MoanaManiapoto
- Musician
- Director [ngāti tuwharetoa
- Tuhourangi
- Ngāti pikiao]
Moana Maniapoto, MNZM, has toured the globe fusing traditional Māori and modern sounds in bands Moana and the Moahunters and Moana & the Tribe. Alongside partner Toby Mills, she has made award-winning documentaries exploring Māori topics and people, from indigenous intellectual property to Syd Jackson. On-screen, she has hosted current affairs and childrens television, and acted on hit soap Shortland Street.
Biography
Moana Maniapoto’s dedication to te ao Māori is clear from her music and television — thanks to songs and tours which mix dance, te reo, and kapa haka, and a line of documentaries made with her partner Toby Mills.
Screenography
Awards
2022 New Zealand Television Awards
Nominated for Best Māori Programme: for Moana Jackson: Portrait of a Quiet Revolutionary
“Te reo was not valued. But then I went overseas and had people I respect going 'Whoa, this is amazing' ... it gets validated, celebrated. So I came back and went 'okay, let's get a little bit more experimental here'. ”