Troy Kingi and His Remarkable Ten-Album Mission

Introduction

Troy Kingi is a New Zealand musician, songwriter, composer and actor. He is widely known for his creative 10|10|10 music project, in which he planned to make ten albums in ten different musical genres.

He has explored rock, reggae, folk, funk, hip-hop, instrumental music and several other styles. This unusual project has made him one of the most interesting artists in New Zealand music.

Troy Kingi has also appeared in well-known films and television productions. His acting credits include Mt Zion, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, The Breaker Upperers and Muru.

As of July 2026, he has released nine albums in his ten-album project. His ninth release, Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords, arrived in November 2025.

People interested in local artists can also explore more New Zealand music stories on NZBeat.

Troy Kingi Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Full professional name	Troy Kingi
Birthplace	Rotorua, New Zealand
Profession	Musician, songwriter, composer and actor
Home base	Kerikeri, New Zealand
Māori connections	Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui
Best known for	The 10
First major film	Mt Zion
First project album	Guitar Party at Uncle’s Bach
Latest released album	Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords
Major songwriting award	2021 APRA Silver Scroll

Who Is Troy Kingi?

Troy Kingi is a multi-skilled artist from New Zealand. He works in music, film, television and screen composition.

Music is the main part of his public career. However, he does not follow only one sound. Every few years, he introduces listeners to a completely different musical direction.

One album may contain reggae rhythms, while another may use folk guitars, electronic sounds, heavy rock instruments or hip-hop beats.

This ability to move between genres has helped Troy Kingi create a career that feels different from the work of many other musicians.

Early Life and Musical Roots

Troy Kingi was born in Rotorua, New Zealand. His Māori connections include Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui.

Music was part of his family life from an early age. His relatives played instruments and sang together, helping him develop an interest in performance and songwriting.

During his childhood, he lived in Rotorua and Te Kaha. He later attended Te Aute College before moving to Kerikeri as a teenager.

Kerikeri became an important part of his personal and creative life. He has continued to use the area as his home base while building a national and international music career.

Before music and acting became his main work, he completed several other jobs. He worked in orchards and spent years working as a scuba-diving instructor.

How Troy Kingi Started Acting

Acting was not originally Troy Kingi’s main career plan.

His direction changed after he received the opportunity to audition for the New Zealand film Mt Zion. The musical drama was released in 2013 and featured Stan Walker and Temuera Morrison.

Troy Kingi played the character Hone. The role introduced him to a wider audience and led to more acting opportunities.

His later screen appearances included:

• The Pā Boys
• The Kick
• Find Me a Māori Bride
• Hunt for the Wilderpeople
• The Breaker Upperers
• Kiwi Christmas
• Muru
• The Mountain

In Hunt for the Wilderpeople, he appeared as TK. The film was directed by Taika Waititi and became one of New Zealand’s most recognised comedy dramas.

Although acting helped make his name more familiar, music became the strongest and most consistent part of his career.

What Is Troy Kingi’s 10|10|10 Project?

The 10|10|10 project is Troy Kingi’s plan to create ten albums in ten different genres over approximately ten years.

Each album has its own sound, story and musical identity. The project is not a collection of similar records.

It began in 2016 with Guitar Party at Uncle’s Bach. The album combined blues, soul and rock with the relaxed feeling of family members making music together.

Later albums explored psychedelic soul, roots reggae, funk, folk, electronic music, instrumental sounds, desert rock and hip-hop.

The project shows that Troy Kingi is willing to take creative risks. Instead of repeating the sound of a successful album, he studies another genre and creates something new.

Readers can find more coverage of musicians, actors and public figures through NZBeat’s latest entertainment articles.

Troy Kingi Albums

Guitar Party at Uncle’s Bach

Released in 2016, Guitar Party at Uncle’s Bach became the first album in the 10|10|10 project.

It mixed blues, soul and rock music. The record introduced listeners to Kingi’s warm voice, guitar playing and storytelling style.

Shake That Skinny Ass All the Way to Zygertron

The second album arrived in 2017.

It explored psychedelic soul and funk. Its sound was colourful, experimental and very different from the first album.

Holy Colony Burning Acres

Released in 2019, Holy Colony Burning Acres used roots-reggae music to discuss serious social and cultural subjects.

The album explored colonisation, environmental damage, identity and issues affecting Indigenous communities.

It won the Taite Music Prize in 2020, a major award for independent music in New Zealand.

