It was a historic night for Māori and Pacific music at the 2026 APRA Silver Scroll Awards, with kapa haka recognised in its own songwriting category for the first time, Rob Ruha taking home the inaugural honour, and a Samoan-language song winning Aotearoa’s most prestigious songwriting prize.
Held at Auckland’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre on Wednesday night, the 61st annual APRA Silver Scroll Awards celebrated the country’s leading songwriters and composers, marking 100 years of APRA representing music creators in Aotearoa.
But it was the recognition of kapa haka as a distinct and important form of musical composition that provided one of the evening’s defining moments.
Māori musician, composer and cultural leader Rob Ruha, of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and Ngāti Porou descent, became the first recipient of Te Tihi o te Maunga Tito, the newly established Kapa Haka Songwriting Award.
Ruha received the honour for Te Tapuni, performed by Te Taumata o Apanui, also known as TOA, during this year’s Mātaatua regional Te Matatini qualifying competition.
The waiata celebrates the life of the late Ricky Lee Tapuni Mitai of Te Whakatōhea, recognising his dedication to preserving te reo Māori, tikanga and the performing arts.
The award acknowledges the creative contribution of kaitito Māori, recognising kapa haka composition alongside contemporary songwriting, classical music and screen composition.
Rob Ruha Celebrates Long-Overdue Recognition
For Ruha, the award represents an important milestone in recognising the generations of Māori composers whose work has preserved whakapapa, history, language and cultural identity.
Speaking at the awards, Ruha reflected on the fact that kapa haka composition had existed long before the establishment of modern music awards.
He welcomed the recognition while emphasising that kapa haka composers and performers deserve the same respect and professional opportunities afforded to other musicians.
Ruha also challenged festival organisers and the wider entertainment industry to properly compensate kapa haka groups for their performances, recognising the considerable time, financial investment and commitment required to develop their craft.
His winning composition, Te Tapuni, helped Te Taumata o Apanui secure first place at the Mātaatua regional competitions and qualify for Te Matatini 2027.
The group has also performed internationally and collaborated with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, demonstrating the growing reach of kapa haka on contemporary performance stages.
Pacific Music Makes History With Samoan-Language Victory
The evening also delivered a landmark achievement for Pacific music, with LEAO winning the coveted APRA Silver Scroll Award for LALELEI.
Written by David Feauai-Afaese, Navakatoa Tekela-Pule, Levi Gemmell and Larsen Taylor, the song became the first composition written entirely in Gagana Samoa to win the country’s premier songwriting award.
LALELEI, meaning beautiful, explores themes of family, homeland, identity and the emotional connections maintained by Pacific communities across generations and geographical distances.
The group blends traditional Samoan musical influences with contemporary psychedelic sounds, creating a distinctive style that connects Pacific heritage with modern music production.
The win represents a significant achievement for Pacific-language songwriting and highlights the growing influence of indigenous and Pacific artists within Aotearoa’s music industry.
Te Reo Māori Songwriting Also Celebrated
Māori music received further recognition through the APRA Maioha Award, which was won by husband-and-wife duo Aro, Charles and Emily Looker, for their waiata Puna Ora.
The award recognises excellence in contemporary te reo Māori songwriting.
Puna Ora explores connections between generations, drawing on the significance of tūpuna, mokopuna and the spiritual foundations of identity and belonging.
The song features on Aro’s 2026 album Tāwauwau, which explores themes of imagination, faith, beauty and longing.
It was the duo’s first win at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards, having previously received nominations in both the Maioha and main Silver Scroll categories.
The award further reinforces the place of te reo Māori within contemporary music and the continuing growth of artists creating bilingual and Māori-language compositions.
Six Major Awards Celebrate Aotearoa’s Musical Talent
Alongside the historic Māori and Pacific achievements, several other composers were recognised.
Dylan Lardelli received the SOUNZ Contemporary Award for Light Lines, a composition for string trio.
Claire Cowan won Best Original Music in a Series for her work on the television drama Bust Up, while Karl Steven received Best Original Music in a Feature Film for his score for Pike River.
The ceremony also featured performances celebrating APRA’s centenary, including a cross-cultural opening led by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and a closing performance of Ngā Iwi E featuring Te Rōpū Mānūtaki and other artists.
A Turning Point for Māori Music and Kapa Haka
The introduction of a dedicated kapa haka songwriting award represents a significant development in how the music industry recognises indigenous creative expression.
For generations, kapa haka has served as a means of preserving Māori history, transmitting knowledge, celebrating identity and expressing the political and social aspirations of iwi and hapū.
Its composers have created works performed by thousands of people at marae, festivals, competitions and community events throughout Aotearoa.
Yet that contribution has not always received the same formal recognition as other forms of songwriting.
The establishment of Te Tihi o te Maunga Tito places kapa haka composition alongside the country’s most celebrated musical achievements.
It also opens a wider conversation about fair remuneration, intellectual property, cultural ownership and the opportunities available to Māori composers and performers.
For Ruha and the wider kapa haka community, the recognition is a milestone, but also an opportunity to strengthen the place of Māori creativity within the national music industry.
And with a kapa haka composition taking its place alongside the country’s leading contemporary songs, and a Samoan-language waiata claiming the top prize, the 2026 Silver Scroll Awards have delivered a powerful reminder that the future of Aotearoa music is increasingly being shaped by the languages, cultures and creative traditions of the Pacific.
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