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An award-winning young country music singer-songwriter has been honing her craft writing songs for families who have experienced tragedy.
Meila Scully, 13, of Riversdale, won the junior category at the Southern Country Music awards, in Mosgiel, this month.
The Northern Southland College student, who has been writing lyrics for at least the past year, also penned two songs, I’ll Be Flying and Heaven, last year.
Each track was dedicated to a family friend and community member who had died after a battle with cancer.
The songs helped her process her sadness.
“I wanted to express my feelings,” Meila said.
“It’s about losing them … how they passed [and] leaving their loved ones behind.”
Meila hoped the songs would help anyone “keep the memory” of a lost loved one alive.
One of the tracks was sent to one of the grieving families.
Meila had performed Heaven in a few competitions.
There were no current plans to release the tracks.
The teenager hopes to take her talent across the ditch.
“I have a dream when I’m older to move to Australia and make my music a bigger career for me,” Meila said.
At the Southern Country Music Awards, as well as winning the junior section, Meila was the runner-up in the junior duet section, with cousin Georgia Martin, and came second in the country rock category.
She was also highly commended in the New Zealand song and new country categories.
She had won junior overall runner-up at the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards multiple times, Meila said.
In 2024, she was crowned the junior overall winner at the Dunedin Country Music Awards.
Now, Meila’s focus is writing music with her cousins as part of eight-piece band Halton Hart, which started about two years ago.
The group, who have released five country songs in the past year, performed a sold out show in Riversdale at the Tussock Country Music Festival in May.
Meila is also one half of The Sparks with her cousin, Georgia.
gemma.sinclair@alliedmedia.co.nz