Winning the top prize for its grade at the Brass Band National Championships for the second year running was a happy surprise for the Roxburgh Pioneer Energy Brass Band.
The band won first prize for Grade D at the championships on Saturday in Blenheim.
Band manager Alex Gordon said the competition went "very well".
"We didn't go with any expectation except competing.
"We're immensely pleased with our effort, there's so much satisfaction."
The band is the only brass band in Central Otago, with members hailing from Wanaka to Lawrence.
It meets once a week in Roxburgh to practise and has about 30 members.
Mr Gordon said the band's musical director, John Buchanan, joined a few years ago and took the band in a new direction.
"It's probably a different style of brass because he's been involved in choral over the years."
The group would consider competing in the national championships in Hamilton next year but it cost about $20,000, so the group would need to fundraise if it was to attend, Mr Gordon said.
