New Zealand music – the popular Christmas gift

  • Judith Tizard
Arts, Culture and Heritage

New New Zealand music is sitting prominently in the sales charts at a time of year normally dominated by international compilations, live albums and re-releases, says Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Judith Tizard.

Six of the top ten albums on the RIANZ Top 50 Albums Chart for the week commencing Sunday 14 December are by New Zealanders.

Albums from Hayley Westenra, Scribe, Brooke Fraser, Bic Runga, The Feelers and Elemeno P are all in this week’s top ten, with another nine local albums in the Top 50.

“This is an amazing but not unexpected vote of confidence in New Zealand music,” says Judith Tizard. “It’s been a bumper year for our local sounds in terms of sales, broadcast and performance of local music.”

The government has been working with the music industry through agencies such as the New Zealand Music Industry Commission, NZ On Air, NZ Trade and Enterprise and the Music Industry Export Development Group to develop strategies and opportunities for growing sales and exports of New Zealand music and enhancing the business skills of the music community.

Judith Tizard, who is also Associate Commerce Minister, warned that while New Zealand music sales are high, so are illegal copies of New Zealand albums.

“The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand tells me that piracy and copying of CDs and cassettes - including New Zealand music - is estimated to cost the music industry $40 million per year.

“We have helped by passing changes to the Onus of Proof provisions in the Copyright Act this year to make it easier for owners of copyright in sound recordings – such as music – to enforce their rights through the court. So where it is alleged, for example, that a pirated album has been imported, the onus of proof is now on the importer to prove that it was brought in legitimately.

“Musicians and music industry professionals are talented, hard-working and passionate. They deserve a monetary return on their efforts through performance royalties, live audiences and sales of their albums. New Zealand music makes a great Christmas gift, as long as it’s been bought legitimately.”