Trailblazers: Bic Runga

Bic Runga is a chart-topping songwriter who sparked the mid-90s resurgence of New Zealand music.

BIC RUNGA Musician 1976

Chart-topping songwriter who sparked the resurgence of New Zealand music

Two years ago, at the age of 40, Bic Runga became the youngest person inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

The honour came more than two decades after the Christchurch-born singer released her debut single Drive, which became a Top 10 hit and went on to win Runga the APRA Silver Scroll in 1996.

A year later, her first album Drive debuted at number one on the New Zealand charts, becoming the first of three albums to do so. It went 7x Platinum, while her next record Beautiful Collision, clocked up 11x Platinum.

Her single Sway became a top 10 hit in Australia and New Zealand and went on to feature in the 90s hit comedy American Pie.

Runga's success changed the music industry and challenged perceptions about local music. At the height of her success, she was outselling the biggest international stars in New Zealand, including Celine Dion and Mariah Carey.

Her breakthrough is credited with sparking a renaissance of New Zealand music in the early 2000s, paving the way for fellow chart toppers such as Anika Moa, Brooke Fraser and dozens of other local acts.

Today, Runga continues to make music and lead the industry, earning a second Silver Scroll nomination last year for her song Close Your Eyes, co-written with her partner Kody Nielson.

She has released four solo albums, as well as a greatest hits collection, and has a staggering 19 New Zealand Music Awards to her name.

In 2006, she was honoured with the New Zealand Order of Merit.

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