Iwi Radio Awards Return To Honour Excellence In Te Reo Māori Broadcasting

Te Whakaruruhau o Ngā Reo Irirangi Māori Inc. (WHA) is proud to announce the return of the Iwi Radio Awards in 2025 — a national celebration of excellence in Māori broadcasting, showcasing the unique and powerful contribution of iwi radio to the revitalisation of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.

Scheduled for Saturday 18 October 2025 at the Pettigrew Green Arena in Napier, the 2025 Iwi Radio Awards will bring together more than 500 broadcasters, iwi representatives, and stakeholders from across Aotearoa to recognise and honour the efforts of iwi radio.

"This is the only national event dedicated to recognising the vital role iwi stations play in uplifting te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and kaupapa Māori through powerful storytelling both on air and online," says Peter-Lucas Jones, Chair of Te Whakaruruhau o Ngā Reo Irirangi Māori.

With 21 iwi radio stations represented under WHA, the Awards will highlight outstanding broadcasting across news, current affairs, daily programming, special broadcasts, storytelling, reo Māori excellence, and content creation across digital platforms — from local to global.

“Our kaupapa is simple — ko te reo te take,” says Jones. “Iwi radio has always been a powerful force for whānau, hapū and iwi — telling our stories, in our language, in our way.”

The Iwi Radio Awards were last held in 2018, with recent years impacted by Covid-19 and Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle. The 2025 event, with funding support by Te Māngai Pāho, marks a long-awaited return, reaffirming WHA’s mission: Hei kānohi mō ngā reo irirangi Māori o te motu — to represent and elevate the collective voice of iwi radio.

The event will be livestreamed through Whakaata Māori and available on iwi radio social media platforms from 6:00pm.

Tickets for the Iwi Radio Awards are available at: www.eventbrite.co.nz (Iwi Radio Awards 2025)

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