A violinist moved members of a crowd to tears this morning during his heart-warming performance at Auckland's dawn service.
Nick Jones played Requiem for a Soldier in front of thousands just after 6am in front of Auckland War Memorial Museum.
Those paying their respects could be seen standing solemnly in front of the museum which was lit up in red.
As the striking music played out, some struggled to hide their emotions while reflecting on the day and what it meant to them.
Footage shows people watching on in awe, including Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni.
She said the event means "a lot" to her personally.
"All of us who grew up in this country who have commemorated Anzac every year have come out en-mass. It's a time of reflection, it's a time of remembering loss and it's a time of thinking forward as a country and thinking what we do want as a nation and what we want to steer clear of too."
Minister for Veterans Meka Whaitiri says today is all about commemorating those who have served while also reflecting on the sacrifices made by Aotearoa’s Defence Force members.
“Whether it’s attending a Dawn Service or a parade here in the towns, cities and rural communities of New Zealand, or standing beside fellow Kiwis at Anzac events overseas, we can all take a few minutes to acknowledge lives forever altered by world events,” she said.
“There is a personal cost in every global conflict, and together we should unify around those who paid the ultimate price, as well as acknowledging New Zealanders who returned home changed by the mental and physical scars of conflict.”
In an interview with Breakfast on Monday, World War II veteran Peter Stead says it's still very important that Kiwis continue to celebrate Anzac Day.
The 100-year-old said most families, especially in New Zealand, have a story associated with loss or death worth commemorating.
But he added that while people do need to reflect on what happened, it should "not [be] to the state where we're warring again because once a war starts, it's mighty hard to finish it".
Anzac Day weather
Cold fronts sweeping the country have made for a cool start to Anzac Day, with some parts of the country likely to see frosts and their coldest morning of the year so far.
MetService meteorologist Jessie Owen said this was due to a strong southwesterly change which moved up the South Island on Sunday bringing showers, strong winds and colder air.
Following the chilly start, the weather for Anzac Day was looking relatively settled and temperatures should warm up into the mid-high teens.
It will be mainly fine in the North Island, with just some cloud and a light shower or two pushing into western areas in the afternoon.
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