Rockquest | Aotearoa's only nationwide, live, original music, youth event

STAGE ONE - ENTER
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Easy really, click any of the “Enter” buttons on this site and carefully follow the instructions through the online entry form; you have to be in to win! You will need to select your category, either Band or Solo/duo, what your region is, and enter the contact details of the acts members (so have those handy!).
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You can enter in a band and a solo-duo (although please note that if you’re entering in both categories, your solo-duo entry will need to be in the ‘online’ region).
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You cannot enter multiple in solo-duo acts or multiple bands - just one of each. If you have any questions about your eligibility after reading the Terms and Conditions (link here), flick us an email to help@smokefreerockquest.co.nz

Entries for 2024 are open now - and close on 3rd May.

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STAGE TWO - REGIONAL EVENTS
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Regional Heat:
‍Most regions will have a regional heat. You must compete in your own region.
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At the heat Bands and Solo-Duos will perform 1 song/ 4 minutes. After watching the acts perform, the judges will select the regional winning solo-duo acts and the top 12 bands. The winning solo-duos will be invited to enter a video submission for national top 30 selection, and the top 12 bands will perform again at the regional final.

In most regions the bands and solo-duos will perform at the same event - but in some of the bigger regions, such as Auckland and Canterbury, the bands and solo-duos will perform at their own events to accommodate the higher entry number.
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Regional Final:
‍The top 12 bands in the region come back, this time to perform 2 songs/ 7 minutes. After watching the acts perform, the judges will select the winning bands for the region, along with presenting some other awards (such as the musicianship award and ZM Best Song).
The top 2 winning bands, joining the region's top two solo-duos, will move on to enter a video submission for national ‘Top 30’ selection.
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STAGE THREE - NATIONAL SELECTION VIDEO SUBMISSION
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Acts that place 1st or 2nd in the region in either category are invited to submit a three-song video. The videos are then viewed/assessed and judged by a panel of industry professionals. From this, the Top 30 are announced.
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STAGE FOUR - TOP 30 + TOP 10 NATIONAL FINALIST SELECTION
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The Top 30 from Stage 3 are then re-viewed/re-assessed and re-judged by a new panel of industry heavyweights. From this stage, the top 10 acts are chosen as the National Finalists. (No further video submissions are required for this stage.)
This announcement will be in early August.
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STAGE FIVE - NATIONAL FINALISTS & NATIONAL FINALS
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The acts chosen to perform at the National Final will have 8 minutes (two songs). This is the time to really give it your all. Along with the wicked prizes up for grabs, the pride of being crowned a National Winner in either Band or solo/duo category is within reach.

Our 2023 winners were Salem Māhia (Tairāwhiti region) in the solo-duo category, and Parkdale (Auckland Central) in the band Category. Runners up were JOLA BURNS (Nelson regional) in the solo-duo category, and Bleeding Star (Wellington region) in the band category. All of their performances can be found via our social channels - @rockquest on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram.

If you have any questions after reading how it's going to work, flick us an email to help@smokefreerockquest.co.nz.

Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats Terms and Conditions 2024

