Levin’s Pounamu Country Music Awards to feature local and national talent

The seventh annual Pounamu Country Music Awards takes place this weekend at the Cosmopolitan Club in Levin. Pictured here are guests at the 2022 awards in the Levin RSA building.

A weekend of toe-tapping tunes is coming to Levin.

This weekend, November 2 and 3, the Cosmopolitan Club will host the seventh annual Pounamu Country Music Awards and event convenor Teresa Herewini said it’s a weekend sure to delight music fans.

“We have a beautiful line-up of people performing including our local talent, a musician from the South Island, a couple of people from Auckland, Hastings and all over the North Island.”

Herewini, the president of the Pounamu Country Music Club which runs the event, said she’s enjoyed seeing the event grow.

“I’ve been involved with the club right from the start. I’ve loved seeing the club grow and also the formation of the awards.”

Saturday is the audition period, and the musicians will perform for a spot in the finals on Sunday.

There is a “stellar judging panel” lined up, she said, with New Zealand Country Music Awards vice-president John de Brug from Feilding, Glenys Wana from Whakatāne, and Shannon local Nina Pilkington serving as judges.

“We’re very rapt to have someone like John attending this event. It’s also great to have Glenys who is well known in the country music scene. As well as this, it’s awesome to have Nina, our local country singer, coming along as well.”

She said the event is always well-attended and leads to great things for the winning competitors, with the overall winners of the senior, veteran and songwriters categories gaining entry to the 2025 NZCMA Entertainer of the Year Awards.

“It’s going to be a good weekend. It brings enjoyment to the community and people love it.”

If people liked what they heard over the weekend, the club was always open to welcoming new members, she said.

“We’re always looking for new members. What makes our club is the people in and we’d love to have more of them.”

The details:

What: Pounamu Country Music Awards

When: Saturday, November 2, 8.30am start and Sunday, November 3, 11am start

Where: Levin Cosmopolitan Club, Oxford St, Levin

Cost: Saturday: $10, Sunday $15. Door sales, bring cash.

Other: The Pounamu Country Music Club meets on the first Saturday of each month at the Levin RSA from 11am. For more information, contact Tracey on 027 328 2816.