makaurau. The event will feature a live medley performance by Che and his band The Kratez, of some of the artist’s most iconic tracks.

Che Fu is one of the most significant local artists of his generation. Long a household name in Aotearoa, he came up through Tāmaki’s 90s High Street scene, where he received a foundational education about DJ culture and hip hop via the likes of eclectic tastemaker Manuel Bundy. He’d already found heady success fronting 2014 Hall of Fame inductee Supergroove as a teen before launching his own incredible solo career.

A pioneer of conscious hip hop in Aotearoa, Che is of Niuean and Māori descent, andweaves Pasifika and te ao Māori through his recordings in a truly unique way. Born and raised in 1970s/80s Grey Lynn, his initially underground music quickly became incredibly popular – and remains embedded in the nation’s musical consciousness. Chart-topping hits like ‘Chains’, ‘Misty Frequencies’ and ‘Fade Away’ are now considered classics and continue to be on high rotation.

Che’s breakthrough second record Navigator turns 25 this year. Released in 2001, the album followed the artist’s critically acclaimed first step, 2b S.Pacific (BMG, 1998) and by his own admission represented himself at an apex of sorts. Musically confident, and with the backing of Malcolm Black and Sony, Che recorded, mixed and engineered Navigator himself at Revolver Studios, alongside studio engineer and producer Neil Baldock.

Featuring ‘He Kotahi’, Che’s first song written in te reo Māori, Navigator cohesively melds hip hop, R&B and reggae, with elements of rock. It debuted at #1 on the Aotearoa Top 40, and won five Tūī – and that year’s People’s Choice award – as well as the 2002 APRA Silver Scroll | Kaitito Kaiaka with Godfrey de Grut for ‘Misty Frequencies’.

The success of first 2b S.Pacific then Navigator was a coup following Che’s unexpected exit from his first major music project, Supergroove. A blow at the time, the departure opened up a whole new world for Che in the form of an enviable solo career.

Che was quickly offered an album deal with BMG, working with Kirk Harding and Phil ‘Sir-Vere’ Bell, and opted to record his subsequent solo debut album 2b S.Pacific with Andy Morton a.k.a Submariner. He’d met Morton via the Token Village crew and the pair had previously worked together on Dam Native track ‘The Son’ (Che sings the hook). Recording 2b was Che’s first encounter with digital tools and where he learnt to use a sampler and other technology that would put greater creative power in his own hands and prove game-changing for his output.

Che fronted Supergroove – the first iteration of which was called the Lowdown Dirty Blues band – alongside Karl Steven from age 15 through 21, and has rejoined the band in recent years, playing shows across Australasia. He had been unceremoniously booted from Supergroove in 1996 after a year-long international tour, but the booting fortuitously coincided with the runaway success of a special track his friend and mentor Darryl Thomson a.k.a DLT had pushed him to co-write and record. ‘Chains’ is still one of the biggest singles to come out of Aotearoa, although Che admits to having initially felt half-hearted about both making it, and its success.

Inarguably though, ‘Chains’ gave Che Fu his first Top 40 #1 and went platinum. Looking back, he’s thankful to have been able to go straight from Supergroove into something with a positive trajectory – namely springboarding his success as a solo artist, and in so doing definitively planting Aotearoa hip hop in the mainstream. With an impressive cohort around him, many of whom remain close friends and collaborators, including King Kapisi, DLT and Manuel Bundy, as well as the members of his longtime band The Kratez, Che’s story is one of both independence and community.

Another important player in Che’s career was his dedicated manager Richard ‘Fish’ Los'e, who sadly passed away in March 2026. Los’e managed Che for more than 20 years and the pair remained close after their professional relationship ended. The former hotel manager’s first foray into music was working as a security guard, touring the world with huge international acts including U2 and UB40.

Along with Los’e, Che and the Token Village crew, which as well as Andy Morton included Ned Ngatae, Chip Matthews and King Kapisi amongst others, were part of a small but significant scene in mid-late 90s Tāmaki Makaurau. They frequented the now immortalised clubs of High Street, including Cause Celebre and Escape Bar – performing at the former, and playing pool and “sizing each other up” at the latter – before heading downstairs to Box at 2 or 3am, when resident DJ Manuel Bundy would switch from acid jazz to his weekly mixtapes featuring rap and other cuts that weren’t getting played anywhere else. Che describes the routine as “our reps at the gym.”

Making hip hop was where Che would find a sense of both autonomy and connectivity – telling the stories of his own life as well as his community in a way that was new to Aotearoa. Rather than relying on established genre tropes, Che took his learnings and summoned both Pasifika and Māoridom – drawing all influences together to create something that uniquely brought the party while resonating on a frequency both personal and political.

