Dame Lynda Topp Criticizes Government in Emotional NZ Music Awards Speech

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Dame Lynda Topp delivered an emotional and impassioned speech at the Aotearoa Music Awards on Thursday night, blending personal grief with a scathing critique of the government’s arts funding priorities. The surviving Topp Twin—who performed with her sister Dame Jools for over four decades—used the platform to highlight the struggles of New Zealand’s artists amid what she called a “lousy” budget allocation for the arts.

The speech came just days after Dame Jools Topp’s death at age 68, with Dame Lynda visibly moved as she addressed the audience. “It’s going to be hard to say a few words to you all,” she began, acknowledging the weight of her twin sister’s loss. “I’ve been crying for a whole week, and a whole year before that and a whole year to come.”

Dame Lynda’s remarks quickly shifted from personal reflection to a fierce defense of the arts sector. She contrasted the vibrant venues of her early career—cafés, pubs, rural halls, and woolsheds—with the current landscape, where young artists struggle to find spaces to perform. “We need support for artists in this country,” she declared, her frustration palpable. “We need a government that says the arts is more important than a defence budget. Way more!”

Her criticism targeted the bureaucratic hurdles artists face when seeking government funding. “I see young artists struggling not because they’ve got a gig on Friday night—but because they are trying to put through some sort of crazy mother****ing arts submission to get a few lousy dollars from the government,” she said, eliciting loud cheers from the crowd. “This is not fair! It’s not fair!”

The government’s defence budget for 2026, announced earlier that day, stood at $4.29 billion—a figure Dame Lynda used to underscore her point about misplaced priorities. Finance Minister Nicola Willis responded to the criticism on RNZ’s Breakfast program, stating simply, “She’s entitled to her view.”

The Aotearoa Music Awards, held in Auckland, served as a backdrop for Dame Lynda’s outburst, which followed a tribute performance by Country Musician of the Year Tami Neilson and nominee Jenny Mitchell. The standing ovation she received underscored the audience’s shared frustration with the state of arts funding in New Zealand.

Dame Lynda and Dame Jools Topp were a cornerstone of New Zealand’s music industry, performing together for over four decades without ever rehearsing—a testament to their unparalleled chemistry. Their legacy looms large over the current conversation about artistic survival in the country, with Dame Lynda’s speech serving as both a eulogy and a rallying cry for the next generation of musicians.

As the night concluded, the awards show became more than a celebration of music—it became a moment of collective advocacy for the arts, with Dame Lynda’s words resonating far beyond the stage.