Māori DJ Lady Shaka was recognised and celebrated at this year’s Pacific Music Awards, with her parents giving an emotional speech on her behalf.
Due to killing it overseas, she could not make it to the awards at the Due Drops Events Centre in Manukau, Auckland. Instead, her mum and dad took the stage to accept the 'Creative New Zealand Award' on her behalf. The two also sang a touching song in honour of their daughter.
Lady Shaka posted her parents’ speech and song to her Instagram, sharing some words herself in the caption.
“From the bottom of my heart and with tears in my eyes I want to say a huge thank you to @pacificmusicawardsnz and @creativenz for celebrating me and my music journey,” she wrote.
“I want to thank my beautiful parents for always believing in me and supporting me and for the world’s most beautiful speech and song, and my family and my besties for pushing me to become the best version of myself.”
“To all the beautiful queer kids in the world, fa’afafine, fa’afatama, māhu, fakaleiti and takataapui, my beautiful people of Samoa, Tokelau, Tahiti, Tonga, Cape Verde and Aotearoa I do this work for you.”
Lady Shaka received the award for her “innovative, genre-bending music and international success as a DJ and creative”. Her Boiler Room set from December of last year, and the Matariki Celebration gig she threw in London earlier this year were both cited, amongst an array of other achievements, as reasons for her receiving the award.
New Zealand MC Melodownz cleaned up on the night, taking home three awards: Best Pacific Male Artist, NZ on Air Best Pacific Music Video for ‘Pray for More ft. Lisi, Mikey Dam’, and Recorded Music Te Pukaemi Toa o Te Moana Nui a Kiwa | Best Pacific Music Album Award for Lone Wolf.
Big ups to Lady Shaka, Melodownz, and everyone who won an award on the night. Pacific music is strong and only getting stronger.
