TUESDAY, 15TH JULY 2025

Culture, Criticism, and Tall Poppy Syndrome in Aotearoa Music

In the New Zealand music community, we pride ourselves on being small but mighty - a tight-knit scene full of collaboration, DIY spirit, and people wearing five hats to keep the wheels turning. But even in spaces built around creativity and culture, there’s a quiet undercurrent we don’t talk about often enough: a tendency to meet new ideas with suspicion, treat ambition like a red flag and discredit success like it isn't deserved.

Lately, it's felt increasingly common to see success met not with curiosity or support, but with  scrutiny. This reflects a broader issue in the local industry - a culture that too often conflates confidence with ego, and experimentation with opportunism. A culture where people are quicker to throw around acquisitions instead of asking “how does this make us all better off?”

We call it tall poppy syndrome, but it’s more than just cutting people down - it’s an instinct to interrogate success before celebrating it.

Why This Hurts More Than Helps

Of course, healthy critique is vital. We should ask questions of our industry, our gatekeepers, and our structures. We should hold space for transparency, ethics, and accountability. But when that questioning starts from a place of cynicism rather than care - when it’s aimed not at power but at people simply trying something different - we risk stifling the very creativity we claim to protect.

The truth is, most people in this space are doing it because they care. What would it look like to flip that script?

Champion First, Critique Second

Imagine if we met innovators and success stories with open arms before raised eyebrows. If we assumed good faith before bad motives. If, instead of immediately asking what’s the angle?, we asked how can I help?

This doesn’t mean we avoid accountability or ignore flaws. But it does mean recognising the difference between systems that exploit, and individuals who are simply trying to build something better. It means giving people the benefit of the doubt - especially when they’re contributing energy to a scene that desperately needs more hands on deck.

Because the truth is, if we focused more on championing each other - on resourcing, elevating, and amplifying the work already being done - the entire ecosystem would benefit. Artists would gain more visibility. Independent platforms could grow. Conversations could deepen. Culture could flourish.

But that only happens when we shift from suspicion to solidarity.

Aotearoa’s music scene is small - which means our choices make ripples widely. We can choose to be gatekeepers or door openers. We can choose to centre critique or contribution. We can keep asking who do you think you are? - or we can start asking how can we do this together? - The more we choose the latter, the better off we’ll all be.

Join the conversation by sending an email to hello@emptyspaces.co.nz or messaging us on Instagram.