Smokefreerockquest (SFRQ) is an annual music competition for intermediate and

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

bands throughout New Zealand. The first Rockquest was held in 1988, and was organised by

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

radio station C93FM as a local event. The following year, local sound company owner Mike Waldegrave, Music promoter Barb Cuttance and school teachers Glenn Common and Pete Rainey formed Rockquest Promotions and by 1990 had made Rockquest a national event, with five regional finals and a national final. In 1991, Smokefree became a major sponsor, and the name became the Smokefreerockquest. Glenn Common and Pete Rainey now run Rockquest Promotions full-time out of

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

. Smokefreerockquest reaches audience numbers in excess of 24,000. Its aim is to motivate young musicians to prove their musical ability and to encourage their peers to support original

New Zealand music The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including ...

. Initially bands played covers, but very early in the evolution of the event (and running parallel with the evolution of music in New Zealand) there was a shift to original music. Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest include, Park Rd, There's A Tuesday, Midnight Youth,

Opshop Opshop is a New Zealand rock band who formed in 2002. They released their first album, '' You Are Here'' in 2004, their second album '' Second Hand Planet'' in 2007, and their third album '' Until The End of Time'', which debuted at number one ...

Evermore ''Evermore'' (stylized in all lowercase) is the ninth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was surprise-released on December 11, 2020, by Republic Records. Swift conceived ''Evermore'' as a "sister record" to its p ...

, Ladyhawke, Minuit, Marina Davis, Jeremy Lawrence,

Kids of 88 Kids of 88 were a New Zealand New wave music, new wave duo based in Auckland, New Zealand, consisting of Jordan Arts and Sam McCarthy (singer), Sam McCarthy. They are best known for their 2009 single, "My House (Kids of 88 song), My House". The ...

, Die!Die!Die!, Pistol Youth, Bang!Bang!Eche!, Ivy Lies,

Cairo Knife Fight Cairo Knife Fight (CKF) is a rock band originating from New Zealand, founded in 2007 by musical artist Nick Gaffaney, featuring a drum and guitar duo incorporating real-time layered loops. History Cairo Knife Fight (CKF) began as Nick Gaffane ...

, Cut Off Your Hands, Luke Thompson,

the Datsuns The Datsuns are a hard rock band from Cambridge, New Zealand, formed in 1998. Founding mainstays are Rudolf "Dolf" de Borst on vocals and bass guitar, and Christian Livingstone and Phil Somervell, both on guitar. They have released seven album ...

, Zed,

Brooke Fraser Brooke Gabrielle Ligertwood (née Fraser; born 15 December 1983) is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She uses both her maiden and married names professionally. After signing with Sony BMG in 2002, she gained recognition for her debut album, ...

Anika Moa Anika Rose Moa (born 21 May 1980) is a New Zealand recording artist and television presenter. Her debut studio album ''Thinking Room'', was released in September 2001, which reached number one on the Official New Zealand Music Chart, New Z ...

Anna Coddington Anna Coddington (born 14 June 1981) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. She has released four albums. Her previous band 'Duchess', for whom Coddington was songwriter, singer and guitarist, also released a 6 track EP in 2005. In 2015, Coddington ...

The Electric Confectionaires The Electric Confectionaires were a four-piece musical group from Auckland, New Zealand. Their music is a diverse fusion of styles ranging from rock to garage, blues, surf and jazz. The band formed in 2005 at Takapuna Grammar School where orig ...

Steriogram Steriogram were a New Zealand punk rock band that formed in Auckland in 1999. The band consisted of frontman Tyson Kennedy (lead vocals and drums), Brad Carter (vocals, lead guitar and lead vocals), Tim Youngson (rhythm guitar and backing vocals ...

Aaradhna Aaradhna Jayantilal Patel (born 20 December 1983), better known by the mononym Aaradhna, is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, and musical recording artist. She made her musical debut in 2004 featuring on the single "Getting Stronger" with the ...

Spacifix Spacifix is a New Zealand funk/soul/ R&B and reggae boy group from West Auckland, New Zealand. They formed in April 2003 with the view of entering the Smokefree Pacifica Beats national competition. Aged between 13 and 18 years they won the co ...

The Phoenix Foundation The Phoenix Foundation is a New Zealand indie rock band formed in Wellington in 1997. History Early years and ''China Cove'' The band was founded by Conrad Wedde, Samuel Flynn Scott, and Luke Buda in 1994 while students at Wellington High ...

The Feelers The Feelers are a New Zealand pop rock band formed in the early 1990s in Christchurch by James Reid (singer/guitarist) and Hamish Gee (drums/guitar). History The Feelers were signed by Warner Music and released their first album, '' Super ...

The Black Seeds The Black Seeds are a reggae inspired musical group from Wellington, New Zealand.Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (2013)The Black Seeds, rooted in reggae, '' Jamaica Observer'', 27 November 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013 Their rocksteady song "O ...

Nesian Mystik Nesian Mystik was a New Zealand hip-hop/ R&B group which formed in 1999. The cultural backgrounds of its members united a remarkable diversity of Polynesia by bringing together Cook Island, Tongan, Samoan and Maori ancestry. As well as prod ...

Bic Runga Briolette Kah Bic Runga (born 13 January 1976), recording as Bic Runga, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist pop artist. Her first three studio albums debuted at number one on the New Zealand Top 40 Album charts. Runga ...

