Anika Moa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anika Moa
Moa performing in Wellington, June 2010
Background information
Birth name	Anika Rose Moa
Also known as	DJ Unika
Born	(1980-05-21) 21 May 1980 (age 45) Papakura, New Zealand
Origin	Christchurch, New Zealand
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	TV presenter musician
Instruments	Vocals guitar percussion keyboards
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Warner/Atlantic EMI

Anika Rose Moa (born 21 May 1980) is a talented New Zealand singer, songwriter, and television presenter. Her first album, Thinking Room, came out in September 2001. It quickly became number one on the New Zealand Albums Chart. This album also had two popular songs, "Youthful" (2001) and "Falling in Love Again" (2002), which both reached the top 5. Anika first got noticed at the Rockquest songwriting contest in 1998. This led to her signing a record deal. Two documentaries have been made about her by filmmaker Justin Pemberton. These are 3 Chords and the Truth: the Anika Moa Story (2003) and In Bed with Anika Moa (2010).

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Anika Moa was born in 1980 in Papakura, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. She grew up in Christchurch and went to Hornby High School. Her father, Tia, was Māori and her mother, Bernadette, is of English background. Anika and her siblings were raised by her mother. Bernadette was a musician herself, playing in a band three days a week.

Anika met her father when she was 13 years old. He gave her a guitar and encouraged her to write songs. While she was in high school, Anika was very involved in music. She joined musicals, choirs, and rock bands.

Music Career Highlights

Early Success: Thinking Room to Stolen Hill

In 1998, Anika Moa won an award at the New Zealand Smokefreerockquest competition. This competition is for high school music bands. She won for "Most Promising Female Musician" and also received a scholarship to a music school. After making a demo tape, she signed a record deal. She signed with Warner Music in New Zealand and Atlantic Records in New York.

Anika moved to New York to record her first album, Thinking Room. It was released in September 2001. Her first song from the album, "Youthful," came out in July 2001. It reached number 5 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. Anika later felt homesick and returned to Auckland in 2002.

Her second album, Stolen Hill, was released on 1 August 2005. Anika described this album as more "true to herself." This album sold very well and was certified gold. She went on a tour across New Zealand in October 2005. In the same year, Anika joined many other New Zealand musicians. They recorded the song "Anchor Me." This song remembered the 20th anniversary of the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior ship.

Later Albums: In Swings the Tide and Love in Motion

In October 2007, Anika Moa released her third album, In Swings The Tide. This album was very successful and became platinum. It also received many positive reviews. For the first time, Anika produced the album all by herself. In 2009, The New Zealand Herald newspaper named her one of the "Top 10 Kiwi music successes of the past 10 years."

Moa performing "Running Through the Fire" at the 2010 New Zealand Music Awards.

Her fourth album, Love in Motion, came out in March 2010. It reached number 4 on the charts. To support this album, she went on a national tour from October to December 2010. Anika has also worked with other New Zealand artists. These include SJD and Bic Runga. She has also performed with the band Dimmer. Sometimes, she performs as a DJ under the name DJ Unika.

New Directions: Peace of Mind and Songs for Bubbas

In February 2013, Anika Moa worked with Boh Runga and Hollie Smith. They released an album together called Peace of Mind. In November 2013, she released her first album for children, called Songs for Bubbas. This album was very popular with young families.

Television and Radio Work

All Talk with Anika Moa (2016–2017)

In September 2016, Anika Moa started her own interview talk show. It was called All Talk with Anika Moa. The show was broadcast on Māori Television. It was filmed in front of a small audience. Many New Zealand celebrities appeared on the show. These included actor Temuera Morrison and musician Stan Walker. There were two seasons of the show, each with 10 episodes. There was also a special episode with highlights. The last episode aired in July 2017.

Anika Moa Unleashed (2018)

In March 2018, Anika Moa launched a new interview show. It was called Anika Moa Unleashed. This show was first available online through TVNZ OnDemand. In 2019, the show also started showing on TVNZ 1 on Saturday nights. On this show, Anika visits the homes of famous New Zealanders. She talks with celebrities, public figures, and other well-known people.

Other Appearances

In April 2018, Anika Moa worked as a television presenter for the news show Seven Sharp. She filled in for Jeremy Wells and co-hosted with Hilary Barry for several episodes. Her last broadcast was on 20 April.

She started working at the radio network NZME in August 2019. She first worked at The Hits radio station. Later, she moved to the breakfast show on Flava. She co-hosted this show until late 2022. She then left to focus more on her music career. Anika also appears on the children's TV series Toi Time. In 2022, she was in an episode of Wellington Paranormal playing a character called Birdwoman.

Activism

Anika Moa has used her public voice to support important causes. In December 2012, she appeared in an online video campaign. This campaign supported equal rights for all people. She joined other New Zealand singers like Hollie Smith and Boh Runga. Olympian Danyon Loader and former Governor-General Dame Catherine Tizard also took part.

Awards and Nominations

APRA Awards

New Zealand Music Awards

Discography

• Thinking Room (2001)
• Stolen Hill (2005)
• In Swings the Tide (2007)
• Love in Motion (2010)
• Songs for Bubbas (2013)
• Queen at the Table (2015)
• Songs for Bubbas 2 (2016)
• Anika Moa (2018)
• Songs for Bubbas 3 (2019)