Eligibility
1. All contestants must be enrolled in and attend a school for at least 15 hours a week. If you leave school (sign out) during the course of the competition, you become ineligible to continue. You can change schools during the competition. (School means secondary, area, intermediate, primary, official home or correspondence school.)
2. All contestants must be no older than 19 (nineteen) years of age on 3rd May 2024, i.e. you are not eligible if you turn 20 years old before the entry's close date (you may be asked to supply proof of eligibility).
3. Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats are only for unsigned acts and individuals. You cannot enter if you have signed a recording or management contract and cannot sign during the competition without the prior written approval of Rockquest Promotions Ltd.
4a. No student can enter more than one Smokefreerockquest band OR more than one Solo-duo. (You can enter a Band AND a Solo/duo if the Solo/duo is entered in the Online Solo/duo Region).
4b. No student can enter more than one Smokefree Tangata Beats band OR more than one Solo-duo. (You can enter in a Band AND a Solo/duo if the Solo/duo is submitted by video for the Online Region.)
5. Students can't enter into a category (Solo/Duo OR band) they have already received National 1st place at a previous Smokefreerockquest or Smokefree Tangata Beats National Final.
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Regions
6. Bands must compete in the region their school is closest to. Where a band represents multiple schools, it must compete in the region closest to the school the majority of members attend. If you need help determining which region to enter, please contact us.
7. Solo/duo entries must compete in the closest region to a school their act represents. All SFRQ Solo/duo entries in the greater Auckland area must compete in the Auckland Solo/duo Region.
8. Online (video submission) Band Region. Any band can elect to compete via this region or change to it at any time before their first performance, where one or more performers are unwell, at higher risk, or subject to self-isolation after a COVID test.
9. Bands and Solo/duos will not be allowed to compete in an incorrect region or in more than one region.
10. If you are entered in a band and also enter as a Solo/duo, the Solo/duo entry must compete in the Online Solo/duo Region. Any Solo/duo can elect to enter the Online Solo/duo Region.
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Conduct
11. Smokefree supports Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats to allow emerging musicians to play their songs to crowds throughout the country. Because you are the essence of these events, we ask that you respect their smokefree status. Band names, song lyrics and titles, and clothing cannot contain references to or depictions of smoking, e-cigarette, vaping, or tobacco products. By entering this competition, all entrants declare their smoke-free and vape-free status in connection with the event and will be required to sign the following declaration at the events and with their Video Submissions. “As an entrant, I understand that for interviews, Regional and National Submissions and events, press conferences, and Webisodes or radio appearances, it is a requirement for me to be smokefree. If I, or any of my group members, fail to comply with this declaration, it will result in the group's immediate exclusion from all parts of this event.”
12. The use or possession of alcohol, cigarettes, illegal drugs, or vaping by any group member at any Smokefreerockquest/Smokefree Tangata Beats event or in any Video Submission will result in the instant disqualification of their entire group.
13. You represent your school in all aspects of Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats. Therefore, you must adhere to your school's policies regarding behaviour. If in doubt, seek the guidance of your teachers.
14. Any entrant defacing or destroying Smokefreerockquest/Smokefree Tangata Beats property or property/venues used by Smokefreerockquest/Smokefree Tangata Beats will be disqualified and held accountable for damages. This includes P.A. equipment, recording studios, regional final venues, accommodation venues, and any place used for photo shoots or interviews, e.g. radio stations.
15. Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats do not condone censorship. We support the NZ music industry and urge entrants to consider the commercial potential of the material they write. While not wanting to put constraints on the creative process of songwriters, we would like to point out that sexually explicit lyrics or lyrics that may offend may not have commercial potential and may not suit these competitions. Judges for this event are drawn from the NZ music industry. Entrants are urged to consider this point carefully
16. All acts will be required to follow all COVID-19 policies and requirements set out by the Ministry of Health, their school, and Rockquest Promotions.
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Performance Requirements
17. Act members cannot be replaced, substituted or added after your first performance.
18. If your live performance is electronically assisted, you need to indicate this on your entry form. In addition, all electronic elements need to be the original work(s) of one or more of the entered members of the Act, and there must be at least one live instrumental part.
19. All lead vocal lines must be performed live.
20. All performed songs must be original – i.e., written exclusively by one or more act members.
21. A song can only be performed in one category: Band or Solo/duo, but not both.
22. If your entry has three (3) or more performers, you must enter the Band Category. If your entry has only one (1) performer, you must enter the Solo/duo category. If your entry has two performers, you must enter the solo/duo category unless one of the performers plays the drums, in which case you are to enter as a band. You can have a maximum of ten (10) band members.
23. Smokefree Tangata Beats acts must feature at least one of the cultural criteria elements in your performance. Please see www.smokefreetangatabeats.nz/how-it-worksJudging Process
23. Judging decisions will be based on discussion, industry experience and knowledge.
24. The Judges' decision will be final. No correspondence or discussion will be entered into.
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Other Conditions & Requirements
25. All students must have the signature of their parent or guardian on the entry form, giving consent to us to release contestant information, images and recordings to media and sponsors, to send promotional material from the event organisers and sponsors, and to agree to all conditions of entry.
26. Entrants may be filmed and/or photographed at the event or elsewhere and included in the Smokefreerockquest/Smokefree Tangata Beats Webisodes, website, social media, and future promotional campaigns.
27. The Top 30 (Smokefreerockquest) and Top20 (Smokefree Tangata Beats) acts cannot sign a recording or management contract before 31 Dec 2024 without the prior written permission of Rockquest Promotions Ltd.
28. The Top 30 (Smokefreerockquest) and Top20 (Smokefree Tangata Beats are to allow one song to be included on a Rockquest Promotions 2024 Highlights compilation, which will be distributed free in 2025.
29. The national winners' music videos (Band and Solo/Duo categories) will be hosted exclusively on the Rockquest Promotions websites and social media pages.
30. Entrants are not permitted to submit songs for the National Final selection round, or at the National Final, that are entered in, have been entered in, or will be entered in other music competitions other than Rockquest Promotions Ltd events - Smokefreerockquest, Smokefree Tangata Beats, Showquest, OnScreen.
31. Entrants are not permitted to submit songs for the National Final selection round or at the National Final that are/or will be submitted for an NZ on Air Grant in this calendar year.
32. Entrants are not permitted to submit songs for the National Final selection round or at the National Final, where the songwriter (or any songwriters) is no longer part of the act.
33. The National Finalists agree to Rockquest Promotions Ltd. (or appointed agent) acting as their exclusive agent in all matters regarding recording and management contracts until 1 May 2025. The National Finalists cannot enter into a recording or management contract before this time without the permission of Rockquest Promotions Ltd.
34. The National Finalists agree that, if used as a guest band at a subsequent regional event, they will do so without charge (Rockquest Promotions Ltd will cover costs). The National Finalists agree to give Smokefreerockquest/Smokefree Tangata Beats up to two free National Final guest performances in future National Finals.
35. Contestants are required to gain approval from the organisers to use props, clothing or equipment bearing product branding of products other than those of our sponsors in their submissions. Permission will only be withheld if the organisers believe the security of the event sponsorship is at risk. This does not apply to the normal name branding appearing on musical instruments.
36. By virtue of entry, the entrant agrees to hold Smokefreerockquest/Smokefree Tangata Beats and its agents indemnified against any breach or infringement of copyright or rights held by any third party/parties, and the entrant undertakes to observe all such rights statutorily or otherwise. By virtue of entry, the entrant agrees to hold Smokefreerockquest/Smokefree Tangata Beats and its agents indemnified against any claim or liability for loss or accident resulting from any individual's involvement in the event.
37. All contestants will be notified if changes to these Terms and Conditions are required.