Che was uniquely positioned to do this, having grown up as a Polynesian Panthers kid raised on music, Rastafarianism and politics. He recalls his first ‘solo’ live performance as being with The Twelve Tribes of Israel band backing him, aged approximately 12 years old. Encouraged to take the stage by his father Tigilau Ness (a roots reggae matua who goes by Unity Pacific), the young Che performed a cover of ‘Lean On Me’ – the Club Nouveau version.

Following the release of 2005’s Beneath The Radar, Che put a pause on making albums. Recognising the traditional record business was in a state of change, he’s primarily focused on performing live since – though he continues to both make his own music and collaborate with others, the likes of King Kapisi, Ria Hall and Julien Dyne. Present-day projects continue to expand an already impressive catalogue of collaborations, that includes tracks with Aaradhna (‘Spin 1’), Nesian Mystik (‘Operation F.O.B’, ‘Mista Mista’) and Team Dynamite (‘Coconut Lime’).

With four sons and a long-term partner, Che is first and foremost a family man. The household centres around music (and rugby league), and all Che’s boys make music – including his eldest Loxmyn McDonald-Ness, a University of Auckland jazz school graduate who often performs live on sax and samples with his father as a member of The Kratez.

Overall, Che’s career has strong familial roots. Matua Tigi is a Tūī-winning Niuean New Zealand artist, who has helped to shape the roots reggae genre in Aotearoa since his early days as a founding member of Rastafarian church and band The Twelve Tribes of Israel, and as Unity, which became Unity Pacific, in the 1970s. Tigi joined the Polynesian Panthers in 1972 and was Minister for Fine Arts. His ex long-term partner and Che-Fu’s mother, the late Miriama Rauhihi Ness (Ngāti Whakatere, Ngāti Taki Hiku) was also a prominent member of the Polynesian Panthers and a key organiser of the historic 1975 Land March – and a driver of the 1972 Māori Language Petition that led to te reo Māori eventually becoming an official language of Aotearoa in 1987. Tigi is still active as a performer, activist and educator. He often performs with Che as a member of The Kratez.

His parents’ social justice influence can be heard through Che’s music, shaping its lyrical content as well as his stylistic approach. Che preferred conscious hip hop to gangster rap, and was singing bilingually long before waiata reo Māori was as celebrated as it is today. He quietly but firmly made political statements through simply describing the world as he knew and experienced it.

Che Ness was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music in 2009. He was awarded the Pacific Music Awards Lifetime Achievement award in 2014.

Of his 2026 induction to Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa | New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, Jo Oliver, Recorded Music CEO says:

“It is a privilege to welcome Che Fu into Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa | the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. Che’s legacy has shaped and is embedded in the musical culture of Aotearoa as a true pioneer of hip hop and Pasifika music, paving the way for generations to follow, and showing that hip hop can find mainstream success. Recorded Music NZ is honoured to take this opportunity to recognise Che’s enduring influence and incredible catalogue of recordings.”

Recorded Music NZ will be delighted to honour and celebrate Che Fuwhen he is inducted into Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa | New Zealand Music Hall of Fame at the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards on Thursday 28 May at The Civic in Tāmaki Makaurau.

AMA 2026 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.

A limited edition 25th anniversary silver vinyl reissue of Che Fu's Navigator is due for release on 22 May.

LIST OF OTHER AWARDS

CERTIFICATIONS AS AT MAY 2026

Albums
Navigator – Platinum x4

2b S.Pacific – Platinum x2
Hi Score: The Best Of – Gold
Beneath The Radar – Gold

Singles
Misty Frequencies – Platinum x4
Fade Away – Platinum x3
Chains – Platinum x1
Waka – Platinum x1
Hold Tight – Platinum x1
Spin 1 – Gold

LINKS + FURTHER INFORMATION

INFORMATION ABOUT TE WHARE TAONGA PUORO O AOTEAROA | NEW ZEALAND MUSIC HALL OF FAME

The New Zealand Music Hall of Fame was created by APRA AMCOS and Recorded Music NZ in 2007, to celebrate the many writers, artists and musicians who have made a significant contribution, through music, to life and culture in Aotearoa New Zealand.

To be eligible for induction to the Hall, artists must:

  • Have released a record or achieved some other significant professional milestone at least 25 years prior to the year of induction
  • Have demonstrated unquestionable musical excellence

Since 2007, the Hall of Fame has paid tribute to 40+ iconic and groundbreaking artists and acts from Aotearoa, including Don McGlashan, The Topp Twins, Herbs, Dave Dobbyn, Moana Maniapoto, Toy Love, Bic Runga, Supergroove, The Clean, Tuini Ngawai, Ngoi Pewhairangi, and Dame Hinewehi Mohi.

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

Please direct media enquiries to
Lauren Went, Pead

lauren.went@pead.co.nz

027 363 0291