Taieri College student Keira Wallace, 17, said it was surreal for them to finally win the Play It Strange national secondary school songwriting competition after entering it four times.
The NZ On Air grant would go towards funding a studio recording session and making a music video for their song Lambs Aren’t Waking Yet.
Keira said it took them two four-hour sessions over two days in their bedroom to record the song.
It was only completed two days before the entries closed.
The song was about an emotional childhood experience when their grandma buried a rabbit they had tried to save after their cat caught it.
"I think she was protecting me from the more sobering aspects of life.
"[The song] captures moments in time when the darker aspects of life lose their grip and you can let that innocent child breathe a little bit."
In addition to their vocals, Keira also plays an acoustic guitar and a glockenspiel on their track.
They wanted to record the song during the summer holidays.
They were looking forward to working with Ladi6 and picking her brains about the music making and industry side of being a musician in New Zealand.
