Gisborne radio station Tūranga FM has won three awards at the Iwi Radio Awards including the Peoples' Choice Award 2025 delivered through the Māori Media Network. From left are Rāhia Timutimu, Ahirana Waata Āmai, Mātai Smith, Tina Wickliffe, CJ Houkamau, Taihoronukurangi Lemon and Mike Hollis.
Gisborne radio station Tūranga FM has won three awards at the Iwi Radio Awards including the Peoples' Choice Award 2025 delivered through the Māori Media Network. From left are Rāhia Timutimu, Ahirana Waata Āmai, Mātai Smith, Tina Wickliffe, CJ Houkamau, Taihoronukurangi Lemon and Mike Hollis.
Gisborne station Tūranga FM has won three awards at the 2025 Iwi Radio Awards - Best Breakfast Show, Best Individual Radio Personality (Mātai Smith) and The People’s Choice Award.
Smith and co-host Rāhia Timutimu were stoked to win Best Breakfast Programme at the awards, held at the Pettigrew GreenArena in Napier on Saturday.
“It’s confirmation that we are on track and people like what we do,” Smith said.
He was humbled by his win as Best Individual Radio Personality, and took two of his younger team members - Taihoronukurangi Lemon and Ahirana Waata Āmai - on to the stage to accept the award.
Smith spoke of the importance of upskilling, inspiring and motivating the young radio DJs at the station.
“We were like a possum in the headlights when we won The People’s Choice Award as we are a humble iwi in terms of size, so this was a great surprise,” he said.
In moving with the times, cameras were installed in the Tūranga FM studio in 2020.
“It’s been important for us to keep up with new technology and we’ve reached a bigger audience who can now stream our programme online,” Smith said. “We can veto comments and turn them into graphics on screen, along with a person’s name and photo. This makes them feel engaged and part of the show.”
The cameras have helped Tūranga FM grow their audience overseas, especially in Australia where they have lots of listeners on the Gold Coast and in Melbourne.
Smith said it was the first Iwi Radio Awards in seven years due to the pandemic and extreme weather events.
“We’ve endured a lot and we reflected on that time when people were feeling a lot of angst and worry.
“I remember getting into work in the building on Lowe St during lockdown and it was totally empty. We decided we needed to stay upbeat and put some light into the shade.”
Audiences have embraced Fancy Formal Whakarongo Friday for which Smith and Timutimu dress up like they’re off to the Oscars.
“People want ‘edutainment’- a mix of being informed and being entertained. I think they can see we have fun doing the show and they appreciate our honesty,” Smith said.
Winners of the Best Breakfast Show - Tūranga FM's Rāhia Timutimu and Mātai Smith.
Another Gisborne iwi station, Radio Ngāti Porou, won the award for Best Digital Content.
The Iwi Radio Awards brought together broadcasters, iwi leaders, funders and supporters from across Aotearoa to celebrate excellence in Māori radio and digital media.
National Iwi Radio Network chair Peter-Lucas Jones acknowledged hosts Ngāti Kahungungu and said the awards recognised the contribution of iwi radio stations to te reo Māori revitalisation, storytelling and connection to their hāpori (community).
“Every finalist represents a heartbeat in our collective story,” Jones said. “For over three decades, iwi radio continues to lead the way in platforming authentic Māori voices, news and views from te ao Māori.”
Tumeke FM was named the Station of the Year — retaining that honour from the last time the awards were held in 2018.
The event also paid tribute to four outstanding individuals who have made a lifelong contribution to Māori broadcasting - Professor Margaret Mutu (Te Hiku Media), Justice Layne Harvey (Tumeke FM) and Mike Baker (Ngā Iwi FM) each received a Lifetime Achievement Award, and a posthumous award was presented to Cyril Chapman (Tautoko FM), received by his brother, Hori.
