Three Christchurch-based musical artists have been recognised at this year’s New Zealand Children’s Music Awards, celebrating the best music made for children across the country.

The winners were announced Sunday afternoon at a family friendly event held at Auckland’s Tuning Fork, bringing together creators dedicated to entertaining and educating young audiences through music.

Sibling duo Loopy Tunes took home three awards, including the prestigious Tūī for Best Children’s Music Artist.

This marks the first New Zealand Children’s Music Awards win for Siu Williams Lemi and Leah Williams Partington, who began creating music for children in 2019.

Loopy Tunes are known for their lively bilingual Māori and Pasifika songs that aim to normalise the everyday use of Māori and Pacific languages. Their performances span preschools, libraries, festivals, and educational workshops, and their YouTube series Music Time with Loopy Tunes continues to attract a growing audience.

Also from Christchurch, Michal Bush, who performs as Music with Michal, won Best Children’s Song in the Primary category for her guitar based educational track Shapes and Colours. Bush previously won the Tūī for Best Children’s Artist in 2022 and continues to produce fun imaginative music content for young children and their families.

The awards were presented by APRA AMCOS New Zealand, Recorded Music NZ, and NZ On Air, with a focus on celebrating music that uplifts, educates, and entertains the country’s youngest generation.