MARTIN DE RUYTER
Pete Rainey and Glenn Common have been rewarded for their contribution to New Zealand’s music scene via the Smokefree Rockquest, helping young musicians take their first steps into the music industry for over 30 years.
Smokefree Rockquest founders Pete Rainey and Glenn Common have been recognised for their contributions to New Zealand music through the Independent Spirit award in the national music awards. The award, one of the suite of Taite Music Prize awards, was granted to the pair for their contributions to music via the Smokefree Rockquest, meant to celebrate “33 years of motivating young musicians and helping them to develop their talent and creativity, musicianship, and performance skills”.
Poi E, the New Zealand music community rallied behind the Pātea Māori Club. Their legacy award came 19 years after the death of co-composer Māui Dalvanius Prime. Ngoi Pēwhairangi, who also wrote the song, died in 1985. The Pātea Māori Club has continued to perform, and did so at the Taites. The rōpū, including some members who recorded
Poi E in 1984, shifted the mood of the event when they were welcomed on stage through a standing ovation. The respect for this group and waiata was clear.
Poi E has reached number one in the New Zealand music charts during three separate decades, and musicians such as Troy Kingi paid tribute to the fact it achieved normalcy for te reo Māori during an era where the language was often not welcome.