Cokesmokefreerockquest National Winner Announced

Cokesmokefreerockquest 2003 National Winner Announced

Mairehau High School (Christchurch) band 'Falter' has claimed the grand prize and opportunities for nation wide and global recognition at the national final of this year's CokeSmokefreeRockquest.

Bringing down the house at the Bruce Mason Theatre in North Shore, 'Falter' outshone five other talented CokeSmokefreeRockquest 2003 finalists to win $10,000 worth of music equipment vouchers and the opportunity to have their music professionally recorded and produced at York St studio.

'Falter' also win 'The Edge Airplay Award in association with NZ on Air' which will launch their career with the full support and backing of NZ on Air and The Edge.

The Christchurch band's indie-rock sounds will also be unleashed on the world via http://www.

cokesmokefreerockquest.

com.

'Falter' also won the Coke Original Song Award with their second song Falling to Pieces, while lead singer-guitarist Simon Hughes won the Smokefree Best Vocals Award and the Contempo Musicianship Award providing a $3,000 scholarship for tertiary music course studies.

North Shore band 'The Rabble' were national runners-up while '5 Element' from Christchurch placed third, each also winning the opportunity to have two songs professionally recorded and $5,000 and $3,000 worth of music equipment respectively.

'Fifth Element' from Hornby, Shirley Boys, and Aranui High Schools also won the Coke Anthem Award, which sees an additional song of theirs produced and played on national radio.

Co-founder of the 14-year-old CokeSmokefreeRockquest and Judge Pete Rainey says the crème-de-la-crème of the record-sized 623 bands entered in this year's event on show tonight are a group of particularly outstanding and talented musicians.

"Judging is more difficult every year because the standard has improved so much.

"There's no doubt we'll be seeing these bands reach national if not global success in the future if former CokeSmokefreeRockquesters 'The Datsuns,' 'Nesian Mystik,' 'The Feelers,' and Bic Runga and Anika Moa, to name a few, are anything to go by," he says.

Rainey was joined by Camille Guzwell and Dave Ridler from New Zealand on Air, Assistant Programme Director for The Edge Willy McAllister, and top New Zealand music producer Malcolm Wellsford on the judging panel.

Coca-Cola Region Corporate Affairs Manager Alison Sykora says the application and dedication from all bands in the CokeSmokefreeRockquest 2003 has been outstanding.

"Its a real buzz to be able to provide a genuine platform to launch young musicians careers and to support them in their ambitions.

"Coke would like to congratulate 'Falter' and all entries in CokeSmokefreeRockquest 2003," she says.

Other awards announced at the event include the Coke Stage Image Award won by 'Grannypash' from Hamilton, while Western Springs College soloist Courtney Meredith won the National Lyric Writers' Award.

Following in the footsteps of former CokeSmokefreeRockquest songstresses Bic Runga and Anika Moa, cellist singer-songwriter Hollie Fullbrook from Avondale College's 'The Fauves' was given the honour of the Smokefree Award for Women's Musicianship this year.

The award-winners performed alongside renowned Kiwi bands 'Elemeno P,' last year's CokeSmokefreeRockquest winners 'The Have,' and 'Wash' in front of a sold-out crowd of 1080.

Those who didn't get to the event will be able to catch these bands and others on television when the CokeSmokefreeRockquest 2003 series airs on TV2 later this year.

The CokeSmokefreeRockquest was awarded a special merit award at the National Business Review's Awards for Sponsorship of the Arts held earlier in the month.

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