Peata Melbourne
Creative Director / CEO, Māori Broadcaster
In 2012 Peata Melbourne (Tuhoe, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Porou) co-produced a music album with Ngatapa Black featuring both established and new musicians re-versioning songs composed by their uncle, Dr Hirini Melbourne. The album, He Rangipaihuarere won Best Traditional Maori Album of the year in 2012 at the Waiata Maori Music Awards. In 2014 Peata and Ngatapa took over Pao Pao Pao - a musical mentoring program established by Dr Hirini Melbourne, and continue to oversee the project alongside musicians Seth Haapu, Tama Waipara, and Rob Ruha. Peata established her own media production company - Te Koru Media.
In 2019 Te Koru Media produced the play, Provocation and went on to make a short film, Disrupt. The film won Best International Film at the 2022 Puerto Rico Film Festival and Audience Award 2022 Wairoa Film Festival. It has featured in the Berlin Film Festival, Los Angeles Reel Recovery Festival 2022, Hawaiian Film Festival 2021, Polish Film Festival, Beverly Hills Film Festival, Native Spirit Film Festival, the Nga Whanaunga Section of the New Zealand Film Festival 2021, Maorilands Film Festival 2022, and RIFF 2022.
Peata is currently the news anchor for Whakaata Maori's (Maori Television) flagship show - Te Ao Marama.