Rotorua and Taupo bands have cleaned up the competition at two nationwide youth music contests.
A Bit Nigel beat eight other bands to win the Smokefreerockquest final in Auckland on Saturday while Western Heights High School's Strangely Arousing took out the Smokefree Pacifica Beats competition on Friday.
Taupo-nui-a Tia College student and lead singer of A Bit Nigel, Hamish Nixon, said the group were still coming to terms with their win. Hamish, with bandmates Sam Marshall of Taupo and Manawa Veitayaki of Rotorua Boys' High School, had made it to the finals twice before without success.
"We're so stoked and just over the moon with it," Hamish said. "The first time we had made it this far, we didn't expect much so we weren't too disappointed but the second time we were really gutted as we played terribly on the night."
Hamish said they hoped to all study in Auckland next year so would keep the band together.