Winners of the 2026 Aotearoa Children’s Music Awards were announced at the Tuning Fork in Tāmaki Makaurau on Sunday June 28, family act Spellodies leading the way in winning two categories.

Featuring Steph Brown and Fen Ikner of the 2012 APRA Silver Scroll-winning act LIPS, and their son Freddy on drums, Spellodies collected the Tūī for Best Children’s Music Artist for their album ‘If You Can Yell It, Then You Can Spell It’. Ikner also won the Best Children’s Music Video award for Night Light.

Brown and Ikner started out writing Spellodies material to help Freddy and his little brother Charlie, work out how to spell tricky words, an approach that would unexpectedly become so popular it would grow into a full collection of unlikely learning material.

Educational, fun and catchy, Spellodies’ songs and accompanying DIY videos bring together a wide range of influences, from showtunes and reggae to Americana – and even death metal. They also have an activity and ukulele chord book to offer young learners.

Songwriters Maude Morris (Lexxa) and Ava Walker were presented with the APRA Best Children’s Song – Preschool award for their song Kaitiakitanga. The waiata is part of the Toi Time series, a joyful, music-filled show for tamariki that celebrates fun, friendship, learning and the unique world of Aotearoa. Morris is now based in Melbourne, focusing on music engineering and production. Co-writer Ava Walker, who also records under the artist name ĀRAI, is an emerging Māori writer, singer, songwriter and artist. 

APRA Best Children’s Song – Primary | He Pī Ka Rere was won by Siu Williams-Lemi and Thom O’Connor for their educational waiata Feed The Stars (Hautapu Song) performed by Loopy Tunes Preschool Music. are Widely recognised for their joyful bilingual Māori and Pasifika waiata, delivered in a beautifully harmonious style, Loopy Tunes is the Ōtautahi-based sister music duo of Siu Williams-Lemi and Leah Williams-Partington, who won three categories at the 2025 Children’s Music awards.

The 2026 Baysting Prize for Children’s Champion was awarded to Play It Strange Charitable Trust, for supporting young New Zealanders on their music journey through songwriting, performance and self-expression.

Established in 2019 by APRA AMCOS Aotearoa, the Baysting Prize for Children’s Champion, is presented in honour of the late Arthur Baysting. Each year the Baysting Prize is presented to an individual, group, or organisation who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the development and wellbeing of children in Aotearoa, through the creation of or support for music, TV programmes, films, live shows, books, education, or advocacy.