The entries are in, the venues are booked, the massive organisational effort of staging over 50 live gigs in regional centres from Invercargill to Kerikeri is about to begin as Smokefreerockquest and its sister event Smokefree Pacifica Beats get underway for 2014.

The events will be launched at a music industry function at Auckland’s Back Beat Bar on Tuesday May 13, where last year’s winners Waikato singer-songwriter Harry Parsons, Taupo indie band A Bit Nigel and reggae line up Strangely Arousing will show the level of talent, skill and performance sophistication that is demonstrated in these two live original music contests.

Founder and director Pete Rainey says Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Pacifica Beats offer an experience with wide-ranging benefits. 

“Kids are so enthusiastic about playing contemporary music they don’t realise the advantages they’re gaining from learning a musical instrument and the way that the discipline, skills and brain development will benefit every one of their other subjects,” he says. “There’s more and more research showing the positive effects of learning to play an instrument, and Smokefreerockquest and Pacifica Beats open this up to all kids, no matter what their family background or financial circumstances.

SFRQ and SFPB have a hall of fame that covers the field from OpShop to current rising stars Broods. But the events are not just about performing on stage. There is now a huge and growing family of young people who have gone gained skills and confidence and are now using those in their careers, which range from performing and writing, teaching, working in music production, promotion, journalism, radio, television and graphic design.

SFRQ 2014 begins on May 15 with a regional final in Southland, while SFPB’s first event is May 24 in Canterbury. Over the next two months heats and finals are held in 23 regions around the country, then the top regional bands and solo/duos submit videos for selection as national finalists. The Smokefree Pacifica Beats national final is on Friday 26 September and Smokefreerockquest is on Saturday 27 September in Auckland.

Smokefreerockquest, powered by Rockshop, has national winners’ prize packages for bands and the solo/duo winners, that include musical gear to a total value of $13,000 from NZ Rockshops and their suppliers, inclusion on the NZ On Air Kiwi Hit Disc, radio promotional support, and video play on youth music channel FOUR. There is also the MAINZ (Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand) Scholarship for outstanding musicianship, the APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award, the Smokefree Women’s Musicianship Award and the People’s Choice voted by text with the opportunity to open the SFRQ National final.

The top six Smokefree Pacifica Beats finalists are invited to Auckland for a weekend of music, friendship, mentoring and culture at the noho marae (band camp) held at Horotiu Marae, AUT (Auckland University of Technology). The SFPB national winners’ prize package includes musical gear to a total value of $3,000 from NZ Rockshops and their suppliers, a $10,000 song and video package from NZ On Air and performance spots at the 2015 Raggamuffin and Pasifika Festivals.

There is also musical equipment from NZ Rockshops, the MAINZ Scholarship for outstanding musicianship, the APRA Songwriters Award, the Native Language Award, the Smokefree Mana Wahine Award, the Stage Image Award and the Smokefree Best Vocals Award.

Smokefreerockquest – 26 years of musical success

Smokefreerockquest is New Zealand’s only nationwide, live, original music, youth event. The series of over 40 events reaches audiences from the Far North to Invercargill. Founded in 1989 by music teachers Glenn Common and Pete Rainey, who now run Rockquest Promotions full time out of Nelson, Smokefreerockquest has become a New Zealand institution.

Smokefreerockquest 2014, powered by Rockshop aims to motivate young musicians to prove their ability and realise the heights they can reach in their music careers, and to encourage their peers to support 100 percent original New Zealand music.

Smokefree Pacifica Beats

Smokefree Pacifica Beats recognises and reflects the unique cultural identity of Aotearoa New Zealand and the South Pacific.

The event started in 1994 as the Urban Beats Award within Smokefreerockquest and has steadily grown into a competition in its own right. Smokefree Pacifica Beats participants must demonstrate a cultural component in their songwriting and performance, which gives the young musicians the opportunity to prove their ability, combined with cultural relevance.

With events across seven regions, Smokefree Pacifica Beats provides another platform for developing and growing young music talent in Aotearoa. The SFPB hall of fame includes Nesian Mystik, the only New Zealand band to ever have ten singles all certified gold or platinum.

Hall of Fame

Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest over its 26-year history include Kimbra, Broods, Midnight Youth, Aaradhna, Opshop, Evermore, Ladyhawke, Minuit, Kids of 88, Die!Die!Die!, NO, Annah Mac, Bang!Bang!Eche!, Streets of Laredo, Joel Little, Cairo Knife Fight, Cut Off Your Hands, the Datsuns, Brooke Fraser, Anika Moa, Kora, Anna Coddington, The Electric Confectionaires, Steriogram, Spacifix, Phoenix Foundation, The Feelers, The Black Seeds, Nesian Mystik, Bic Runga, The Checks, Julia Deans, King Kapisi, The Naked and Famous, Autozamm and Elemeno P.

Smokefree’s - Smoking Not Our Future Campaign

Smokefreerockquest plays a large part in helping Smoking Not Our Future get its key messages in front of a large audience of young people. Smokefree has been the naming rights sponsor of Smokefreerockquest for 24 of its 26 years and this longstanding partnership has been mutually beneficial. This year young people will continue to be asked to join The Movement, which is a way for them to get more involved in helping New Zealand become smokefree by 2025. SFRQ  and SFPB events help students make protective connections to their schools, other students and communities and they also develop new skills and aspirations for their futures.

Media Release: Smokefreerockquest