Matariki week shines spotlight on Tongan-Māori sisters’ award-winning waiata

As whānau across Aotearoa New Zealand celebrate Matariki this week, two Tongan-Māori sisters are helping young children connect with the traditions behind the Māori New Year through music.

Their work has now been recognised nationally, with Ōtautahi Christchurch-based sisters Siu Williams-Lemi and Leah Williams-Partington winning the APRA Best Children’s Song - Primary Award at the recent Aotearoa Children’s Music Awards | Ngā Manu Tīrairaka.

The Tongan-Māori-Chinese duo behind Loopy Tunes Preschool Music won for Feed The Stars (Hautapu Song), a bilingual Māori waiata.

Co-written with producer Thomas O’Connor, the song teaches tamariki about the kai offered during a hautapu ceremony to honour the Matariki star cluster.

The song is part of a wider mission to help young children and their whānau embrace Māori and Pacific language, culture and storytelling through music.

"We’re super stoked," the sisters shared on social media. "We love that the waiata got to be highlighted at the awards just in time for Matariki."

Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster. Its heliacal rising (reappearance in the dawn sky) in midwinter marks the beginning of the Māori New Year | Te Mātahi o te Tau.

It is a time to remember loved ones who have passed, celebrate with family and friends, and look ahead to the year to come.

This year in Aotearoa, Matariki will be observed on 10 July.

The sisters’ award-winning song features ontheir 13-track album, Mā: Matariki For Tamariki, created with support from NZ On Air Music.

The album introduces children, families, and educators to each of the individual stars in the cluster and the traditions connected to the season.

For Williams-Lemi and Williams-Partington, Mātariki is centred on three guiding values:

• Whakamaumahara: Remembering loved ones who have passed.

• Whakanui: Celebrating with friends and whānau.

• Whakariterite: Planning and setting goals for the year ahead.

Leah Williams-Partington and Siu Williams-Lemi with their nephew at the 2026 Aotearoa Children's Music Awards | Ngā Manu Tīrairaka. Photo/Facebook

The latest honour adds to the sisters' growing success.

With a library of more than 150 bilingual Māori and Pasifika songs, Loopy Tunes has become a familiar name for many families and early childhood educators across Aotearoa.

Last year, the duo won three categories at the Children's Music Awards. This year, they were again finalists in three categories, including Best Children's Music Artist and Best Children's Music Video.

The annual awards celebrate New Zealand artists creating music for children and are produced by renowned children’s entertainer Suzy Cato with support from Recorded Music NZ, APRA AMCOS, NZ On Air, and Kiwi Kids Music.

Williams-Lemi and Williams-Partington are preparing for a special Matariki Concert on Thursday at the Christchurch Art Gallery, which starts at 10.30am.