Lytton High School student Karly-Jewel Gordon triumphs at country music awards

Gisborne country music singer Karly-Jewel Gordon, 13, sings at the South Waikato Awards in Putāruru (left); and performs as part of the Lytton High School kapa haka group.

Lytton High School student Karly-Jewel Gordon is quickly becoming a competition veteran in her twin loves of country music and kapa haka.

She recently won the top award for a junior at the South Waikato Country Music Awards in Putāruru and will go on to compete at the New Zealand Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year competition in October.

Karly-Jewel, 13, is the daughter of award-winning Gisborne country music singer Rawinia Gordon and musician David Gordon.

She said she had been practising every day throughout the school holidays.

She sang I Believe by Elvis Presley in the gospel category and Mockingbird Yodel in the solo category at the weekend competition to secure herself a place in the finals on July 13.

No stranger to the stage, Karly-Jewel started singing at the Gisborne Country Music Club when she was 7 and took part in competitions from a young age.

She is now coached by her mum, who puts a lot of thought into the song selection, music preparation and costumes.

The Year 9 student is also passionate about kapa haka, which she started at age 5.

She competed with the Lytton High School kapa haka group at Te Tairāwhiti Area Secondary Schools & Wharekura Regional Kapa Haka Competition earlier this month.

She shares her musical taste with her dad, who loves R&B and rap but also appreciates a good musical and learned all the songs in Hamilton.

Her parents are part of the Gisborne band North East, which was formed in November last year and has been playing gigs around the region.