Gov. Funding For NZ Music Awards, ‘X Factor’

The New Zealand music industry’s flagship event, the Vodafone NZ Music Awards, as well as the second season of TV’s “The X Factor NZ,” have secured Government funding.

The monies come through its NZ On Air arm, which helps local acts gain a national audience. The awards, staged November at Auckland’s Vector Arena with a two-hour broadcast on the Four channel, cover 22 artist categories and three technical gongs.

The event will get a financial boost of NZ$165,938 ($140,576). NZ On Air, already a platinum sponsor of the awards, this year also sponsors the Critics Choice Prize, which recognises up-and-coming artists and potential stars.

“The X Factor NZ,” which airs on TV3 and has sourced three major new artists, will get NZ$800,000 ($677,720) for 32 episodes through 2015. Last year’s grand final drew 1.3 million viewers. In firsts for the New Zealand charts and for the global The X-Factor franchise, winner Jackie Thomas and runners-up Benny Tipene and Whenua Patuwai stormed the charts, debuting at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3.

Their singles were released through Sony Music Entertainment New Zealand, which also signed fourth finalist Moorhouse.