The Ghost of Freddie Cesar

The fourth album was released in 2020 and explored music inspired by 1970s funk.

The project was connected to Kingi’s memories of his father and a cassette carrying the name Freddie Cesar.

The song “All Your Ships Have Sailed” appeared on the album. It later won the 2021 APRA Silver Scroll, one of New Zealand’s most respected songwriting awards.

Black Sea Golden Ladder

Released in 2021, Black Sea Golden Ladder moved into folk music.

The album had a softer sound and focused on personal songwriting, acoustic instruments and reflective ideas.

Year of the Ratbags and Their Musty Theme Songs

The sixth album arrived in 2022.

It explored sounds connected to 1980s television, electronic music and unusual theme songs.

Time Wasters: Soundtrack to Current Day Meanderings

Released in 2023, this album focused mainly on instrumental music.

It allowed Kingi to tell stories through musical arrangements without depending on traditional song lyrics.

Leatherman & The Mojave Green

The eighth album was released in 2024.

It explored desert rock and was recorded at Rancho de la Luna in Joshua Tree, California. The record contained heavier guitars and a dry, cinematic rock sound.

Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords

Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords was released on 28 November 2025.

It became the ninth album in the project and explored hip-hop and R&B. The record included collaborative performances and production connected to the Aotearoa hip-hop scene.

Troy Kingi’s Major Awards

Troy Kingi has received recognition for songwriting, Māori music, roots music, folk, soul and screen composition.

His confirmed achievements include:

• The APRA Maioha Award for “Aotearoa,” shared with Stan Walker and Vince Harder
• Best Māori Artist at the New Zealand Music Awards
• Best Soul/R&B Artist
• Best Roots Artist
• The 2020 Taite Music Prize for Holy Colony Burning Acres
• The 2021 APRA Silver Scroll for “All Your Ships Have Sailed”
• Best Folk Artist for Black Sea Golden Ladder
• A screen-composition award for work connected to The Panthers

These awards show the wide range of his music. He has not been recognised in only one genre.

Troy Kingi’s Work in Film and Television

Troy Kingi’s screen career has developed alongside his music.

His acting roles often appear in New Zealand productions that focus on family, Māori culture, humour or local history.

His most widely recognised screen projects include Mt Zion, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, The Breaker Upperers and Muru.

He has also worked as a music composer for screen productions. This allows him to combine his storytelling skills with film and television sound.

Current Work

As of July 2026, Troy Kingi is preparing the tenth and final album in his 10|10|10 project.

The announced concept is an orchestral album inspired by theme songs for imaginary James Bond films. Each track is expected to act as the theme for a fictional spy story.

The project has also been connected to plans to record at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Until the record is officially completed and released, details about its final sound, songs and release date remain part of the announced plan.

Official information about his music and current projects can be found on the Troy Kingi official website.

Personal Life

Troy Kingi has publicly spoken about the importance of family in his life.

His official profile states that he lives in Kerikeri with his wife and children. He has discussed the challenge of balancing recording, touring, acting and family responsibilities.

Family memories have also influenced his music. The Ghost of Freddie Cesar was partly shaped by thoughts about his father and a cassette connected to his childhood.

Kingi generally keeps the focus of his public work on music, creativity, culture and family rather than private celebrity attention.

Music Mentoring and Wider Influence

Troy Kingi has supported developing musicians through mentoring work.

He has worked with New Zealand Music Commission programmes that help young performers improve their songwriting, confidence and creative skills.

He has also participated in Songs From the Inside, a programme in which established musicians work with people inside correctional facilities.

His influence comes from more than releasing albums. He has shown younger artists that they do not need to remain inside one genre or follow one fixed career path.

Why Is Troy Kingi Famous?

Troy Kingi is famous because of his unusual ability to succeed across several creative areas.

Some people know him from films. Others know him as an award-winning songwriter, composer or live performer.

However, the main reason he stands out is the 10|10|10 project. Very few musicians create ten connected albums while changing genre with every release.

His work shows curiosity, patience and a willingness to experiment. Each album gives listeners a different way to understand his artistic ideas.

Final Thoughts

Troy Kingi has built a career by refusing to stay inside one musical style.

He has moved between rock, reggae, funk, folk, electronic music, instrumental composition, desert rock and hip-hop. At the same time, he has continued acting and creating music for the screen.

With nine albums released in his ten-album project, the final record represents an important moment in his career.

His journey shows that an artist can keep changing without losing a clear creative identity.