- Save the Date -
Friday 28 May, 2027
Step into a night of glamour and incredible music at the Country Music Honours, where Aotearoa’s finest songwriters take centre stage.
This prestigious event, held as part of the Tussock Country Music Festival, brings together artists, industry professionals, and fans for an unforgettable evening of celebration and live entertainment. The Honours event features live performances from the top 10 unrecorded finalists of the 2026 MLT Songwriting Award, as well as the year’s standout recorded songs competing for the highly coveted APRA AMCOS Best Country Music Song - an honour previously awarded to icons like Tami Neilson, Delaney Davidson, and Holly Arrowsmith. In 2025, the New Zealand Songwriters Trust presented a new award, Country Music Honour for Contribution to Country Music in Aotearoa, which was awarded to Tami Neilson.
In 2025, the Honours was even more special with a guest appearance from country music legend Tami Neilson, a household name and lifelong ambassador of the genre. Set against the backdrop of a glamorous evening, the celebration began with complimentary drinks and nibbles in the theatre foyer, where guests could soak up the excitement as finalists walk the red carpet. Then, people were seated for a night of unforgettable performances, powerful storytelling, and well-deserved accolades, as we honoured Aotearoa New Zealand’s brightest country music stars.
Full show featuring finalist performances and Honours presentations for:
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Contribution to Country Music in Aotearoa
Join us for a spectacular evening where country music takes centre stage!
2026 Award Recipients
MLT Songwriting Award 2026
This year, Ron Mitchell won the MLT Songwriting Award with his song 'Wedding Ring'.
Wedding Ring is a song with a classic country rock feel, written for anyone waiting for a cowboy to pop the question. Ron Mitchell writes songs about horses, weddings and divorces, tractors and trucks and pubs going dry. Gore’s three-time MLT Songwriting Award finalist, Ron Mitchell released his sophomore album 'Dead On Country' in 2025. Marking his first release since his Tūi nominated album in 2006, the album is full of Ron's storytelling, wit and Dusty Spittle poetry.
APRA Best Country Song 2026
2026 winner of the APRA Best Country Song was Marlon Williams (Kāi Tahu, Ngāi Tai) and Kommi Tamati-Elliffe (Kāi Tahu, Te-Āti-Awa) with thir song 'Whakameatia Mai'
This is Marlon’s second time winning, the first being in 2013 with co-writer Delaney Davidson for Bloodletter. Coming from Marlon Williams’ most recent album ‘Te Whare Tīwekaweka’, in his acceptance speech, Marlon described the song as “an all-in song about togetherness and being fully engaged with the world, that this world is not the rehearsal”.
Contribution to Country Music
The Topp Twins were awarded the Contribution to Country Music in Aotearoa Honour for 2026.
Introduced in 2025, the Honour celebrates members of the country music community who have not only achieved great heights of their own but uplifted others and contributed to the past, present and future of country music in Aotearoa New Zealand. Dame Lynda and Dame Jools have dedicated their lives to standing up and singing for what’s right and bringing joy to audiences in every nook and cranny of Aotearoa.
