Sound files

As New Zealand has three official languages we have three different versions of God Defend New Zealand.

The above YouTube clip features God Defend New Zealand in the New Zealand Sign Language, Māori and English.

This 2016 acoustic guitar version was arranged and produced by Holly Christina, comprising two of the five verses of God Defend New Zealand with a Māori language verse in between. The music video was filmed at the Auckland Domain in front of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. This version can also be heard on SoundCloud.

We've provided sound files from a Ministry of Education resource (The New Zealand National Anthem : versions of our National Anthem for use in schools) which features Hinewehi Mohi and Antony Pickard (adult's version) and Holly Walmsley and Ronald Karaitiana (children's version).  Other performers include Ngati Poneke's Junior Kapa Haka group and members of Rangatahi Purotu. These tracks were first published by Learning Media Ltd, with the copyright now owned by the Ministry of Education.

The sound files below are in a range of keys and tempos, and some modulate up between the verses in Māori and English.

Our piano and music scores page features the sheet music available in every key.

New Zealand National Youth Choir

Live recording from the New Zealand National Youth Choir  'On Tour' North America 1994 album, Ode Record Company Ltd, Auckland, 1994. Arrangement by Guy Jansen.

Copyright

There is no copyright restriction in relation to the use of the National Anthem – God Defend New Zealand. The rights to the anthem passed into the public domain in the 1980s.   However copyright does apply to specific arrangements and recordings of the National Anthem, including the following MP3s on this page. For commercial re-use, permission of the rights-holder will be required. Contact us at [email protected] if you have any copyright queries.

For more information about our National Anthems, visit NZHistory's feature.