It’s official! Pikihuia Awards will join KUPU 2025 at Te Puia, Rotorua
KUPU and the Māori Literature Trust | Te Waka Taki Kōrero are thrilled to announce that the PIKIHUIA Māori Writer's Awards 2025 will be held in Rotorua for the first time on their 30th anniversary.
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For the first time in their history, the Pikihuia Awards will be held outside of Wellington, taking place in Rotorua this October in conjunction with KUPU 2025.
This year also marks a major milestone — Pikihuia Awards will celebrate 30 years of supporting and nurturing kaituhi Māori. Bringing the awards to Te Arawa for the first time adds a powerful new chapter to this legacy.
The announcement was made this afternoon at Te Puia by the Māori Literature Trust and the KUPU Festival team — a partnership grounded in mana, collaboration, and the shared vision of strengthening Māori voices in literature.
‘We have been able to build a relationship with the Māori Literature Trust and Huia Publishers and for the very first time in the history of Pikihuia Awards it will be hosted outside of Wellington and we're so glad to be able to host it here in Te Arawa region. We're very excited about it, and it's going to fall at the tail end of the festival.’
— Ruakiri Fairhall, 2025 KUPU Kaihautū / Festival Director
KUPU 2025 Highlights:Writers’ Retreat – Lake Ōkataina Lodge, 15–17 August
KUPU Festival – Rotorua, 17–18 October
Pikihuia Awards Ceremony – Te Puia, 19 October
Further details, including tickets, guest speakers, and the full programme, will be released over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, follow us for updates:
– @kupufestival www.kupu.org.nz, on Facebook and Instagram
– @maoriliteraturetrust www.mlt.org.nz, on Facebook and Instagram
Thank you for being part of this journey. We look forward to sharing more with you soon.
Ngā manaakitanga,
The KUPU Festival Team
admin@kupu.org.nz
Chantel Matthews (Founder/Editor)
https://www.chantelmatthewsart.com
https://www.instagram.com/chantelmatthews/?hl=en
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