K'Lee McNabb MC/Entertainer Profile

Multifaceted Māori expert, Broadcasting Icon, & Entrepreneur Extraordinaire

K’Lee McNabb caught the hearts of the nation in 2001 when she shot to the top of local charts at the age of 16. She soon became the first female artist in New Zealand to land four Top 20 singles off a debut album. Beginning as the youngest pop star in New Zealand, she has spent her entire life in media and entertainment. From hosting television shows to touring with musicians like Pink, Shaggy, Missy Elliot and Buster Rhymes, K’Lee McNabb has been embedded within our pop culture. Moving into a career in Radio, K’Lee started out on Flava FM, which became the number one-night show, and eventually found herself on Mai FM, where she thrived for 13 years.

Now in an evolved stage of her life, K'Lee is lecturing at the New Zealand Broadcast School and developing creative projects such as her new parenting podcast. As a mother of six kids ranging from newborn to sixteen years old, K’Lee has been across it all, delivering it unfiltered, genuine, and raw.

Mission

Not wanting to be delineated as one thing, K’Lee moved into Radio. During her time at Mai FM, she reconnected with her whenua and whakapapa and her love for her culture and language. At Mai, she implemented speaking Māori on live stream radio. There is a responsibility and mana that is held by being Māori on a mainstream radio station. After 13 years K’Lee realised she was the Kaitiaki of that role; a guardian. She went on to train many radio hosts by pulling out their potential and unique personality to empower them.

A fierce advocate for her culture, K’Lee lives by Tikanga Māori. Sharing her knowledge and empowering others to grow is part of her identity. What’s the point in learning all these things with all these life stories if you can’t share that knowledge? K'Lee wants to help people grow without having to find out the hard way. She is out to make this world better for the next person, wanting her kids to know what it is to be, and to recognise a strong, fierce, woman.

Keynote

K’Lee’s mantra is Living with Intent. Life is for living and K’Lee is just a good mate reminding everyone not to take life so seriously; have a purpose, don’t make life a series of box ticks. Especially with women she encourages thinking for yourself and not being influenced by social media platforms. Your life is made up of your choices and K’Lee is cheering you on.

Having hosted countless women’s panels, the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Super Rugby, The Silver Ferns, concerts like Raggamuffin and One Love, television shows, radio and being an involved mentor and career coach for many, K’Lee is a friend to a crowd. She impresses that your cultural identity, whatever that means to you, makes you unique. There is belief that you can give to yourself.

Growing up in the music industry at such a young age, K’Lee didn’t have enough honest energy and knowledge around her. K’Lee is that person who offers advice, strength and support. Funny, caring, kind, real, honest and all encompassing, K’Lee creates a safe space and tells it to you straight.