Anika Moa

At just 21, Auckland native Anika Moa secured her place in history as the first unsigned New Zealand artist to land a contract with a major label, Atlantic. The achievement represented a striking launch for the Christchurch-raised singer/songwriter, whose recent appearance at the Smokefree Rockquest competition still felt fresh. Her label debut, Thinking Room, cut in New York with Victor Van Vugt, climbed to number one at home on the strength of the single Youthful, for which she composed the track "Falling in Love Again." She had already completed two tours alongside Tim Finn and Stellar* while also serving as support for Dido at the headliner’s request.