Awhimai Fraser is a New Zealand singer, actress, voice actress, and songwriter of Māori descent. She is best known for voicing Matangi, the mysterious bat-controlling villain, in Disney’s Moana 2, and for playing Elsa in Frozen Reo Māori. She is married to actor and Modern Māori Quartet founding member James Tito, and in 2026 she starred as Anne Hathaway in the New Zealand tour of the hit musical & Juliet.
Awhimai Fraser Biography
| Field | Details |
| Full name | Awhimai Fraser |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 1995/1996 (exact date not publicly confirmed) |
| Age | Around 30 (as of 2026) |
| Place of birth | Waikato, North Island, New Zealand |
| Current residence | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Ethnicity | Māori (Waikato, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Kahungunu) |
| Hair colour | Dark brown |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | James Tito (m. 2019) |
| Children | One son |
| Alma mater | Whitireia Performing Arts |
| Profession | Singer, actress, voice actress, songwriter |
| Net worth | Estimated $500,000 – $1 million (unconfirmed) |
| @awhimai_fraser | |
| @AwhimaiNZ |
Who is Awhimai Fraser?
Awhimai Fraser is a singer, actor, songwriter, and multidisciplinary creative from Aotearoa New Zealand. She has whakapapa (ancestry) linking her to the Waikato, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, and Ngāti Kahungunu iwi.
She reached a global audience in 2024 as the voice of Matangi in Disney’s Moana 2, a role she also performed in the film’s Māori-language dub. Beyond animation, she has built a steady career across New Zealand television, musical theatre, and original music.
How old is Awhimai Fraser? Age and birthday
Awhimai Fraser is around 30 years old as of 2026. She was born in Waikato, on New Zealand’s North Island, around 1995 or 1996. Her exact birth date has not been made public.
Career
Early beginnings and theatre
Awhimai trained at Whitireia Performing Arts, one of New Zealand’s leading performing arts schools. She moved into musical theatre soon after graduating, playing Sandy in Grease for Wellington Musical Theatre, Lorraine in Hairspray, and Miss Lark in Mary Poppins at The Court Theatre.
Her stage work also includes Cinderella in Into The Woods at Fortune Theatre and a demanding triple turn as Edwin Drood, Dick Datchery, and Alice Nutting in The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Circa Theatre. She later played Kahukuraiti in Whakapaupakihi at the War Memorial Theatre.
In 2026, she took on one of her biggest stage roles yet, playing Anne Hathaway in G&T Productions’ New Zealand national tour of & Juliet, the Max Martin jukebox musical. She called the role “the honour of a lifetime.”
Television and screen
On screen, Awhimai has appeared in the long-running soap Shortland Street and across four seasons of the Māori drama series Ahikāroa. She plays Māia as a core cast member across five seasons of the children’s series Toi Time!, and performed with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Toi Time: Live Concert.
Voice acting and Disney
Voice work is where Awhimai has reached the widest audience. She voiced Elsa in Frozen Reo Māori (2022) and Dolores in Encanto Reo Māori, before being cast as Matangi in Moana 2 (2024). Her character’s song, Get Lost, became a fan favourite, and she performed it live with songwriter Emily Bear on SiriusXM. She also voiced DJ Julie in Baddies and Honey in This Is Home.
Music
As a recording artist, Awhimai released the single Waiora in 2024, supported by Maisey Rika, Pere Wihongi, and Georgia Ruth Williams. She has sung on the soundtracks of Good Grief, Vegas, and Tangata Pai, and performs regularly with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, including its Christmas Cheer concerts. Her Spotify audience sits at roughly 390,000 monthly listeners, driven largely by the Moana 2 soundtrack.
What is Awhimai Fraser’s net worth and salary?
As of 2026, Awhimai Fraser’s net worth is estimated between $500,000 and $1 million, though no verified figure has been published. Her salary for Moana 2 and her stage contracts has not been disclosed.