CATEGORIES - BAND VS SOLO-DUO:
In Smokefreerockquest there are two categories - a ‘solo-duo’ (1-2 members, without a drum kit) or a ‘Band’ (3+ members, or a 2 piece with a drum kit). The bands are judged/compete alongside the other bands, and the solo-duos are judged/compete alongside the other solo-duos.
You can enter in a band and a solo-duo, and please note that if you’re entering in both categories, your solo-duo entry will need to be in the ‘online’ region. You cannot enter multiple in solo-duo acts or multiple bands - just one of each.

Auckland -
If you're performing in a solo-duo (and not a band) - your region is 'Auckland solo-duo'.
If you're performing in a solo-duo and also in a band - your solo-duo region is 'online solo-duo'.

‍ELECTRONIC ASSISTED PERFORMANCE (backing tracks):
‍All acts must have at least one live instrument that is not vocals.
Please note that you will be triggering your backing track yourself from a DI on the stage. You’ll need to bring your own device to play this off.

‍REQUIREMENTS FOR BEING REGISTERED IN SCHOOL:
‍All members of your act must be registered full-time at a secondary, intermediate or primary school.If you leave school during the competition - this will disqualify you as you will no longer be meeting our requirements for entry.
If you move schools during the competition, please let our admin team know so we can update your registration in our database. help@smokefreerockquest.co.nz

‍CHANGING THE LINE-UP:
‍You can add, remove or swap band members up until your first performance. After the first performance, you can only remove members.
If you do make any changes (eg - you swap who is playing an instrument) please let us know, so that we can keep track of who is who on our database.

‍CHANGING YOUR ACTS NAME:
Each year we have hundreds of different entries (and their names!) to keep track of - so when acts want to change their name it can get a bit tricky. Because of this - we really do prefer it if you can be sure of your name when you put in your entry form. If you do want to change it - you can do that before the regional heat. Band names are not to be changed after your regional final unless deemed necessary by the RQP team.

‍SONGS PERFORMED:
In Smokefreerockquest all acts are tasked with performing their own original songs live at the regional heat! The acts are asked to perform 1 song, performing up to 4 minutes. At the regional finals acts are asked to perform 2 songs, performing up to 7 minutes. If you have a song writer involved who won’t be involved in the performance, flick us an email. This would be ok - but we’d need to make sure we have their details in the entry form too. Easiest way to make sure the entry is correct is to communicate with us so we are all on the same page.

You can use the same songs throughout. As long as your songs meet the criteria of entry (original, etc) you're good to go! To be super clear - this means the song you play at the heat, you can play at the regional final (along with another song), and you can play those both if you make video a submission... etc. You don't have to - but you can.

How it works‍

How it works
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