A band of Year 8 students from South Wellington Intermediate School has won the 2026 Rockshop Bandquest National Final, taking the top prize ahead of 25 other bands from across New Zealand.
Cavemen, made up of Tarn, Theo, Axel and Yohann, claimed the national title with performances of their original indie-rock song Scars and a cover of Guns N' Roses' Sweet Child O' Mine.
The four young musicians have won $2,000 worth of musical equipment from the Rockshop for their school's music department, along with the opportunity to record a song.
It was an outstanding result for the Wellington region, with another local band, The Reset from Rangikura School, finishing second and winning $1,500 in musical equipment.
Third place went to No Way Out from Te Atatu Intermediate in Auckland, which received $1,000 in equipment.
The national competition followed regional Bandquest events around New Zealand.
At the regional events, students performed live using professional musical equipment, often experiencing the excitement of playing on a proper concert stage for the first time.
Regional winners received $300 worth of equipment for their school music departments and the opportunity to enter the national final by submitting a video featuring two songs.
Twenty-six bands reached the final, with performances ranging from original compositions to interpretations of well-known songs.
Judge and artist Riiki said the standard of musicianship among the young performers had been exceptional.
"I was truly blown away by the amount of talent in this year's Bandquest competition!" she said.
She particularly praised the drummers and the quality of the original songwriting, describing compositions that demonstrated musical ability well beyond the students' years.
Rockquest Promotions co-founder and director Glenn Common said Bandquest had helped young New Zealanders develop their confidence and creativity since the programme began in 2011.
He said watching children perform on stage for the first time and discover what they could achieve was one of the most rewarding aspects of the competition.
Many Bandquest participants continue developing their musical interests through secondary school, with some later entering the Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats competitions.
Bandquest gives primary and intermediate students the opportunity to form bands, write music, rehearse together and perform before audiences while developing teamwork, resilience and confidence.
For Cavemen, the national victory also brings an opportunity to take their music beyond the school stage and record a song.
The competition is organised by Rockquest Promotions, powered by the Rockshop and presented by the Wright Family Foundation.
