Anna Coddington is one of Aotearoa’s most acclaimed singer-songwriters whose songwriting and vocal ability blends into her unique sound. Coddington’s enchanting live performance has graced the stages of Aotearoa’s most loved festivals, and her songwriting ability, both in English and Te Reo Māori has seen Anna win numerous awards.
2024 saw Coddington return with the new album Te Whakamiha, an album of Te Reo Māori and Te Reo rua/bilingual songs with a sound self-described as “Māori funk”. The result is her finest work yet, an album which sounds truly original yet still maintains her distinctive style. The album featured the track Kātuarehe, which won the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll Award for songwriting, after being a finalist five times prior.
Coddington’s back catalogue includes the album Beams, which was released in late-2020. With an approach of ruthless self-expression, this album dove into the personal to draw out the universal. Leaning into her indie sensibilities, while maintaining a pop edge, Beams saw Coddington exploring her place in the world as a mother, musician, Māori and human being. The album was nominated for the prestigious Taite Music Prize, and secured a nomination for Best Solo Artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards.
Beams was followed by Mana-Wā-Hine, released September 2021. The EP featured four tracks from Beams, translated into Te Reo Māori alongside the new title track. Mana-Wā-Hine was a personally significant step in Coddington’s ongoing journey with Te Reo Māori, and claimed the 2022 Waiata Māori Music Award for Best Te Reo Māori Album.
“One of this country’s finest and most consistently interesting songwriters,” – The Listener
Coddington holds a Master’s Degree in Linguistics, a second-dan Karate black belt and is currently studying law. In the last four years, she has also composed for and music-supervised acclaimed New Zealand television shows Head High and Kid Sister. In addition to live performances solo and with her band The Appreciations, Coddington has taken centre stage with the likes of Fly My Pretties, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, the Blackbird Ensemble and more.