The Checks "The Checks" is the 141st episode of the sitcom ''Seinfeld''. This was the seventh episode for the eighth season, originally airing on NBC on November 7, 1996. In this episode, the last to feature the writing team of Tom Gammill and Max Pross ...

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, Pine,

King Kapisi Bill Rangi Urale (born 1974), known by his stage name King Kapisi, is a New Zealand hip hop recording artist. He was the first hip hop artist in New Zealand to receive the Silver Scroll Award at the APRA Awards for Songwriter of the Year fo ...

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

, The Fresh Prints,

The Naked and Famous The Naked and Famous are a New Zealand indie electronic band from Auckland, formed in 2007. The band currently consists of Alisa Xayalith (vocals, keyboards) and Thom Powers (vocals, guitars). The band has released four studio albums: ''Passiv ...

, Rival State, Autozamm, Taste Nasa,

Kimbra Kimbra Lee Johnson (born 27 March 1990), known Mononymous person, mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two 2 ...

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and Joe's Van.

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. 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. The regional areas are: Northland, North Shore, Auckland Central,

Manukau Manukau (), or Manukau Central, is a suburb of South Auckland, New Zealand, centred on the Manukau City Centre business district. It is located 23 kilometres south of the Auckland Central Business District, west of the Southern Motorway, ...

Waikato The Waikato () is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the nort ...

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...

Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...

Taranaki Taranaki is a regions of New Zealand, region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, Taranaki Maunga, formerly known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the ...

Whanganui Whanganui, also spelt Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whanganui is ...

, East Coast,

Hawkes Bay Hawke's Bay () is a region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region is named for Hawke Bay, which was named in honour of Edward Hawke. The region's main centres are the cities of Napier and Hastings, while the more rural ...

, Manawatu,

Wairarapa The Wairarapa (; ), a geographical region of New Zealand, lies in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay Region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service t ...

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

Marlborough District Marlborough District or the Marlborough Region (, or ''Tauihu''), commonly known simply as Marlborough, is one of the 16 regions of New Zealand, located on the northeast of the South Island. It is administered by Marlborough District Council ...

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

, West Coast,

Timaru Timaru (; ) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to peo ...

Otago Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...

and Southland.

Prize package

The overall national winners (Band and Solo-duo) receive a prizepack which includes the opportunity to record a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

, musical gear from NZ Rockshops, a New Music Single grant funded by

NZ On Air NZ On Air (NZOA; ), formally the Broadcasting Commission, is an Crown entity, autonomous Crown entity and commission of the New Zealand Government responsible for providing funding for broadcasting and creative works. The commission operates l ...

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. 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.

Past winners

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

with Jason Kerrison, whose band De Funk Express won the Rockquest in 1990. * 1991 — 1991 winners, Auntie Beatrice, featured brothers Bradley, Laughton and Francis Kora who later formed Reggae/dub band Kora. Kora's debut EP ''Volume'' was released in 2004 and achieved platinum status with over 10,000 copies sold. * 1993 — Pagan Records signed

directly after her Rockquest national final performance, and she was subsequently signed to Sony for international release. Runga's first solo album, ''

Drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" * ...

'', debuted at number one on the New Zealand

RIANZ Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...

charts. She has since become one of the highest-selling New Zealand artists, also finding success internationally in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and the UK.

* 1998 — In 1998,

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

signed

directly after her national final performance. Moa's 2001 debut album, ''

Thinking Room ''Thinking Room'' is the debut album by New Zealand Pop recording artist Anika Moa, released on 28 September 2001, by Warner, Atlantic Records. It reached the number one spot on the New Zealand Albums Chart and was certified as double platinum, s ...

'', reached the top of the Official New Zealand Top 40 Albums Chart and was a commercial success. She has released a total of four studio albums and has received numerous APRA and New Zealand Music Award nominations. * 2000 —

have gone on to international success since winning the competition in 2000. The band used their Rockquest prize money to build their own recording facility, Red Sky Studio. They have since released four popular albums and have been nominated for numerous

ARIA Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

and

New Zealand Music Awards The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously called the New Zealand Music Awards), conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ, honour outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording industry. The awards are among the most significant that ...

. * 2001 — Andrew Wilson and Michael Prain of

Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! (sometimes styled Die!Die!Die!) is a three-piece New Zealand noise pop/Punk rock, punk/post-punk band. Formed in late 2003, the band has released seven albums, all backed with extensive international touring. A number of differen ...

originally played in the band Carriage H who won the SFRQ in 2001. As well as releasing five studio albums, Die! Die! Die! have toured with Franz Ferdinand,

Wolfmother Wolfmother is an Australian hard rock band from Sydney. Formed in 2004, the group is centred around vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, who is the only constant member of the line-up. The band has been through many personnel changes since t ...

and

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. * 2004 — Sam McCarthy and Jordan Arts, members of the 2004 winning band Insurca, formed the new wave duo,

who released two albums. McCarthy also played in pop punk band

Goodnight Nurse Goodnight Nurse was a New Zealand pop punk band formed in Auckland in 2001. The group began as a trio, then changed to a four-piece prior to the release of their second album. It consisted of lead vocalist Joel Little, guitarist and back up v ...

who released several top 40 singles. * 2014 — Georgia and Caleb Nott, members of The Peasants (2011 SFRQ winners), splintered off to form the duo

Broods Broods are a musical duo from Nelson, New Zealand, composed of Georgia Josiena Nott on lead vocals, with older brother and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Allan Joseph Nott on production and backing vocals. They released the single "Bridges (Broo ...

. 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.

References

{{Reflist

External links