Pacific Music Awards thriving on stage, struggling behind the scenes

The Pacific Music Awards marked it 22nd year this week celebrating Pasifika excellence in music, however organisers say the event is struggling financially.

A fixture on the New Zealand Pasifika calendar for over two decades, the awards is usually held at Manukau’s Due Drop Events centre attracting a large audience with the event simultaneously livestreamed.

On the night, RnB crooner Sam V who took home the best Pacific Soul/RnB award for the fifth year running, criticised the government’s level of arts funding in his award’s speech.

“Mr Paul (Goldsmith) from National, you mentioned that our government is investing in the arts, I mean it’s good lip service but if that’s the case then the PMAs struggling don’t exist,” he said.

“A quick search on Google, I think you’ll find that our government spends billions on our defence force – a defence force that protects us from tall poppy syndrome maybe… I’m pretty sure if we can put billions in our defence force then we can keep celebrating Pacific excellence.”

However, Goldsmith, who attended the awards, said he “disagrees with those characterisations”.

In a statement sent to RNZ Pacific, the minister said that the government is serious about the getting the country’s finances back in order.

“The Ministry and Crown entities have delivered a two per cent baseline saving, along with everyone else in this year’s budget, because as a country we are still running substantial deficits.”

Goldsmith reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the arts in a speech at the awards, and further clarified in his statement that $1.7 billion is invested in the sector for over four years.

Yet for the Pacific Music Awards Trust, the reality of running the event is becoming precarious, pushing them to what the awards trustee Petrina Togi-Sa’ena describes “as trying to survive and keep the event alive”.

In a Facebook post from mid-July, Togi-Sa’ena wrote the Trust was seeking public donations starting from $10.

“It’s always humbling having to ask our community for support, when we know it’s already challenging times for our people.”

The Pacific Music Awards receives funding through multiple government-supported agencies including Creative New Zealand, NZ on Air, New Zealand Music Commission and Pacific Media Network.

While most of the agencies have not publicly disclosed how much they have given to the awards, NZ on Air contributed up to $33,000 in the last financial year compared with up to $24,000 in 2024.

Other media reports state that Auckland Council also allocated $35,000.

Togi-Sa’ena told RNZ Pacific that existing funds have mostly gone towards the event’s production and stage, trimming back spending on travel for awards finalists and winners and catering for guests.

She said the trust secured several new sponsors last year, but added that there’s been a reduction in government funding and other sources including gaming trusts are unable to provide more financial support.

Despite funding from various agencies, Togi-Sa’ena said the awards run on a year-to-year basis making it difficult to plan long-term. Creative New Zealand is the only major sponsor providing a three-year agreement.

“We’re always in an annual cycle, so subject to each year it’s working out what is the state of play each year, and then we’re set in these specific timelines with funders and agencies as well,” she said.

“We don’t have the ability to grow, we don’t have the ability for all those costs that we would love to have.”

The financial squeeze from the past three years led to a public fundraising appeal in July – Togi-Sa’ena said it was a hard call but the response has been encouraging.

“Donations have been coming in, it’s created a bit more awareness, a couple of potential sponsors have reached out. Others have provided some additional support.”

Togi-Sa’ena said they will be reviewing the awards format and are looking at alternative methods to raise revenue including ticket sales, community support and corporate funds.

She said that despite the uncertainty with funding, there is still a strong push from the Pasifika community to keep the event going.