1hans. & Imugi: Cool to Be You Korean-NZ rapper Hanju Kim (known as hans.) discovered hip-hop at 14 and is making a name for himself as one of Aotearoa's rising hip-hop stars. Korean songwriter and singer Yery Cho (23) and Carl Ruwhiu (24) make up the synth-pop duo Imugi. As close friends at Rangitoto High School, they both felt like outsiders. Yeri experienced overt racism growing up on the North Shore and while Carl's father is Māori, he doesn't feel comfortable identifying as Māori due to his appearance.

2Satta Vairowalia: Songs for Punjab Satta Vairowalia moved to New Zealand in 2011 from Vairowal in India. He's part of a new generation of South Auckland artists creating their own new version of Punjabi pop - a genre gaining popularity worldwide, especially in New Zealand, the UK and Canada where the Punjabi and Sikh diaspora is large.

3Umar Zakaria: Fearless Music After seeing the NZ Army band at the age of 7, Umar Zakaria knew it was the double-bass he wanted to play. Inspired by traditional Malay melodies and modern jazz, Umar makes music that is unafraid, expressive and for people who want to be heard. He unites diverse musical traditions to inspire communication and cooperation across boundaries. In 2018, Umar was named Best Jazz Artist by Recorded Music New Zealand.