Springboard Award propels Jess Chambers into new era of sound and screen
Wednesday, 29 April 2026
Jess Chambers has spent two decades moving between musical worlds — from folk stages in Aotearoa to experimental electronic clubs in Nashville and, most recently, the scoring rooms of international film and television. Now, the Wellington composer says receiving a 2026 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Springboard Award for music gifted by Ensemble Ltd marks a pivotal moment in that long creative arc.
The award, which includes a $15,000 grant and a year‑long mentorship, arrives as Chambers’ practice expands rapidly into screen composition.
“This encouragement arrives at a meaningful stage as I move into new creative territory and build a sustainable career as a composer.”
The financial support, she says, will allow her to upskill and deepen her understanding of the screen industry, while the mentorship — with 2001 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate filmmaker Dame Gaylene Preston — offers something rarer.
“It is especially valuable, offering perspective and guidance drawn from her extensive experience as a filmmaker. Overall, this feels like a strong affirmation that I’m moving in the right direction.”
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Chambers’ musical journey has never followed a straight line. Born to an American mother and a Kiwi father, she grew up between California and the South Island before settling in Wellington in 2002. Her early years in the capital’s tight‑knit creative community saw her emerge as a folk‑leaning singer‑songwriter with a luminous voice and a gift for emotional clarity. She toured nationally, released acclaimed solo work, and opened for international acts including Fleet Foxes, KT Tunstall, Sarah Harmer and Bic Runga.
But in 2013, everything shifted. Chambers began building a custom setup of analogue electronic hardware, a move that opened the door to Nashville’s experimental music scene.
“That expanded my sonic palette exponentially, allowing me to create more complex sound worlds than I had previously imagined,” she says.
Despite the shift in tools and textures, she sees a clear thread running through her work. “My approach to electronic composition still carries a kind of folk sensibility. I work primarily with analogue synthesizers and voice, and I’m drawn to the imperfect, living qualities in both.” Her process still begins with a small melodic idea — “much the same way I did with guitar” — before expanding into layered, immersive soundscapes. “I hope the emotional impact remains accessible to the listener, even when the sounds sit outside their usual musical reference points.”
Collaboration has been another constant. Chambers has worked across genres with artists as varied as The Woolshed Sessions, drum‑and‑bass duo The Upbeats, and contemporary classical ensemble Chatterbird. Each, she says, has shaped her instincts as a composer. Folk taught her to refine lyricism; drum and bass sharpened her sense of rhythm and impact; classical work deepened her understanding of notation and acoustic‑electronic interplay. “The lived experience of how these different kinds of music move an audience is what has shaped me most,” she says. “That instinct now guides how I compose.”
This year has brought major milestones including her feature debut at Sundance and co‑composing a BBC series. Writing for screen, she says, has transformed her artistic voice. “I’m often moving between very different emotional and sonic spaces… The music is always in service of the story, so it goes wherever it needs to, and that’s opened up my voice in a more fluid, responsive way.”
Alongside her own work, Chambers co‑facilitates Techno Echo, a community initiative supporting women and gender‑diverse artists in music technology. “It took me a long time to discover the electronic setup I work with now, and I believe that was partly due to gender‑based barriers I wasn’t fully aware of at the time,” she says. Helping others access those tools feels essential. “Electronics ultimately empowered me and broadened my musicality in a really profound way… so it feels meaningful to help open that door for other women and gender‑diverse creatives.”
Looking ahead, Chambers is developing experimental works that unite modular synthesis with vocal ensemble — a return, in some ways, to the centre of her practice. “Singing in harmony with others is one of my favourite things to do,” she says. “Combining that with the textures and possibilities of modular synthesis really sparked my curiosity.”
For Chambers, the Springboard Award is not just recognition of where she has been, but a launchpad for where she is heading. “It provides both practical support and creative encouragement to take the next step,” she says. “I’m deeply grateful for it.”