MEET THE KIWI KIDS’ MUSICIANS
The Kiwi Kids’ Music scene is experiencing a huge renaissance thanks to recent support from NZ’s funding bodies. Our high-quality material is now played and promoted by children’s radio shows all over the USA, Australia, Europe and online.
In May, the 2021 Children’s Music Awards acknowledged excellence for:
Best Song - Music with Michal - Brave
Best Album - FLEABITE - Snakes Alive
Best Video - Captain Festus McBoyle - Bubble
This year’s awards (May 16) brought together artists from around the country, each busy carving out their own successful niche.
Judi Cranson (Ak) has built up a huge syndicated empire with Kindy Rock in the educational preschool sphere
Rainbow Rosalind (Dunedin) introduces kids to the instruments in the orchestra, and she’s also an effervescent TV star (Code Fun) and part-time fairy available for parties
Loopy Tunes (Chch) run weekly music sessions for kids, and have just finished a mammoth project for Plunket, recording and filming 100 songs in 10 Pasifika languages
Chris Sanders (Ak) is best known for his song/ book 111 Call For The Ambulance and was awarded a New Zealand Honour for his charitable services to St John NZ
Anna Van Riel (Hawea) tours schools around the country as recycling powerhouse Waste Free Wanda
Itty Bitty Beats (Chch) are singing teachers and doyens of Spotify who have nailed the art of getting on Spotify playlists
Kath Bee’s (Nelson) anthemic kids’ songs are sung at schools all around the country
Chris Lam Sam (Wgtn) is a sought after MC at Te Papa, Musical Director (Kids for Kids), as well as a composer, performer and all-round gentleman
Music with Michal has been successfully performing live, interactive preschool shows (by subscription) since way before we’d even heard the term ‘lockdown’
Claudia Gunn is known for beautifully crafted songs/videos about outer space and the natural world
And then of course there’s fleaBITE, specialising in offbeat, original music and videos for older children
The growing camaraderie of NZ children’s artists has led to increasing collaborations and cross-pollination. For some, this year’s awards were a chance to meet people they had only worked with on the virtual plane over Lockdown. And even though we are still in our niches, friendships have blossomed and borne fruit with colourful, multicultural waiata…and there’s lots of fabulous new music to look forward to over the coming year!
Discover even more Kiwi Kids Music Members here.
Thanks to APRA, NZ on AIR and Recorded Music NZ