# Arts Foundation’s Icon Awards Whakamana Hiranga: Honoring Legacy

The Arts Foundation’s Icon Award Whakamana Hiranga is the highest honour bestowed upon New Zealand’s most significant artists, recognizing their lifetime achievements and mark on the arts. This year, two recipients, Tā Pita Sharples KNZM CBE and Neil Finn OBE, have been awarded this prestigious title.

## Recipients of the Icon Award Whakamana Hiranga

Tā Pita Sharples and Neil Finn are among 20 living artists to be honoured with the Icon Whakamana Hiranga, joining an elite circle of New Zealand’s most influential artists. This esteemed group is part of a legacy that spans over six decades.

## Tā Pita Sharples: Preserving and Revitalizing Māori Arts

Tā Pita (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngai Te Kikiri o te Rangi, and Ngāti Pahauwera) has dedicated his life to preserving and revitalizing the arts of Kapa Haka and Mau Rākau. In 1983, he founded Te Whare Tū Taua o Aotearoa (the National School of Ancient Māori Weaponry), reviving the ceremonial and fighting art of mau rākau.

Tā Pita also established Te Roopū Manutaki, a Māori cultural group based at Hoani Waititi Marae in West Auckland. This group played a crucial role in helping urban Māori stay connected to tikanga Māori and cultural identity. He led, performed, choreographed, and composed kapa haka for the group, with several waiata and haka now recognized as classics.

## Neil Finn: A Career Spanning Four Decades

For over four decades, Neil Finn has been on an evolving journey, from joining his brother Tim in the 80s art/pop band Split Enz to leading Crowded House. He has also pursued numerous solo efforts, producing hits like ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ and ‘Something So Strong,’ as well as albums like Woodface and Together Alone.

## The Icon Awards Celebrate Legacy

Established in 2003, the Icon Awards Whakamana Hiranga recognize the impact each artist has had on their practice, community, and the cultural landscape of Aotearoa. This year marks a total of 46 artists honoured as Icon Whakamana Hiranga – 20 are living, while 26 have passed on.

Each Icon Whakamana Hiranga receives a bronze medallion set with pounamu and a pin designed by sculptor John Edgar. The pin is given to the recipient, while the medallion passes on to a future icon at the time of their death.

## Conclusion

The Arts Foundation’s Icon Award Whakamana Hiranga is a testament to the enduring legacy of New Zealand’s most significant artists. Tā Pita Sharples and Neil Finn are among the latest recipients of this prestigious title, joining an elite circle of individuals who have made an indelible mark on the arts.