Winners at inaugural Childrens Music Awards.

Friday 18 July, 2008

The Funky Monkeys, Claudia Gunn and Craig Smith are winners at inaugural Childrens Music Awards.

The Funky Monkeys video for The Thank You Song is the best childrens video of the year, as voted by the viewers of What Now.

Based in a small patch of jungle just south of Auckland, the Funky Monkeys were popular winners among the thousands of children who voted online. New Zealands own childrens supergroup received their award for the What Now Childrens Video of the Year in Christchurch tonight (July 18) at the James Hay Theatre.

At the same event, Claudia Gunns Lullaby Time and Craig Smiths Wonkey Donkey Song were named joint winners of the APRA Childrens Song of the Year.

The judges were deadlocked over which was the best song, states childrens music champion and APRA Board Member, Arthur Baysting. The overall standard was so high that they finally agreed on two winners of this inaugural award.

Becoming a mother has inspired a new repertoire of childrens material for songstress Claudia Gunn. The judges were impressed with the simplicity of Lullaby Time. This song has a true, fresh quality. says one judge, It is beautifully sung and the melody is very memorable, it stays with you for a long time after youve heard it.

A singer songwriter who first picked up a guitar at the age of twelve, Craig Smith is a now full time musician. Since releasing his childrens music album Not Just For Kids, Craig has been splitting his tours with visits to primary schools during the day and playing his original folk rock n blues in pubs and restaurants in the evenings. The Wonkey Donkey Song, made our judges giggle, they commented: A fun song with lots of catchy and playful lyrics, this song would be great for the classroom. The classic formula of adding extra words to each verse along with the country-feel of the tune, make this a very successful childrens song.
Visit and learn more about these artists at their various websites:
Craig Smith craigsmith.co.nz
Claudia Gunn myspace.com/claudiagunn
The Funky Monkeys thefunkymonkeys.co.nz

The other finalists for the APRA Childrens Song of the Year were Angela Steele for Girl In The Mirror, The Tangible Titans for Sleep Baby Sleep and Fatcat & Fishface for Una Momento.

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