Singer-songwriter Flip Grater was effusive in her praise for all of the six bands at the Smoke-free Rockquest finals, but singled out the Slur-Tones for their musicianship and overall development.
The 26-year-old Canterbury solo artist has helped judge the Smokefreerockquest regional finals for the past few years and has watched the Slur-Tones' "amazing" improvement, as they matured from their early outfit, the Strutts.
"They've come such a long way. Winning best song and coming second overall at the grand finals is testament to the amazing improvement they've had. Their sound has really developed," she said.
The Mount Aspiring College band had grown in confidence and also had a "great team" of parents, local fans, plus the backing of their "fantastic" music teacher, Lynne Christie.
"The support they've got really shows - and it makes a big difference," she said.
Grater has watched the band's development from last year - when it won the Southern Lakes regional rockquest finals in Wanaka as the Strutts - and on to an "outstanding" performance at the Rippon Music Festival in February.
The band tweaked its line-up in June when founding members Fabian Shaw and Yannick Weastell brought in new drummer Alastair Mawhinney, and renamed themselves the Slur-Tones.
They went on to win the regional finals in Wanaka again - the third time in a row for Shaw and Weastell.
"Every time I see them they just keep getting better," she said.
It was almost impossible to pick one band out over the others as a winner, Grater said.
That honour went to Canterbury heavy metal band Beneath The Silence, comprised of members from Cashmere, Kaiapoi, and Rangiora high schools.
Grater admitted to having "more than a little" hometown pride about having a fellow Canterbury-based band win the overall title, but was "stoked" the Slur-Tones had come second and won the Best Song award for their track Crazy Lady.
However, she personally preferred the second tune the band played at the Christchurch Town Hall - a new composition written especially for the finals and debuted that night called S.T.S..
"They really nailed that song on the night. Crazy Lady is a great tune, though, and one I've heard them play at their other gigs," she said.
It was hard to pick exactly what the seven judges were looking for when choosing a best song, but "to have that number of people, all from different musical backgrounds settle on the one tune speaks for itself", she said.
Grater spoke to the Otago Daily Times from a photo shoot in Auckland to help promote her fourth solo album Be All and End All. She heads to Europe to tour in the next couple of months.
The singer-songwriter has plugged away over the past few years touring and recording her home-grown music and believes the Slur-Tones have got what it takes to go all the way.
The bands that got to the final six of the Rockquest put themselves in front of New Zealand's top music industry figures, Grater said.
"Any band which wants to work hard and carry on after a Rockquest - they'll do well.
"If they've got the commitment to take things further, they'll make things happen for themselves."
