It was such a thrill to win our Aotearoa Music Award for children's music this year! A total surprise, and so beautiful to receive in company of so many music friends in the industry at the Ngā Manu Tīrairaka - NZ Children's Music Awards at The Tuning Fork. I got to perform at the awards too as pictured - sharing my mindfulness song Focus on the Good.
The Tūī for Best Children's Music Artist was for my album Firefly - and I WISH my producer Dean and collaborators Little Miss Ann and Suzi Shelton were there to celebrate too! I hope to meet up with these friends and many more of our other global kids music makers in person, for the first time - somewhere along the way, perhaps the Children's Music Network conference, or at the GRAMMY'S. Just putting that into the universe to manifest one day!
Some of our wonderful aussie friends attended this year and it was so joyful to have Tina and Mark (Lah-Lah), Benny Time and Angie Who part of the weekend of music celebrations!
Fellow winners on the day were:
- Legendary kiwi artists Don McGlashan and Harry Sinclair with the NZ On Air Best Music Video for 'Let It Out' performed by Tami Neilson
- Judi Cranston and Levity Beet who won APRA's Best Children's Song (preschool) for 'Funny Little Bunny'
- Little Lips Spellodies who won APRA's Best Children's Song (primary) for 'Because'.
- Lydia Clark who won the new Kiwi Kids Music, NZ Opera and Auckland Philharmonia sponsored Kōkako Award for a young performer
- The NZ Ukulele Trust received the 2024 Baysting Prize Children's Champion Award!
'The Baysting Prize for Children’s Champion is in honour of the late Arthur Baysting - a well-known children’s author, songwriter and advocate who has championed children’s content creators in Aotearoa on behalf of our tamariki, working to provide kiwi kids with accessible art of all varieties that reflects their home and culture, while also inspiring and educating.'
Photo pictured by Becca Zeff Photography