D'Angelo Martin

By the age of 21, D’Angelo Martin had a list of achievements long enough to rival someone twice his age; he juggles work as a journalist for The Hui (Māori current affairs) TV3 alongside his job as a content creator; and manages to fit in public speaking, voice artist and MC work, all while fulfilling the most important role, being a young dad.

D’Angelo’s unique take on the day-to-day of life is reflected in his cheeky sense of humour, which he found an outlet for in 2015, when he started creating comedic skits in his backyard and posting them online.

His hilarious outtakes quickly gained him a sizeable social media following, which now stands at over 100,000 across Facebook and Instagram.

D’Angelo’s journey has taken him from a small town in the far north of New Zealand to fronting public service advertising campaigns…a significant feat, considering the challenges he faced growing up.

D’Angelo’s iwi is Te Rarawa Kaiwhare and his hapū is Te Tao Maui. His whānau raised him fully immersed in te ao Māori from a young age; D’Angelo attended Kohanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa and Wharekura. Te reo Māori is his first language, and he shares his quirky Māori humour in his online skits.

However, D’Angelo says growing up in Kaitaia was tough, with few opportunities to develop the skills he wanted in order to pursue a creative career. So, a week after he turned 18, he moved to Auckland by himself to set his career plans in motion.

With no media degree or experience, D’Angelo thought he had little chance of being accepted for a role as a multimedia journalist at Māori Television, however, the team could see his innate talent and commitment to hard work, and he was offered the position, where he stayed for two years. He left in 2021 to pursue a job in current affairs storytelling and has been a journalist at The Hui since. In his short time as a reporter, D’Angelo took out Best Junior Reporter of the Year at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards.

Challenging conventional thinking and inspiring young people to chase their goals motivates D’Angelo in everything he does. He strives to tell stories that matter most to Māori in a way that resonates.

D’Angelo has been the face of WorkSafe New Zealand’s “Be a Safe Guy” campaign. He has fronted the NZ Electoral Commission’s online advertisements to encourage young Kiwis to vote in the 2020 elections, again to a hugely positive reception.

D’Angelo is a dynamic MC, having hosted numerous events including Kapa Haka competitions and festivals around regional New Zealand.

As a speaker, D’Angelo shares stories from his upbringing honestly and articulately, giving raw accounts of the obstacles he faced growing up and accomplishing goals on his own terms, in a way that deeply connects with his audience. His overarching message is: regardless of your situation in life, you have the choice to “be the change” and take control of your path to success.

D’Angelo is a proud young dad of two sons, and lives in Auckland with his partner Hailie.