Wakatipu High School was last week named top school at the Southern Jam Jazz Festival in Blenheim.
Arts director Alison Price says it’s the first time the school’s won best overall school in the 20-plus years it’s been taking part.
It’s smaller jazz combo band was named combo winner, and picked up a gold award, while its big band won a silver award.
Joel Winter, 18, was named most outstanding small group drummer and most accomplished rhythm section performer, while Haru Kuroe, 16, was named most outstanding bassist and musician.
Louis Buchanan, 17, was most outstanding keyboard player, while Haru, Joel and Bethany Argyle, 17, were selected for the all stars band.
Price says it’s a "huge" result given they were competing against more than a dozen schools, including several private ones.
She put the results down to the band members’ hard work and a "team effort" that includes tutors Chris Mason-Battley and Alistair Monteath.
