Nineteen entrants will line up in the Te Puia Maori Song contest as part of the New Zealand Aria competition in Rotorua this weekend.
They will compete for the top three places in the class in order to perform in the finals on Sunday.
Class convenor Monty Morrison says the Maori Song category was developed to encourage entrants to sing at least one song in Te Reo Maori.
Mr Morrison says it also shows they can represent New Zealand's native language overseas.
He says one contestant is considered to be among the top classical singers in New Zealand and has been tutored by Dame Malvina Major.
The New Zealand Aria began in Rotorua just after the end of the Second World War, and this year marks its 67th anniversary.
