2025 Baysting Prize For Children’s Champion Goes To Sistema Aotearoa

Established in 2019 by APRA AMCOS Aotearoa, the Baysting Prize for Children’s Champion, is presented in honour of the late Arthur Baysting. Arthur was a well-known children’s author, songwriter and advocate who championed children’s content creators in Aotearoa on behalf of our tamariki, working to provide kiwi kids with accessible art of all varieties that reflects their home and culture, while also inspiring and educating.  The award is presented as part of the annual Aotearoa Children’s Music Awards | Ngā Manu Tīrairaka, this year held at Tuning Fork in Auckland on Sunday 29 June.
 
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 New Zealand children, through the creation of or support for music, programmes, films, live shows, books, education, or advocacy.
 
The 2025 Baysting Prize recipient, Sistema Aotearoa, is based in Ōtara Music Arts Centre (ŌMAC) and is one of Aotearoa’s most unique and impactful music and social development programmes. Inspired by El Sistema and similar initiatives around the world, Sistema Aotearoa uses orchestral music to nurture confidence, connection, and a deep sense of community. Through their free, intensive, ensemble-based music education, children discover their potential and grow as leaders, learners, and teammates — both on and off the stage.
 
Sistema Aotearoa provides free, high-quality music education to tamariki in South Auckland, with a focus on building strong communities through collective music-making. The programme begins in partner schools, where children take part in school music sessions. As they progress, students are invited to join after-school orchestras, where they continue learning in a fun, challenging, and supportive environment. From their very first notes to full orchestral performances, students grow in confidence, teamwork, and resilience.

Music Director, Sarah Spence of Sistema Aotearoa, who has taught at the Ōtara based programme for 11 years, says:
"Students in some areas of Auckland get given music lessons and music instruments by their parents easily, it’s not a problem; why should it be any different in any postcode in Tāmaki Makaurau? Whānau that support Sistema Aotearoa students want success and the joy of achievement for their young musicians. Sistema Aotearoa removes financial barriers for lessons and when ākonga | students commit to learning and caring for their instruments, provide instruments on loan for practice at home - all for free. Last year we worked with just over 1700 students, from pre-school to senior high school, with 62 contributing schools. And Sistema Students enjoy success; they’re not shy about achieving – sometimes it’s quite loud.”
 
Anthony Healey, APRA AMCOS Aotearoa Head of Operations, says:
"We are very excited to celebrate Sistema Aotearoa and everything they do. We know music is an incredibly powerful tool and Sistema have determinedly and passionately gone about providing opportunities to generations of young New Zealanders to engage with orchestral music. None of this is easy, but the outcomes of all this hard work are immeasurable.”
 
Sistema Aotearoa will be honoured and presented with the Baysting Prize for Children’s Champion at the 2025 Aotearoa Children’s Music Awards | Ngā Manu Tīrairaka ceremony on Sunday 29 June at Tuning Fork, Spark Arena. Hosted by Suzy Cato with awards presented by tamariki from across Aotearoa, the invite only ceremony is preceded by a public Sounds Fun event, beginning 10am - tickets available from Moshtix.

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