Audition, Preliminary, and Final Round

Waha Kōrero is made up of three rounds, below is a high-level break down of each round. For all the specific details refer to our Entrant Handbook below.  

Round One: 

• This round is open to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria.  

• You will choose a topic from a list of pre-determined prompts and record your speech – 2 minutes is the time limit. 

• Your speech will be judged against a set of criteria.  

Round Two: 

• The top scoring 40 entries from Round One will advance to this round. 

• Round Two will take place online, in a series of competitive sessions over the month of August.  

• During the online session, you will be given two random prompts and will have 15 minutes to prepare your speech.  

• You will then move into a virtual room with two judges and give a five-minute speech. 

Round Three: 

• The top 12 entries from Round Two will advance into this final round.  

• This round is an in-person event that will take place in Te Whanganui-a-Tara during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. 

• Finalists will take the stage in front of our panel of four judges. 

• The winner will take home the ultimate prize of $10,000 and the mana of placing first, out of the whole of Aotearoa.