Finalists for AMA 2026 Te iti Rearea o te Tau | Breakthrough Artist of the Year Revealed
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 Recorded Music NZ 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).
Read the full announcement here
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