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
Spouse(s)	Angela Fyfe ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2013)​ Natasha Utting ​ ​ (m. 2014; separated 2021)​

Anika Rose Moa, born on May 21, 1980, is a talented singer and TV host from New Zealand. Her first album, Thinking Room, came out in September 2001. It quickly became the number one album in New Zealand. This album also had two popular songs, "Youthful" and "Falling in Love Again."

Anika Moa started her music journey by winning a songwriting contest called Rockquest in 1998. This win helped her get a record deal. Two documentaries have been made about her life and music.

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 was Māori, and her mother is of English descent. Anika and her siblings were raised by their mother, who was also a musician.

Anika met her father when she was 13. He gave her a guitar and encouraged her to write songs. While in high school, she was active in musicals, choirs, and rock bands.

Anika Moa's Music Journey

Starting Out: Thinking Room and Stolen Hill (1998–2007)

In 1998, Anika Moa won an award at the Smokefreerockquest competition. She also received a scholarship to a music school. After making a demo tape, she signed a record deal with Warner Music in New Zealand and Atlantic Records in New York.

She moved to New York to record her first album, Thinking Room, which was released in September 2001. Her first song from the album, "Youthful", came out in July 2001 and reached number 5 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. Anika felt homesick and uncomfortable with how her manager promoted her. In 2002, she moved back to Auckland.

Her second album, Stolen Hill, was released on August 1, 2005. Anika said this album felt more "true to herself." The album became very popular and was certified gold. She toured New Zealand in October 2005. Anika also joined many other New Zealand musicians to sing on the song "Anchor Me." This song remembered the 20th anniversary of the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior ship.

New Success: In Swings the Tide and Love in Motion (2007–2012)

In October 2007, Anika Moa released her third album, In Swings The Tide. This album was a big success, going platinum and getting great reviews. For the first time, she produced the album all by herself. In 2009, The New Zealand Herald newspaper called Anika 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.

Anika Moa married Australian burlesque dancer Angela Fyfe in February 2010. Her partner inspired Anika's fourth album, Love in Motion, which came out in March 2010. This album reached number four on the charts. The couple welcomed twins the following year.

To support her album, Anika went on a tour across New Zealand from October to December 2010. She has also worked with other New Zealand artists like SJD and Bic Runga. She sometimes performs with the band Dimmer and has also worked as a DJ under the name DJ Unika.

New Projects: Peace of Mind and Songs for Bubbas (2013)

In February 2013, Anika Moa teamed up with Boh Runga and Hollie Smith to release an album called Peace of Mind. Anika and Angela Fyfe later separated, and they share custody of their twins. In November 2013, Anika released her first album for children, called Songs for Bubbas.

Television and Radio Work

All Talk with Anika Moa (2016–2017)

In September 2016, Anika Moa started her own interview talk show called All Talk with Anika Moa. It was shown on Māori Television and supported by NZ on Air. The show was filmed in front of a small audience and featured many famous New Zealanders. These included actor Temuera Morrison and musician Stan Walker. There were two seasons of the show, each with 10 episodes, plus a special episode. The last episode aired in July 2017.

Anika Moa Unleashed (2018)

In March 2018, Anika Moa launched a new interview show called Anika Moa Unleashed. This show was first available online through TVNZ OnDemand. In 2019, it also started showing on TVNZ 1 on Saturday nights. On the show, Anika visits the homes of well-known New Zealand celebrities and public figures.

Other Appearances

In April 2018, Anika Moa worked as a TV 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 April 20.

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

Activism and Important Causes

In December 2012, Anika Moa appeared in an online video campaign. This campaign supported marriage equality. She was joined by other New Zealand singers like Hollie Smith and Boh Runga, as well as Olympian Danyon Loader. Anika often spoke out about important issues in New Zealand.

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)