She built her income through several streams: Disney voice work in English and te reo Māori, television roles, national musical theatre tours, original music releases, soundtrack vocals, and voiceovers for radio and television campaigns. Live concert work with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Philharmonia adds to her earnings.
Is Awhimai Fraser married? Husband, wedding, and children
Awhimai Fraser is married to James Tito, a New Zealand actor, musician, and founding member of the Māori showband the Modern Māori Quartet. The pair got engaged on stage, a fitting proposal for two performers.
They tied the knot on 16 January 2019 at Crown Beach Resort in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, in front of around 100 of their closest friends and family. Awhimai wore a Rue De Seine gown for the beachside ceremony. The couple have been together for more than a decade and have one son. Awhimai has spoken warmly about touring with her young family while working, waking up beside her son each morning between shows.
Social media presence
As of September 2026, Awhimai Fraser has around 16,100 followers on Instagram (@awhimai_fraser) and about 7,400 followers on Facebook (@AwhimaiNZ). She uses both platforms to share behind-the-scenes moments from her shows, celebrate Māori language projects, and promote her music, including posts thanking fans for embracing Matangi and Get Lost.
Fast facts about Awhimai Fraser
- She voices two Disney characters in te reo Māori: Elsa in Frozen and Dolores in Encanto.
- Her Moana 2 song Get Lost was performed live on SiriusXM with co-writer Emily Bear on piano.
- Her husband James Tito voiced Hans opposite her Elsa in Frozen Reo Māori.
- The couple got engaged on stage during their years working in theatre.
- She married in Rarotonga in January 2019 wearing a Rue De Seine dress.
- She played three different characters in a single production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
- Her 2024 single Waiora features Māori music stars Maisey Rika and Pere Wihongi.
- She has performed with both the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia.
- She dedicates her work to her whānau, quoting the proverb “Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini” — my strength is not mine alone, but that of many.
- She tours with her son, balancing motherhood with nightly performances on the & Juliet national tour.
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FAQs
Who is Awhimai Fraser?
She is a New Zealand singer, actress, and voice actress of Māori descent, best known as the voice of Matangi in Disney’s Moana 2.
How old is Awhimai Fraser?
She is around 30 years old as of 2026. She was born in Waikato, New Zealand, though her exact birth date is not public.
Who is Awhimai Fraser’s husband?
Her husband is James Tito, an actor and founding member of the Modern Māori Quartet. They married in Rarotonga in January 2019.
Does Awhimai Fraser have children?
Yes, she and James Tito have one son, who has travelled with her on tour.
What is Awhimai Fraser’s net worth?
Her net worth is estimated between $500,000 and $1 million as of 2026, earned through voice acting, television, theatre, and music.
What is Awhimai Fraser doing in 2026?
She starred as Anne Hathaway in the New Zealand tour of & Juliet and continues her role as Māia in the children’s series Toi Time!
Wrapping up
Awhimai Fraser has grown from New Zealand theatre stages to a worldwide Disney audience in just a few years. With Moana 2 behind her, a national & Juliet tour in 2026, and a growing music catalogue, her career shows no sign of slowing. Off stage, she balances life with husband James Tito and their young son.
References
- Auckland Actors. “Awhimai Fraser”.
- IMDb. “Awhimai Fraser – Biography”.
- NZ Herald. “How we make it work: Moana 2 and Modern Māori Quartet’s Awhimai Fraser and James Tito balance acting and love”.
- Walt Disney Animation Studios Wikia. “Awhimai Fraser”.
- Wikipedia. “Moana 2”.
- Woman’s Day NZ (PressReader). “Shorty star’s wedding in paradise”.
- Te Ao Māori News. “Frozen Te Reo Māori cast revealed”.
- Auckland Live. “Cast announced for 2026’s must-see musical, & Juliet”.
- Spotify. “Awhimai Fraser”.
- Wikipedia. “James Tito”.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information purposes only. Details about public figures can change over time, so while we check our sources carefully, we recommend verifying important information independently. If you spot an error, need a correction or have any other concern about this article, please contact us at editor@celebritymagazine.nz.
