Successful 2025 Rock Quest!
- Piers Menhinick
- Aug 12
- 2 min read
The Freemason Foundation has proudly supported this year’s Smokefreerockquest (SFRQ) - an annual music competition for intermediate and high school bands throughout New Zealand. The aim of the yearly event is to motivate young musicians to prove their musical ability and to encourage peers to support original New Zealand music.
This year an audience of 935 came to watch the top 36 acts perform across 3 regional finals. Nationwide, 3,389 students participated and 11,220 people attended live events. All first and second placing acts from every regional final now have the opportunity to submit a video of their original material to be selected as one of the 15 national finalists for each National Final. Now, you can come along and support Aotearoa’s emerging young rock talent!
The National Finals will be held on:
Solo/Duo - 11th September
Big Fan Recording Studios - 25 McDonald St, Morningside, Auckland
Rockquest Bands - 12th September
ASB Waterfront -138 Halsey Street, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland
Tangata Beats - 12th September
ASB Waterfront - 138 Halsey Street, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland
Feedback from the students:
"I realised that I love this feeling and that this is what I should be doing with my life as this is where I belong." (Student, 16, Ormiston Senior College, Auckland)"I learned a lot from other performers about stage presence and how to hold yourself as an artist on stage." (Student, Long Bay College, Auckland) "I’m really proud of how much I’ve grown in confidence through this experience. Being part of RQP gave me the chance to step outside of my comfort zone, collaborate with others, and take ownership of my ideas. I especially enjoyed seeing our collective creativity come to life and realizing how powerful teamwork can be when everyone feels supported." (Student, 16, Southern Cross Campus, Auckland) "I think the entire thing was a great learning experience - being a part of the community and having fun. There's nothing I would change about it."
(Student, Aorere College, Auckland)
Background
The event was first held in 1988, and by 1990 Rockquest was a national event, with five regional finals. 802 students from 200 acts competed in regional Auckland heats, with 1593 community audience across 5 events and a national final. In 1991, Smokefree became a major sponsor and the name became the Smokefreerockquest – an event that now reaches audiences in excess of 24,000.
Successes from Smokefreerockquest include:
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, Autozamm, Taste Nasa, Kimbra, Elemeno P, Alien Weaponry and Joe's Van.
