Judges appointed for Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga 2025 gathered in Wellington recently to prepare for next year’s national festival.
“It was important to bring the Festival 2025 judges together to ensure everyone receives a clear and consistent understanding of the current rules and guidelines, including technical specifications,” says Adn Maui Tangohau, Te Matatini Executive Committee member, and Festival Competition Lead.
“At Te Matatini Herenga Waka Herenga Tangata 2023 judges marked 45 rōpū. We have 10 more rōpū competing at Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga 2025 which is a significant increase. We want to be sure we are well prepared for this increase in performing kapa teams.”
At each Te Matatini Nationals, rōpū raise the level of kapa haka excellence with their increased passion and innovation. The rules and guidelines are used to ensure all rōpū are given an equal opportunity to deliver their best performance, and to provide judges the ability to mark their discipline consistently.
Although some of our judges have participated in previous festivals, they need to familiarise themselves with the updated criteria for Te Kāhui Maunga Festival 2025.
Annette Wehi, Te Matatini Executive Committee member, set the scene for the hui making sure everyone felt welcomed and supported, and then Head Judge Dr Turuhira Hare took the judges through a presentation in preparation for Festival 2025.
All judges were then taken through the AJS system that will be used at the Festival to record each judge’s mark and work out the final score of each rōpū. Training was also provided to new users or those who wanted a refresher.
“The wananga achieved the set objectives and I am confident that all judges will undertake their roles diligently providing all rōpū an equal opportunity of taking home a trophy at Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga Festival 2025,” said Maui.
How judges are selected
The process of selecting judges is careful and thorough, with 13 regions nominating candidates who are highly qualified, impartial, experienced in performing and in the intricacies of the respective kapa haka disciplines.
Each rohe submits a list of judges and the first and second choices of judges from each rohe are automatically appointed to their preferred discipline. If there is a shortage of judges in a specific discipline, further judges from the rohe lists are then considered.
Judges scores and comments will be entered into the AJS system, which will identify the three teams from each pool with the highest marks to go through to the finals.
Judging then starts over again to find Te Toa Whakaihuwaka - the best kapa haka overall in seven compulsory disciplines: whakaeke (entrance), mōteatea (traditional chant), waiata ā-ringa (action song), poi (song with poi), haka, whakawātea (exit) and te kairangi o te reo (excellence in Māori language).
Trophies are also awarded to the winners of each discipline, and for the best choral, male and female leader, costume, and original compositions.
Photos top to bottom: Chief Judge Dr Turuhira Hare, Judges in wānanga, Dr Petina Winiata, Ngaringi Katipa. Photos by Erica Sinclair.