Smokefreerockquest

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.

The regional areas are: Northland, North Shore, Auckland Central, Manukau, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taranaki, Whanganui, East Coast, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough District, Canterbury, West Coast, Timaru, Otago and Southland.

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. 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 Opshop 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 Bic Runga directly after her Rockquest national final performance, and she was subsequently signed to Sony for international release.
• 1998 — In 1998, Atlantic Records signed Anika Moa directly after her national final performance. She has released a total of four studio albums and has received numerous APRA and New Zealand Music Award nominations.
• 2000 — Evermore 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 and New Zealand Music Awards.
• 2001 — Andrew Wilson and Michael Prain of Die! Die! Die! 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 and Wire.
• 2004 — Sam McCarthy and 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.
• 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.

References

References

1. "History of the Rockquest". TKI.
2. "SmokeFree Rockquest".
3. "Twenty five years of Smokefreerockquest". Smokefreerockquest.
4. (14 September 2015). "Smokefreerockquest national finals results 2015". Scoop.
5. "About SFRQ". Smokefreerockquest.
6. "How it works - Stages". Smokefreerockquest.
7. "Region dates". Smokefreerockquest.
8. "National Prizes". Smokefreerockquest.
9. "Awards". Smokefreerockquest.
10. "Smokefree Rockquest – 20 years young".
11. (2016-09-26). "Smokefree Rockquest 2016 - the winners".
12. "News - 2017 Pacifica Beats & Rockquest Results".
13. "News - 2018 Smokefree Rockquest Winners Grab The Double".
14. "News - 2019 Smokefree Rockquest Winners".
15. "News - 2020 Smokefree Rockquest National Final Results".
16. "2021 Rockquest & Tangata Beats Finals Stopped by Covid".
17. "News - Smokefree Rockquest 2022 National Final Results".
18. "News - Smokefree Rockquest 2023 Winners".
19. "News - Smokefreerockquest 2024 National Finals Results".
20. "Results 2025".
21. "National Winners '89 – Outer Control".
22. "National Winners '90 – De Funk Express".
23. "National Winners '91 – Auntie Beatrice".
24. Runga's first solo album, ''[[Drive (Bic Runga album). Drive]]'', debuted at number one on the New Zealand [[Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. RIANZ]] charts. She has since become one of the highest-selling New Zealand artists, also finding success internationally in [[Australia]], [[Republic of Ireland. Ireland]] and the [[United Kingdom
25. "Anika Moa bio". the Adults.
26. "National Winners '00 – Evermore".
27. Jason Ankeny. "Evermore Biography". AllMusic.
28. (August 2024). "Evermore Bio".
29. "National Winners '01 – Carriage H".
30. "Die! Die! Die!". Sputnik Music.
31. "National Winners '04 – Incursa".
32. Lydia Jenkin. (2010). "''Kids Of 88 - More than Quick Thrills and Sugar Pills''". NZ Musician.