The prestigious MLT Songwriting Award, which celebrates unreleased original songs from Aotearoa, has been awarded to Nicola Mitchell, Byllie-Jean, and Theia (Te Kaahu) for their waiata ‘Wā/Time’. All three are wāhine Māori with distinctive musical styles. Their collaboration on ‘Wā/Time’ reflects a powerful fusion of their unique voices and a shared cultural vision. “We wanted to write something as a reminder to slow down and to look at wā from a different perspective — not as a race or resource, but as something we experience alongside our tūpuna (ancestors),” the artists explain. “Wā can be a friend, rather than something to waste or use.” Through nostalgic tales, the song reflects on the passage of time and the emotional weight of growing up — when the carefree magic of childhood gradually gives way to self-imposed pressure.