Announced on Sunday 6 July, 2025: the NZ Youth Choir has won the Grand Prix of Nations at European Choir Games in Aarhus, Denmark.

Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand CE, Arne Hermann, who is travelling with the choir, said, “Their magic mix of waiata and songs from the Pacific convinced the judges and earned an incredible 97.50 out of 100 possible points in this highest performance category at the Games in the Folklore section”.

New Zealand Youth Choir scored 96.25 in the other category it competed in, the Musica Sacra a cappella earning it the second place and a 'Gold Medal - Top Level' award. We are incredibly proud of the singers and the artistic team: Music Director David Squire - musician, Deputy Music Director Michael Stewart and Vocal Consultant Morag Atchison

VIDEO HERE:

https://www.facebook.com/nzyouthchoir/videos/1197287692086107

The world’s longest-running national youth choir, NZ Youth Choir (NZYC), is on its 14^th international tour: to Singapore and Europe and has just competed in the 6^th European Choir Games and Grand Prix of Nations in Aarhus, Denmark. The choir will now return to the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales where they previously won “Choir of the World” in 1999. 

This is the New Zealand Youth Choir’s first European tour since before COVID-19. The choir gathers New Zealand’s finest young voices aged 18–25 and offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from our top conductor and vocal coaches, with the three-year membership culminating in an international tour. 

Director David Squire will end his time with the choir at the completion of the tour. David has directed NZYC since 2011 and was himself a member from 1985–1991 before becoming a founding member of Voices NZ and going on to an illustrious career in music education.