Songwriter Jurrian van Dongen is the winner of the Willem Wilmink Prize for the best children’s song 2023. Van Dongen won the prize for A kind ofa song that actress Marie-Mae van Zuilen sang in a TV program The core.
A kind of deals with the theme of abuse and made a big impression on the jury of the prize. “Every silent word has been weighed and every sensitive note has been carefully chosen. This song crawls under your skin and stays there,” said the jury of the Wilmink Prize. Van Zuilen and Peter van de Witte, who wrote the music, share the prize money of 5,000 euros.
It is the second time for Van Dongen that he has won the prize. Last year he won with his song Give me some skinwhich is also in The core was sung, then by Maarten Heijmans, among others.
This year’s audience award goes to the trio Rob Janssen, Gijs Pouwels and Adriaan van de Polder with their song Vegetables or Fruits, sung by Rob Janssen. The trio received the vast majority of the public votes cast. Their song is about the confusion that can arise at the fruit and vegetable stand. The three may now write the Children’s Music Week song for next year.
