The winners of the National Youth Jazz Competition 2019 were announced at Baycourt Community and Arts Centre in Tauranga at the end of the first week of April.

The judges for 2019 were Dr Rodger Fox and Dave Wilson from New Zealand School of Music (NZSM), Gwyn Reynolds, Mike Story and Joe McCallum from Ara Christchurch, and Dixon Nacey from the University of Auckland.

The Best of Festival trophy for the most outstanding jazz band was presented to Thomas the Tank Engine (pictured below) from Tauranga Girls College, and the trophy for Most Outstanding Big Band also stayed in town, being awarded to Tauranga Boys College. Best Jazz Combo was won by Auckland Grammar School.

National Youth Jazz Competition Winners

Most Outstanding Big Band

Tauranga Boys’ College

Best Jazz Combo

Auckland Grammar School Combo

Most Outstanding Young Musician

Benjamin Lerner, Auckland Grammar School

Most Outstanding Jazz Band

Thomas The Tank Engine, Tauranga Girls’ College (pictured)

Best Performance Of A NZ Composition

Queen Of Hearts – Kerikeri High School Jazz Band

Most Outstanding Trombonist

Reuben Stephens, Tauranga Boys’ College

Most Outstanding Vocalist

Ngarangi Sadlier-Patmore, Sacred Heart College

Most Outstanding Trumpet Or Flugel

James Robinson, Tauranga Boys’ College

Most Outstanding Clarinetist

Gillian Toala, Kerikeri High School

Most Outstanding Guitarist

Elijah Mcpherson, Auckland Grammar

Most Outstanding Keyboard Player

Samuel Wilcox-Brown, Whangaparaoa College

Most Outstanding Bassist

Thomas J Moore, Rongotai

Most Outstanding Drummer

Tivoli Levi, Auckland Grammar

Most Outstanding Pianist

Troy Weenink, Tauranga Boys’ College

Most Outstanding Flautist

Ririn Takana, Kuranui College

Most Outstanding Saxophonist

Benjamin Lerner, Auckland Grammar School

Best Arrangement

Smoke On The Water – Diminished 5th Combo, Kerikeri High School

Best Original Composition

Rifflections – James Dawes, Diminished 5th, Kerikeri High School

Best First Year Performance Band

St Cuthbert’s College Stage Band

Award For Innovation

Diminished 5th Combo, Kerikeri High School

Best Big Band Drummer

Rex Mckee, Rongotai College

Big Band Awards

Gold

• Auckland Grammar School
• Tauranga Boys’ College
• Pukekohe High School
• Westlake Girls & Westlake Boys High School

Silver

• Avondale College
• Rongotai College
• St Cuthberts College
• Orewa College
• Wellington College And Wellington Girls College
• Otumoetai College
• St Peters College
• Trident High School
• Bethlehem College
• St Pauls Collegiate

Combo Awards

Gold

• Mason Jar – Tauranga Boys College
• Avondale College Quartet
• Thomas The Tank Engine – Tauranga Girls College
• Auckland Grammar Combo
• Isn’t It – Rongotai College

Silver

• Five Spot Combo – Avondale College
• No Time For Kai – Tauranga Boys College
• Diminished 5th – Kerikeri High School
• 52nd Street Combo – Avondale College
• Route 65 – Sacred Heart College Upper Hutt
• Milestones – St Cuthberts College
• Phs Quintet – Pukekohe High School
• Whangaparaoa College Senior Jazz Combo

Bronze

• Blue Note Combo – Avondale College
• Kerikeri High School Jazz Band
• Kikorangi – Kuranui College
• Whangaparaoa College Stage Combo