30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Emery enjoys the ride at children's music awards
A prestigious national singing award was swept up by a Dunedin pupil after she dazzled judges by singing an original song written by her mother.
Dunedin primary school pupil Emery Goodwin won the Kōkako award at the Aotearoa Children's Music Awards on Sunday, for a standout performance of a song called Enjoy the Ride.
"I was shocked, because I did not expect to win ... I feel really good," Emery said.
The song was written by her mother Amanda Goodwin and family friend Michelle Wong.
Emery said she and her mother flew to Auckland on Friday. She attended workshops all Saturday with the other finalists before they performed their songs in a closed room with four judges.
"The judges were really, really nice... that's why I wasn't nervous.
"After my audition, [the judges] said I did really well and I have definitely gotten better since my original audition video earlier this year — they said I sounded really different and really good."
As part of the prize, Enjoy the Ride would be arranged by the Auckland Philharmonia and Emery would have the chance to perform the song in the Auckland Town Hall live with the orchestra this December.
Mother and daughter duo Amanda and Emery Goodwin, 11, celebrate their big win at the Aotearoa Children's Music Awards on Sunday. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH
She also took home $500 to go towards her music studies.
Ms Goodwin said Enjoy the Ride was about how sometimes "feelings can feel very big and you can get a bit overwhelmed but just remember that the feelings don't last forever".
"Make the most of enjoying life," she said.
Emery and her mother perform as a duo, Em and Me, and sing children's songs together.
"We wrote and recorded our first song with Emery singing when she was 6, and we've just grown since then."
Ms Goodwin said she was "very proud" of Emery, not just for her singing.
"She just has a great attitude — I love her attitude — I love how positive and kind she is, even with all the other contestants.
"They were also encouraging of each other and hugging each other at the awards — I just loved Emery's attitude and her friendliness and positivity with everyone else.
