Smokefreerockquest
| Smokefreerockquest | |
|---|---|
| Sponsored by | Smokefree/Auahi Kore |
| Country | New Zealand |
| First awarded | 1988 |
| Website | smokefreerockquest |
Smokefreerockquest (SFRQ) is an annual music competition for
The first Rockquest was held in 1988, and was organised by
Smokefreerockquest reaches audience numbers in excess of 24,000.[
Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest include Arlo Mac, Park Rd, There's A Tuesday, Midnight Youth, Opshop, Evermore, Ladyhawke, Minuit, Marina Davis, Jeremy Lawrence, Kids of 88, Die!Die!Die!, Pistol Youth, Bang!Bang!Eche!, Ivy Lies, Cairo Knife Fight, Cut Off Your Hands, Luke Thompson, the Datsuns, Zed, Brooke Fraser, Anika Moa, Anna Coddington, The Electric Confectionaires, Steriogram, Aaradhna, Spacifix, The Phoenix Foundation, The Feelers, The Black Seeds, Nesian Mystik, Bic Runga, The Checks, Julia Deans, Pine, King Kapisi, Kingston, The Fresh Prints, The Naked and Famous, Rival State,[3] Autozamm, Taste Nasa, Kimbra, Elemeno P, Alien Weaponry[4] and Joe's Van.[5]
Competition format
The SFRQ consists of around 40 regional competitions across New Zealand with the top regional bands progressing to the national final.
Each region holds both heats and a regional final.[6] Acts that place first or second in each category (Solo-duo or Band) at their regional event have the opportunity to submit a 12-minute performance video which is judged by a panel of industry professionals. From these video submissions, 10 acts are chosen to compete at the national final. At the national final, the competing bands have 8 minutes to perform on stage before the overall winner is announced.[7]
The regional areas are:
Prize package
The overall national winners (Band and Solo-duo) receive a prizepack which includes the opportunity to record a single, musical gear from NZ Rockshops, a New Music Single grant funded by NZ On Air which allows the act for have a music video created and released professionally, and mentoring with a music industry professional. Second and third placed finishers also receive Rockshop vouchers and the opportunity to record a single.[8] Other awards at regional events include second and third placings, ZM Best Song Award, APRA Lyric Award, ZM People's Choice Award, Musicianship Award, and Best Vocals Award.[9]
Past winners
| Year | Winner | School | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Outer Control | Hornby High School | Christchurch |
| 1990 | De Funk Express | Hillmorton High School | Christchurch |
| 1991 | Auntie Beatrice | Whakatane High School | Whakatane
|
| 1992 | Exploding Poppies | Waimea College | Nelson |
| 1993 | Hallucian | Selwyn College | Auckland |
| 1994 | Kate in the Lemon Tree | Wanganui Collegiate
|
Wanganui |
| 1995 | Dancing Azians | Karamu High School | Hawkes Bay |
| 1996 | Marystaple | Aotea College | Wellington |
| 1997 | Atlas Woods | Wairarapa College/Kuranui College | Wellington |
| 1998 | Handsome Geoffrey | Hamilton Girls' High School | Waikato |
| 1999 | Son of Spank | Kāpiti College/Tawa College | Wellington |
| 2000 | Evermore | "Twin Oaks School"[note 1] | Manawatu |
| 2001 | Carriage H | Logan Park High School | Otago |
| 2002 | The Have | Wanganui High School
|
Wanganui |
| 2003 | Falter | Mairehau High School | Christchurch |
| 2004 | Incursa | St Peters College | Auckland |
| 2005 | The Electric Confectionaires | Takapuna Grammar School | North Shore |
| 2006 | Neil Robinson | Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti
|
Christchurch |
| 2007 | Solomon | Rangitoto College | North Shore |
| 2008 | Beneath the Silence | Cashmere High School/Kaiapoi High School/Rangiora High School | Christchurch |
| 2009 | Jesse Sheehan | Wellington College
|
Wellington |
