Benny Tipene facts for kids

Benjamin Tipene (born 1990) is a singer, songwriter, and musician from New Zealand. He became well-known after appearing on the first season of The X Factor in New Zealand.

His first song, "Walking on Water," was released in July 2013. It quickly became very popular, reaching number two on the Official New Zealand Music Chart. The song was even certified platinum, meaning it sold a huge number of copies!

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Benny Tipene was born in Auckland in 1990. When he was in high school at Freyberg High School, he and some friends started a band. They called themselves The Nerines. This band played indie rock music and became quite popular in their hometown of Palmerston North. They even won an award called the Future Recording Artist award in a competition called SmokefreeRockquest.

Later, Benny traveled around Europe. During this time, he switched from playing electric guitar to acoustic guitar. When he came back to New Zealand, he started performing acoustic songs by himself. He even went on a small tour, playing music in different homes in Palmerston North. Before he auditioned for The X Factor in 2013, Benny was already making a living from music. He worked one day a week at a music store and played professional gigs on weekends.

Competing on The X Factor

Benny first auditioned for The X Factor in Palmerston North in early 2013. He then moved on to the judges' auditions. There, he performed a unique acoustic version of the song "Hey Ya!" by Outkast. The judges were impressed, and he made it into the top 13 contestants who would perform in the live shows.

During the competition, Benny was mentored by singer Ruby Frost. In one week, after singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," Benny was in the bottom two, meaning he was at risk of being sent home. However, the other judges voted to keep him in the competition.

In another special moment, Benny performed his own original song called "Boxes." This was a big deal because he was the first contestant on The X Factor New Zealand to sing their own song outside of the early auditions. Benny made it very far in the show, performing "Laura" by Bat For Lashes and a duet with Dave Baxter from Avalanche City. He was the last contestant to be eliminated by the audience vote, just before the grand finale.

After The X Factor

After his time on The X Factor, Benny Tipene signed a record deal with Sony Music New Zealand. His first single, "Walking on Water," was released in July 2013. It was a huge success, reaching number two on the New Zealand music charts and quickly becoming certified platinum. Benny was even featured on the cover of a New Zealand music magazine called Rip It Up.

His second single, "Make You Mine," came out in December 2013. This song was also used in a "Coke loves summer" advertising campaign for Coca-Cola in New Zealand. In February 2014, Benny released his first EP (which is like a mini-album) called Toulouse. This EP included "Make You Mine" and a new song called "Lonely."

Later, "Make You Mine" was used in a TV show promo in Australia. In June 2014, Toulouse was released in Australia. Benny's first full album, Bricks, was released in October 2014. It featured songs like "Step On Up" and "Good Man." His EP Toulouse was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 2014 New Zealand Music Awards, where Benny also performed.

In 2015, Benny returned to The X Factor to help judge Natalia Kills mentor the contestants in the Boys category. He continues to play live music, sometimes performing at bars in Palmerston North.

Live Performances

Benny Tipene has performed at many big events and music festivals across New Zealand. In the summer of 2013/2014, he played at popular events like Christmas in the Park in Auckland and Christchurch. He also performed at major music festivals such as Rhythm & Vines, Parachute music festival, and the Homegrown music festival.

In July 2014, Benny went on a tour with fellow New Zealand artist Anika Moa. They toured towns in the North Island that had double names. He continued to perform at big events in 2014 and 2015, including Christmas in the Park in Tauranga and Christmas in the Vines in Auckland. He also played at the Homegrown music festival again in 2015.

In early 2017, Benny toured New Zealand with well-known singers Brooke Fraser and Bic Runga as part of The Winery Tour.

Discography

• Toulouse EP (2014)
• Bricks (2014)

Awards