From growing up in small-town New Zealand to winning a Gold Guitar, touring with Kaylee Bell and performing at CMC Rocks, Zac Griffith is steadily making his mark on country music on both sides of the Tasman.
Zac Griffith grew up in Tapawera, a small rural town near Nelson, and traces his love of country music back to watching the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line. Inspired by the film, he taught himself guitar and quickly found himself drawn to the storytelling at the heart of country music. He started playing pub gigs while still at school and has now been performing for more than a decade.
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In 2018, Zac won a scholarship to attend the Country Music Academy in Tamworth, Australia, where he had the opportunity to develop his craft alongside established country artists and songwriters. Five years later, at 18, he was named Overall Winner at the NZ Gold Guitar Awards.
Since then, Zac’s career has continued to grow on both sides of the Tasman. He joined Kaylee Bell on her nationwide Cowboy Up Tour, gaining experience on some of New Zealand’s biggest stages and introducing his music to audiences around the country.
His music has also caught the attention of some notable names in country, including Lainey Wilson, who praised Zac’s music as his career began gaining momentum.
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In March 2026, Zac took another significant step when he performed at CMC Rocks QLD, Australia’s largest international country music festival. Closer to home, Sunday Sober reached the Top 10 of the New Zealand Country Airplay Chart, with Zac continuing to build radio support and an audience across New Zealand and Australia.
That same year saw the release of his debut EP, Where I Belong, a collection shaped by the experiences of a young artist increasingly dividing his time between home and the road.
Home remains an important part of Zac’s story. When he isn’t writing, recording or performing, he still works at his local bakery in Tapawera and spends his downtime hunting and fishing. It’s a relatively ordinary life running alongside a music career that is becoming anything but.
That grounding comes through in his songwriting. Rather than trying to recreate an overseas version of country music, Zac’s songs are informed by relationships, home, life on the road and his own experience growing up in rural New Zealand.
Following the release of Where I Belong, Zac embarked on his first headline tour, adding another milestone to a significant few years for the 21-year-old.
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From playing pubs as a teenager to CMC Rocks, national radio and a growing audience across the Tasman, Zac Griffith has come a long way from where he started in Tapawera.
And we know plenty more people will be hearing his name soon.
