Brief news from Hawke's Bay

Pianist Ethan Yong is the 2018 NZ Funds Hawke's Bay Young Musician of the Year. Photo / supplied

Yong on song

Ethan Yong is the 2018 NZ Funds Hawke's Bay Young Musician of the Year. The gifted young pianist won $1500 and the Peter and Valerie Williams Cup on Friday night at the Blyth Performing Arts Centre at Iona College, Havelock North. Guitarist Jacob Pope was second, and pianist Bridget Page was third.

Artist's winning words

A Hawke's Bay artist has won the APRA Lyric Award at the national Smokefreerockquest finals in Auckland. Napier Girls' High School student Danica Bryant also won $500 for her song 'Dizzy'. $22,000 worth of equipment was won by the top bands and solo/duos, alongside the $25,000 already won by contestants at the regional finals. Judges Chris Mac (Six60), Dan Barrett (Racing), Anji Sami (She's So Rad), and Ross Flahive (ZM Content Director) made the final decisions on the night.

Lotto loot unclaimed

Lotto is urging anyone who brought their Lotto ticket at Countdown Hastings for the draw on September 19 to check their ticket, with the prize still unclaimed. The prize is $2.5 million, making the winner a millionaire two times over. It was one of two Powerball winning tickets, with one sold in Christchurch, which has already been claimed.