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This blog was originally published on Baybuzz.co.nz. Last Wednesday, to kick off the 25th annual New Zealand Music Month, Hawke’s Bay Music Hub held a gala. Proprietor and local music industry puppet master, Kevin Murphy, issued an open invitation to the region’s musos and affiliates to join him on the Toitoi stage to celebrate a vibrant local scene, much of which is underpinned by Murphy’s philanthropic support and industry savvy. Murphy launched the Hub five years ago as a platform for local musicians to develop their skills, and to be given opportunities to perform and record. They host mentorship sessions, have a publicly available registry of artists to book for performance, and recently released the third volume of Under the Sun – a compilation of work by locals available on vinyl and online.  Murphy floated the idea of developing regional music awards, getting the ball rolling by acknowledging three veterans of the ...