Composition

NZCF runs two annual choral composition awards in conjunction with SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music.

Entries are free. Entries close on 15 May 2026.

Scroll down to see the 2025 winners.

NZCF-SOUNZ Choral Composition Competition

This competition was introduced by the New Zealand Choral Federation to mark the third millennium, with a trophy presented by NZCF Auckland Region. The competition is run in conjunction with SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music and awards a prize for the best choral piece composed by a New Zealand secondary school student.

The winning entry receives a cash prize of $300 supported by SOUNZ.
SOUNZ and NZCF also work with the composer to facilitate a video recording of the winning composition to be shared online by both organisations in late 2026.

Email Emma Billings at emma.billings@nzcf.org.nz if you want the entry form in Word format.

2026 Entry Form

SOUNZ-NZCF Te Reo Māori Choral Composition Award

This award, initiated by SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music, was introduced in 2021 and aims to encourage young composers to write choral settings of texts in te reo Māori. The winning composer will receive a trophy - a taonga, kindly donated by SOUNZ, in the form of a beautiful pūtōrino Te Pūoho Ki Te Rangi carved by taonga puoro player/composer and maker Tāmihana Kātene.

Email Emma Billings at emma.billings@nzcf.org.nz if you would like the form in Word format.

2026 Entry Form

NZCF-SOUNZ Choral Composition Competition 2025 Results

1st Prize - Abilio Fernandes, St Patrick's College, Wellington - for 'Autumn Song'
2nd Prize - Sofia Gong, King's College, Auckland - for ‘Winter Stars'
3rd Prize - YuYang Ding, Westlake Boys High School, Auckland - for 'For Babel'

Very Highly Commended:

Benjamin Viljoen, Palmerston North Boys' High School - for 'Ek herhaal jou'
Leo Gore, Whitby Collegiate, Wellington - for 'Again and Again'

Highly Commended

Abi Mitchell, Westlake Girls High School, Auckland - for 'Windy Nights'
Larissa Chen, Westlake Girls High School, Auckland - for 'Sheep in Fog'

The adjudicator for 2025 was David N. Childs. Read about David here.

SOUNZ-NZCF Te Reo Māori Choral Composition Award 2025 Results

1st Prize -Jesse Wallace, Tawa College, Wellington - for 'Tēnei Te Arā (Karakia Tawhito)'
2nd Prize -Purity Rimaha, Rotorua Girls' High School - for 'Nga Puāwai'

The adjudicator for 2025 was David Tapene. Read about David here.

Adjudicator - Choral Composition Competition

Leonie Holmes Resized Leonie Holmes is a New Zealand composer, receiving frequent commissions from both professional and community groups in the fields of orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal and solo instrumental music. Recent works have been commissioned and/or performed by the NZSO, BBC singers, Kings Singers, Voices NZ Chamber Choir, and NZ Trio. Stemming from her work as Composer-in-Schools in the 1990s, she is also interested in music education and has written many works for school and community groups.

Adjudicator - Te Reo Māori Choral Composition

Charles Royal 1 Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal is a researcher (and teacher) of indigenous knowledge (mātauranga Māori) and a composer (and performer) of music and story. He is a passionate advocate for ‘indigenous creativity’ and provides research and consultancy services to the public sector and to iwi organisations. He composes music and story for small and large groups and his iwi affiliations are Marutūahu, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngā Puhi.