Following the regional heat last month, 12 bands took to the stage at Queenstown’s Memorial Centre on Saturday in the regional finals.
Cromwell College alternative band Offshore took first place, followed by Littles Road from Wakatipu High School and Instant Referral from Mount Aspiring College were third.
Offshore guitarist Indiana Cameron said winning was amazing.
"There is nothing like performing — my favourite part is the audience’s reaction and the vibe it creates.
"We were working really hard and hoping so much for this and it’s all paid off.
"The weeks and weeks of practice were all worth it."
Offshore and Littles Road will now make a video submission, which is the next step towards securing a place in the national finals.
The top two Smokefreerockquest solo/duo artists selected at the regional heat — Juno Gerlach, of Mount Aspiring College, and Leila Franklin, of Wakatipu High School, will also make video submissions for a place in the finals.
Central Otago full 2026 regional award list:
Smokefreerockquest Regional Winners — Solo/duo
• 1st place: Juno Gerlach, Mount Aspiring College
• 2nd place: Leila Franklin, Wakatipu High School
Smokefreerockquest Regional Winners — Band
• 1st Offshore from Cromwell College
• 2nd: Littles Road from Wakatipu High School
• 3rd: Instant Referral from Mount Aspiring College
Special awards
• Musicianship Awards: AJ Hart, bassist from Dilemma, Dunstan High School and Grace Derby, keys/synth player from Instant Referral, Mount Aspiring College
• Smokefree Best Vocals Award: Littles Road, Wakatipu High School
• Wright Family Foundation Best Song Award: Explosive Monkeys, Mount Aspiring College
• APRA Lyric Award: Holly & Renee, Wakatipu High School
• Rockshop Electronic Assist Performance Award: a band with a symbol as its name, pronounced "Garbled Glyph", Mount Aspiring College — Allied Media
