The national anthem of New Zealand is "God Defend New Zealand". It is one of two official national anthems of equal legal status in the country, alongside "God Save the King/Queen". The anthem is commonly sung in both English and Māori, and until the 1990s, only the first verse of the English version was commonly sung. The poem "God Defend New Zealand" was written by Thomas Bracken in the 1870s, and the text was later set to music by John Joseph Woods. The first verse of the English version is as follows:

God of Nations at Thy feet, In the bonds of love we meet, Hear our voices, we entreat, God defend our free land. Guard Pacifics triple star From the shafts of strife and war, Make her praises heard afar, God defend New Zealand.

The Māori version of the anthem is known as "Aotearoa" and has different lyrics.