The soprano, Aivale Cole, has won the Lexus Song Quest.
Six finalists took part in the prestigious competition in Auckland on Thursday night.
It was judged by the distinguished German tenor, Siegfried Jerusalem.
After winning the title, Aivale Cole performed an encore of Ritorna Vincitor from Verdi's opera Aida.
Previous winners of the competition, been held every year since 1956, and include Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Jonathan Lemalu.
