About

Huia Hamon - HUIA - is ana award wining Maori artists from Aotearoa NZ. Her music fuses electronic beats, organic percussion, live guitars and deep harmonies into a warm easy sound with conscious bilingual lyrics in te reo Maori. Proudly a world music electronic artist and playlisted all over the world, she writes both solo and collaboratively, flowing from ambient liquid DnB to a stripped-back acoustic guitar and voice set. Her live set is a sound immersion of culture, big bass and haka beats with lots of laughter and authentic moments. One of her main drives is to support world music artists to see beyond their shores and travel with their unique culture and music.

MUSIC: Huia is currently writing her 2nd full album ‘Kawakawa’ due for release in late 2023 it will have a global focus with international collaborations in process with Turtle Island (Canada) and Portuguese musicians.

Huia was awarded Best Maori Wahine Solo Artist at the Waiata Maori Music Awards and continues to pave the way for indigenous artists in Aotearoa. She was also nominated for Best Solo Maori Artist at the SNR (Student Network Radio) Awards 2022.

Her latest features with Rei ‘Te Whakapono’ and Sean Richards ‘Tui Tuia o Whakapapa’ are 2 of the most rotated tunes in te reo Maori on George Fm, Aotearoa’s top dance station. ‘Tukua Te Kuata, Love Now’ charted on the hot NZ charts at #17. ‘Marama La Luna’ received wide playlisting, including on Spotify ‘Te Reo Maori’, Apple Music Daily, Te Wiki o te reo Maori, Qobuz Maori playlist, Waiata Anthem’s playlist, RNZ promotion and worldwide playlisting from Australia through to CBC Reclaimed in Canada and Bnet love from Radio One.

Her last full E.P. ‘Aio’ hit #1 on the Ethnocloud charts and #16 on NZ Hot Singles Charts in the first week and was the only Te Reo Maori single in the top 20. ‘Aio’ has also been playlisted all around the world, from France, Canada, in the Highlands of Scotland, to Melbourne and closer to home on Waiheke Island.

Aio was Huia’s 3rd solo release since her debut album ‘Huia’s Waiata’, then Ata, and as the award-winning ?Tatou Tatou E? Collective releases (V1-V5) and she also featured on the TOKA E.P. by DnB legend Baitercell, of which ‘Hine Ruru’ played heavily on the Bnets and was also in the top 20 singles charts, again the only te reo Maori single that week.

She also featured on ?Lullabies Of The World? which hit #11 on the German charts. Huia was invited to perform the classic Aotearoa lullaby ?Hine E Hine? (over 110k streams for this release) by the late artist/producer Ramesh Weeratunga.

Huia is an award-winning producer and has been awarded multiple Te Mangai Paho and an NZONAIR Grant for the artist Corez, and also with maestro Stewart Allen.

HIGHLIGHTS: Huia has an extensive commercial and creative production history, both as a composer and songwriter, working alongside various organisations over the years, as she has her top production studio - Kog.

2022 - Matariki Lights - Gold Award Winner Best Design Awards - Stardome x Creature Post Arrowtown Matariki - Arrowtown Museum x Creature Post NZ Fashion Week - composing, selecting and mixing music for shows such as French Freddie, Jockey and Lemon Tree. Previous clients include Andrea Moore, Brady, Whiri, Wildl&White Bridal, Doosh, Sable and Minx. 2019 - Auckland Museum - Temp Exhibition Music composition and post ‘Eating Outdoors, Governors Banquet’ - environment music composing ‘Outrageous Fortune Evidence Locker’ - post and SFX ‘Hayward’- Rudall Hayward - post, SFX and composing.

Huia is also a professional, bilingual Voice Over Artist for Big Mouth Voices (NZ), Studio Zen (Sydney) and Mohawk Studio (NZ).

LIVE TOUR: 2023: She has been on tour since May 2023 with Rei as support, DJ and feature artist. Kicking off the tour with a showcase at IIMS in Tkaronto in May (Toronto Canada), the 10 dates continued through Rotorua, Wellington, Tauranga, Waiheke, Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown then the FIFA World Cup fan Zone where Huia had her solo performance as well as with Rei.

SUPPORT Huia has opened for Deep Forest and Gaudi (EU), The Freestylers (UK) and Katchafire and shared stages with many other international artists. She has also performed as a backing vocalist for many acts including Rei, Looking For Alaska, Ed Waaka, Kevin Mark Trail, Ariana Tikao, Pieter T, Chong-Nee, JGeeks and Kids of 88 and there she has an English album in production for 2023.

As a music artist, Huia has performed at Splore (Mainstage 2023 solo sold out 10,000 festival), Koiora Sessions, Newtown Festival, Sonic Summer Festival, AUM, RnV, Soundsplash, Grey Lynn Festival, The Rogue Stage, Waiheke Jazz Festival, The Red Lounge Sessions, Sundaise and The Big Day Out (RIP) and private events at the Auckland Museum to name a few.

Huia has been releasing te reo Maori music for over 15 years and has been actively involved in the productions of many te reo Maori projects including the multi-award-winning Tatou Tatou E compilation series (which she co-produced and was a featured).

INDUSTRY SUPPORT: As an educator and mentor, Huia is involved in multiple tertiary institutes, such as SAE and Toi Oho Mai and MPGNZ. She was awarded for her music industry mahi by Auckland Arts Trust and was a recipient of the Arts Venture Programme Award. She also is a mentor and teacher for Sensonauts (non-binary femme communities), AMIO MPGNZ mentoring and Boom Sessions as well as for COMMOTION 2023 (Nelson).

She was a delegate for Aotearoa in Lisboa, Portugal (EU) for WOMEX in 2022, showcased at IIMS (International Indigenous Music Summit) and is heading to WOMEX in 2023.

QUALIFICATIONS: Diploma - Music Production and Performance - Toi Oho Mai (APRA award top production) Waikato University - BCS - Communications and Marketing Degree (1 directed study in process level 4)

For more go to: www.iamhuia.com