# Bret McKenzie
**Bret McKenzie** is a New Zealand musician, comedian, and songwriter best known as one half of the musical comedy duo [Flight of the Conchords](https://www.edgepedia.org/flight-of-the-conchords) and as the songwriter behind the Oscar-winning song "Man or Muppet" from the 2011 film *The Muppets*[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie). He has won a Grammy Award, for Best Comedy Album with Flight of the Conchords in 2008, and an Academy Award, for Best Original Song in 2012[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie). Since 2022 he has also released solo albums on the [Sub Pop](https://www.edgepedia.org/sub-pop) label[2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-without-jokes-mw0003714676).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Awards | Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (2008, with Flight of the Conchords); Academy Award for Best Original Song (2012, "Man or Muppet")[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie) |
| Main band | Flight of the Conchords, the duo with Jemaine Clement, formed from the Wellington comedy and theater scene; one EP and three albums on Sub Pop[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie) |
| Other bands | Founding member of the reggae-funk band The Black Seeds; also Video Kid and the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie) |
| Film work | Songs for *The Muppets* (2011) and *Muppets Most Wanted* (2014), plus episodes of *The Simpsons*[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/bret-mckenzie-interview-flight-of-the-conchords-songs-without-jokes-b2151097.html) |
| Solo albums | *Songs Without Jokes* (26 August 2022, 44:25) and *Freak Out City* (15 August 2025), both on Sub Pop[2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-without-jokes-mw0003714676) • [1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie) |
| Acting | Cast as a background elf in *The Fellowship of the Ring* (2000); fans named the character "Figwit"[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie) |
## Early life and the Wellington music scene
McKenzie was born in Wellington, New Zealand, into what his label describes as a home that loved the arts: his mother ran a modern dance company and taught ballet at night, and he grew up spending time in dance studios and backstage in [Wellington](https://www.edgepedia.org/wellington) theaters[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie). As a young adult he played across the Wellington music scene in several genres at once. He was a founding member of The Black Seeds, a reggae-funk band that made multiple gold albums and toured internationally, and he also started the ten-piece Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra, played in the experimental electronica ensemble Dub Connection, recorded indie-pop electronica under the alias Video Kid, and performed in jazz groups including The Shrinks, whose members played miniature instruments[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie).
In 2000 he was cast as an extra in *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*. His single background appearance as an elf drew disproportionate attention from Tolkien fans, who coined the name "Figwit", short for "Frodo is great, who is that?"[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie).
## Flight of the Conchords
McKenzie formed Flight of the Conchords with his university flatmate [Jemaine Clement](https://www.edgepedia.org/jemaine-clement), and the duo grew out of Wellington's live comedy circuit and its community of devised-comedy theater artists[4](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/20/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-interview-songs-without-jokes) • [1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie). They described themselves as "New Zealand's fourth most popular folk parody duo"[2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-without-jokes-mw0003714676). After several years touring comedy festivals in Australia, Canada, and the UK, they made a radio series for the BBC and then an HBO television show that ran for two Emmy-nominated seasons and became what the ABC calls a late-2000s pop culture phenomenon[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie) • [5](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-03/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-tour-oscar-the-muppets/106516904).
The duo's songs parodied specific genres and artists, from [Pet Shop Boys](https://www.edgepedia.org/pet-shop-boys) ("Inner City Pressure") and [David Bowie](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-bowie) ("Bowie") to rap ("Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros") and seductive funk ("Business Time")[5](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-03/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-tour-oscar-the-muppets/106516904). They released one EP and three albums on Sub Pop and won the [Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album](https://www.edgepedia.org/grammy-award-for-best-comedy-album) in 2008[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie). The pair turned down a third season of their show in 2009[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/bret-mckenzie-interview-flight-of-the-conchords-songs-without-jokes-b2151097.html). McKenzie has said the duo's limited technical skill was central to the comedy: at a one-off show with a top-class backing group he realized that a more accomplished performance made the songs less funny[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/bret-mckenzie-interview-flight-of-the-conchords-songs-without-jokes-b2151097.html).
## Film and television songwriting
After the Conchords' hiatus, McKenzie became a writer of comic songs for Hollywood projects. His tunes have appeared in *The Muppets* (2011) and *Muppets Most Wanted* (2014) and in episodes of *The Simpsons*, among other film and television work[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/bret-mckenzie-interview-flight-of-the-conchords-songs-without-jokes-b2151097.html). His songs have been sung by performers ranging from [Kermit the Frog](https://www.edgepedia.org/kermit-the-frog) and [Miss Piggy](https://www.edgepedia.org/miss-piggy) to [Celine Dion](https://www.edgepedia.org/celine-dion), Lizzo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brittany Howard, and Tony Bennett[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie).
For *The Muppets* he was music supervisor and primary songwriter, with several of his compositions promoted for awards consideration, including "Life's a Happy Song", "Me Party", and "Man or Muppet"[6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-dec-08-la-en-mckenzie-20111208-story.html). "Man or Muppet", an '80s-style power ballad, won the 2012 [Academy Award for Best Original Song](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-award-for-best-original-song)[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie). McKenzie has said Disney was initially skeptical of his ability to write for the Muppets and had him record a second version of the song before accepting it[4](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/20/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-interview-songs-without-jokes).
