Marlon Williams' Te Whare Tīwekaweka Enters at #1 on Top 40 Albums Chart

Marlon Williams’ te reo release Te Whare Tīwekaweka is the first New Zealand album to reach #1 on the Official Top 40 Albums Chart in 2025.

Recorded Music NZ CEO Jo Oliver says:

“Congratulations to Marlon Williams on his new album Te Whare Tīwekaweka making #1 on the Official Top 40 Albums Chart on Friday, the first New Zealand album to top the Charts in 2025. The competition is tough across the main Charts and it's fantastic to see an album sung entirely in te reo Māori edging out global superstars."

Te Whare Tīwekaweka is the first fully te reo Māori album for Williams (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāi Tai), who was also awarded Te Tino Reo o te Tau | Best Solo Artist at the 2024 Aotearoa Music Awards

Reaching #1 is a pinnacle achievement for New Zealand artists – in 2024, L.A.B and DARTZ were the only two NZ acts to chart at #1 on the Albums Chart, with their respective records Introducing L.A.B and L.A.B VI, and Dangerous Day To Be A Cold One

Te Whare Tīwekaweka is the first album sung entirely in te reo by a solo artist to chart at #1 on the Top 40, and the second fully te reo album to do so. The first was the game-changing 2019 Waiata Anthems compilation, which features songs by some of the biggest artists in Aotearoa, translated into te reo Māori.