Ché Fu has been inducted into the Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa | New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.
The Aotearoa hip-hop legend was officially inducted at the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland tonight (May 28th).
The ceremony closed with a special live medley performance by Ché and his band The Kratez, featuring some of his most iconic songs. Earlier in the night, he received his award from Betty Anne-Hall.
A true hip-hop pioneer in Aotearoa, Ché is best known for hits such as “Chains” and “Misty Frequencies”, the former of which was included in our Best Australian & New Zealand Songs of the 21st Century So Far list last year.
It was the ideal time for Ché’s Hall of Fame induction, with his second album, Navigator, celebrating its 25th birthday this year. A limited edition 25th anniversary silver vinyl reissue of Navigator was released earlier this month.
He was previously inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of Supergroove in 2014.
Of his Hall of Fame induction, Recorded Music CEO Jo Oliver said: “It is a privilege to welcome Che Fu into Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa | the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. Che’s legacy has shaped and is embedded in the musical culture of Aotearoa as a true pioneer of hip hop and Pasifika music, paving the way for generations to follow, and showing that hip-hop can find mainstream success.
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“Recorded Music NZ is honoured to take this opportunity to recognise Che’s enduring influence and incredible catalogue of recordings.”
To celebrate Navigator turning 25 as well as his Hall of Fame induction, we took a closer look at Ché platinum-selling record in a special Deep Dive feature.
“Ché was already beloved. In the wake of Navigator, he became a generation-defining superstar without ever losing his love for the people. From the lush, opening flourishes of ‘Misty Frequencies’, the album reveals itself as a treasure trove of musical riches,” journalist Martyn Pepperell wrote.
Read the full feature here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source au.rollingstone.com ’