| 2010 | The Good Fun | Te Awamutu College & Hamilton Boys' High School | Waikato |
| 2011 | The Peasants | Garin College | Nelson |
| 2012 | New Vinyl | Nelson College | Nelson |
| 2013 | A Bit Nigel | Taupo-nui-a-Tia College & Rotorua Boys' High School | Rotorua-Taupo |
| 2014 | Head Chef | Wellington High School
|
Wellington |
| 2015 | Joe's Van | Mount Maunganui College | Tauranga |
| 2016 | Alien Weaponry | Otamatea High School
|
Northland |
| 2017 | Minimal Silence | Howick College | Manukau |
| 2018 | Mit Eldnar | Manurewa High School | Manukau |
| 2019 | Arlo Mac | Havelock North High School | Hawkes Bay |
| 2020 | Red Wav | Aorere College & Marcellin College | Manukau |
| 2022 | Smoked Paprika | Hillcrest High School
|
Waikato |
| 2023 | Parkdale | Mount Albert Grammar School & Selwyn College, Auckland | Auckland Central |
- ^ Because Evermore were homeschooled, they made up "Twin Oaks School" as their school name. "Smokefree Rockquest – 20 years young". Get the Skinny from Skinny. Get the Skinny from Skinny. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
Post-event successes
- 1989/1990 — Bobby Kennedy and Clint Harris, members from the 1989 winning band Outer Control, formed the popular New Zealand rock band Opshop[10] with Jason Kerrison, whose band De Funk Express won the Rockquest in 1990.[11]
- 1991 — 1991 winners, Auntie Beatrice, featured brothers Bradley, Laughton and Francis Kora who later formed Reggae/dub band Kora.[12] Kora’s debut EP Volume was released in 2004 and achieved platinum status with over 10,000 copies sold.
- 1993 — Pagan Records signed
- 1998 — In 1998, New Zealand Music Award nominations.[15]
- 2000 — New Zealand Music Awards.[18]
- 2001 — Andrew Wilson and Michael Prain of Die! Die! Die! originally played in the band Carriage H who won the SFRQ in 2001.[19] As well as releasing five studio albums, Die! Die! Die! have toured with Franz Ferdinand, Wolfmother and Wire.[20]
- 2004 — Jordan Arts, members of the 2004 winning band Insurca, formed the new wave duo, Kids of 88 who released two albums. McCarthy also played in pop punk band Goodnight Nurse who released several top 40 singles.[21][22]
- 2014 — Georgia and Caleb Nott, members of The Peasants (2011 SFRQ winners), splintered off to form the duo Broods. They have released two albums and have enjoyed some success in the United States.
- 2016 — Alien Weaponry have won a New Zealand 2022 Music Award for Best Rock Act, opened for Guns n Roses and released 2 studio albums.
See also
- Smokefree RockQuest 2005 - an album of the finalists of 2005.
References
- ^ a b c "History of the Rockquest". TKI.
- ^ "SmokeFree Rockquest".
- ^ "Twenty five years of Smokefreerockquest". Smokefreerockquest.
- ^ "Smokefreerockquest national finals results 2015". Scoop. Scoop. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "About SFRQ". Smokefreerockquest.
- ^ a b "Region dates". Smokefreerockquest.
- ^ "How it works - Stages". Smokefreerockquest.
- ^ "National Prizes". Smokefreerockquest.
- ^ "Awards". Smokefreerockquest.
- ^ "National Winners '89 – Outer Control".
- ^ "National Winners '90 – De Funk Express".
- ^ "National Winners '91 – Auntie Beatrice".
- ^ Bic Runga
- ^ "Thinking Room - Anika Moa". muzic.net.nz.
- ^ "Anika Moa bio". the Adults.
- ^ "National Winners '00 – Evermore". Archived from the original on 2011-05-18.
- ^ Jason Ankeny. "Evermore Biography". AllMusic.
- ^ "Evermore Bio".
- ^ "National Winners '01 – Carriage H".
- ^ "Die! Die! Die!". Sputnik Music.
- ^ "National Winners '04 – Incursa".
- ^ Lydia Jenkin (2010). "Kids Of 88 - More than Quick Thrills and Sugar Pills". NZ Musician.
External links
- The Official Smokefreerockquest website
- Smokefree Pacifica Beats - a youth music competition that recognizes and reflects the unique cultural identity of New Zealand and the South Pacific