## Solo albums
**Songs Without Jokes** (2022) was McKenzie's first solo album, released on 26 August 2022 by Sub Pop with a running time of 44:25[2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-without-jokes-mw0003714676). He described deliberately writing without punch lines as a challenge, feeling "a little naked" without jokes to hide behind[4](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/20/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-interview-songs-without-jokes). The record drew on the 1970s singer-songwriter tradition of [Harry Nilsson](https://www.edgepedia.org/harry-nilsson) and [Randy Newman](https://www.edgepedia.org/randy-newman) and was recorded with Los Angeles session musicians including guitarist Dean Parks, bassist [Leland Sklar](https://www.edgepedia.org/leland-sklar), and drummer Joey Waronker[2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-without-jokes-mw0003714676) • [5](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-03/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-tour-oscar-the-muppets/106516904). Reviews were divided: AllMusic's Mark Deming praised McKenzie as "a superior pop tunesmith" whose melodies were as well-crafted as his comedy lyrics[2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-without-jokes-mw0003714676), while a Picky Bastards review found the homages to 1970s and 1980s styles too often came at the expense of a musical identity of his own[7](https://pickybs.com/2022/10/02/review-bret-mckenzie-songs-without-jokes/).
**Freak Out City** (2025), his second solo record, was released worldwide on Sub Pop on 15 August 2025[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie). Its songs were developed on the road with his eight-piece band, recorded in Los Angeles and New Zealand, co-produced with his longtime collaborator Mickey Petralia, and mixed by Michael Harris at East West Studios[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie). The album allows a more playful edge than its predecessor: its opener "Bethnal Green Blues" tells of a man crushed under a vending machine, and the title track is a samba-and-piano cautionary tale about falling into online conspiracy theories[5](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-03/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-tour-oscar-the-muppets/106516904). Across three professional reviews aggregated by Chorus, the album earned a consensus score of 53.5/100, with the title track, "Eyes on the Sun", and "The Only Dream I Know" the most consistently praised songs[8](https://chorus.reviews/albums/bret-mckenzie-freak-out-city). The album also includes a cover of [John Prine](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-prine)'s "That's the Way That the World Goes 'Round"[9](https://georgegraham.com/reviews/bret-mckenzie).
## Live work and the Conchords reunion
McKenzie typically tours with an eight-piece band flown from Wellington, which he calls "financially unviable" given freight costs and the decline in recorded-music revenue; he notes the contrast with Flight of the Conchords, "two people, giant venues"[5](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-03/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-tour-oscar-the-muppets/106516904). His 2026 tour schedule included sold-out solo dates at Meow Nui in Wellington in April and appearances at the Netflix Is a Joke Fest in Los Angeles in May[10](https://www.bretmckenzie.com/).
In May 2026 he and Clement reunited Flight of the Conchords for their first shows since a 2018 HBO special, playing The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on 9 and 10 May, billed as the duo's first Los Angeles show in ten years[5](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-03/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-tour-oscar-the-muppets/106516904) • [1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie). McKenzie's live sets span his career, moving from solo material and soundtrack work to Conchords classics such as "The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room)" and his Muppets songs[11](https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917QQ3f/bret-mckenzie-events).
## Personal life
McKenzie and his wife Hannah Clarke have three children, and he has focused on projects that let him stay based in New Zealand[1](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie). He lives in Wellington after years dividing his time between Los Angeles, New York, and New Zealand[5](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-03/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-tour-oscar-the-muppets/106516904).
## References
1. [Bret McKenzie, artist page, Sub Pop Records](https://www.subpop.com/artists/bret_mckenzie)
2. [Songs Without Jokes review and credits, AllMusic (Mark Deming)](https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-without-jokes-mw0003714676)
3. [Bret McKenzie interview, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/bret-mckenzie-interview-flight-of-the-conchords-songs-without-jokes-b2151097.html)
4. [Trying not to be funny was a challenge: Bret McKenzie on his serious solo debut, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/20/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-interview-songs-without-jokes)
5. [Bret McKenzie on Flight of the Conchords reunion, Oscar win and songs without jokes, ABC News (Double J)](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-03/bret-mckenzie-flight-of-the-conchords-tour-oscar-the-muppets/106516904)
6. [The Contenders: It's easy being Bret McKenzie, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-dec-08-la-en-mckenzie-20111208-story.html)
7. [Review: Bret McKenzie, Songs Without Jokes, Picky Bastards](https://pickybs.com/2022/10/02/review-bret-mckenzie-songs-without-jokes/)
8. [Freak Out City review score, Chorus.Reviews](https://chorus.reviews/albums/bret-mckenzie-freak-out-city)
9. [George Graham review of Freak Out City](https://georgegraham.com/reviews/bret-mckenzie)
10. [Bret McKenzie official site, Freak Out City and 2026 tour](https://www.bretmckenzie.com/)
11. [Bret McKenzie 2026 tour dates and setlist, Live Nation](https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917QQ3f/bret-mckenzie-events)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license