The Due Drop Events Centre, Manukau, July 2024. The world’s oldest national band contest (first held in the Christchurch Drill Hall in 1880, when the audience picked the winner) came to south Auckland for the first time, wrapped inside the Pacific Festival of Brass with bands from New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and the Kingdom of Tonga. Brassbanned streamed all four days live and free in 4K.
Wellington Brass did what Wellington Brass do: a sixth consecutive A Grade title under David Bremner, their tenth since 2013, topping all three disciplines along the way. But the story of the week belonged to Tupou College Tonga, B Grade champions on debut, whose Championship Challenge Shield was collected on stage by the Crown Prince of Tonga, and whose impromptu performances around the venue had the whole festival grinning.
This is the complete record: every grade, the full placings and points, with our broadcast replays so you can watch any performance again. Results sourced from the official championships and the reports at 4BarsRest and Brass Band Results.
Watch the full broadcast
Four days, two contest halls, plus the solo rooms. Each replay below is a full session, settle in.
Wednesday & Thursday (Solos)
Wednesday, Hall 1
Thursday, Hall 1 (incl. Champion of Champions)
Thursday, Hall 3
Friday (Hymn & Set Test)
Hall 1 (B Grade, Youth & A Grade)
Hall 2 (C Grade)
Saturday (Own Choice)
Hall 1, morning (B Grade)
Hall 1, evening (A Grade)
Hall 2 (C & D Grades)
Parade of Bands
A Grade
Adjudicator: Dr Brett Baker Set Work: Whitsun Wakes (Michael Ball)
Wellington swept every discipline for the second year running: the sacred item with And my soul overflow! (their sixth straight win on that element), the set work (their fifth), and an own choice of Sand and Stars that sealed the widest winning margin since 2013. NBS Nelson City Brass took a famous second, their best ever national result, with Mike Ford named best soloist on the test, Kay MacKenzie best principal cornet and the band’s basses best section. Japan’s Immortal Brass Eternally charmed the hall on the way to fourth.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Sacred | Test | Own Choice | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellington Brass | David Bremner | 49.0 | 98 | 97 | 244.0 |
| 2 | NBS Nelson City Brass | Nigel Weeks | 48.0 | 96 | 94 | 238.0 |
| 3 | North Shore Brass | Harmen Vanhoorne | 47.5 | 95 | 95 | 237.5 |
| 4 | Immortal Brass Eternally (Jpn) | Kazuyuki Kouno | 47.0 | 94 | 93 | 234.0 |
| 5 | Hamilton City Brass | Todd Smith | 47.5 | 93 | 90 | 230.5 |
| 6 | Brass Whanganui | Bruce Jellyman | 46.0 | 92 | 92 | 230.0 |
| 7 | Waitakere Auckland Brass | Grant Langdon | 46.5 | 91 | 91 | 228.5 |
B Grade
Adjudicator: Dr Brett Baker Set Work: Diversions on a Bass Theme (George Lloyd)
The fairytale. Tupou College Tonga, led by Rev. Eloni Tu’akoi Niu, won the B Grade at their first attempt in a three-way thriller decided by half-point margins, then added the overall Parade of Bands title for good measure. Eastern Bay of Plenty Brass split the difference in second with a storming The Plantagenets, half a point ahead of Hutt City.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Sacred | Test | Own Choice | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tupou College Tonga | Rev. Eloni Tu’akoi Niu | 48.0 | 98 | 93 | 239.0 |
| 2 | Eastern Bay of Plenty Brass | Andrew Leech | 47.5 | 96 | 95 | 238.5 |
| 3 | Hutt City Brass | Matthew Stein | 47.0 | 94 | 97 | 238.0 |
| 4 | Auckland City Brass | Mark Close | 47.5 | 95 | 90 | 232.5 |
| 5 | Addington Brass | Adrian Dalton | 46.5 | 93 | 92 | 231.5 |
| 6 | Trust Porirua City Brass | Nicholas Garrett | 46.0 | 90 | 94 | 230.0 |
| 7 | Hong Kong Brass Band | Tak Chun Lai | 45.5 | 89 | 91 | 225.5 |
| 8 | Parramatta City Band (Aus) | Luke Bradbury | 46.0 | 91 | 88 | 225.0 |
| 9 | Tauranga City Brass | Steve Thompson | 45.5 | 87 | 89 | 221.5 |
| 10 | The Devon Hotel New Plymouth Brass | Bryce Gordon | 45.0 | 88 | 87 | 220.0 |
| 11 | Marion City Band (Aus) | Aaron Madden | 46.5 | 86 | 87 | 219.5 |
C Grade
Adjudicator: Michael Dowrick Set Work: A Salford Sinfonietta (Darrol Barry)
The tightest result of the week: a quarter of a point. Matamata Brass, runners-up the year before, edged the sacred item and topped the set work, then held their breath as Rolleston Brass very nearly snatched it back with a superb Purcell Variations.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Sacred | Test | Own Choice | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matamata Brass | Glenn Richards | 45.75 | 94 | 90 | 229.75 |
| 2 | Rolleston Brass | Raynor Martin | 45.5 | 92 | 92 | 229.5 |
| 3 | Nor’west Brass | Nicholas Scott | 44.5 | 92.5 | 88.5 | 225.5 |
| 4 | North Shore Brass Academy | Billy Middleton | 44.0 | 90.5 | 88 | 222.5 |
| 5 | Levin & Districts Brass | David Maas | 43.0 | 90 | 89 | 222.0 |
| 6 | Upper Hutt Brass | Aaron Lloydd | 45.0 | 91 | 84 | 220.0 |
| 7 | Howick Brass | Matthew Verrill | 42.0 | 88 | 82 | 212.0 |
| 8 | Te Awamutu Brass | Sarah Carroll | 42.0 | 83 | 86.5 | 211.5 |
| 9 | Papakura City Brass | Brent Hayward | 41.5 | 84 | 85 | 210.5 |
| 10 | Hawera Brass | Karl Anderson | 40.0 | 82 | 83 | 205.0 |
D Grade
Adjudicator: Michael Dowrick Set Work: Nicaea (sacred item set work)
A comprehensive win for Maamaloa Brass Band under Kalino Pongi, who collected the EW Rose Memorial Challenge Shield for the band and the Harry Mortimer Memorial Trophy for himself, with a rousing Viking Age own choice and the march Simoraine.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Sacred | Test | Own Choice | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maamaloa Brass Band | Kalino Pongi | 93 | 91.5 | 89 | 273.5 |
| 2 | Kumeu Brass | Linda H Filimoehala | 92 | 90 | 86 | 268.0 |
| 3 | Motueka District Brass | Katie Scott | 89 | 88 | 83 | 260.0 |
Youth Grade, Solos & Parade
Youth Grade (Adjudicator: Tyme Marsters): Auckland Seventh-day Adventist High took the title under Samiu Uatahausi with a programme built around Oregon, ahead of Auckland City Maamaloa Youth Band and North Shore Youth Brass.
Champion of Champions: tenor horn star Mike Ford of NBS Nelson City Brass claimed the Blue Riband for the second time, in a final Chief Adjudicator Dr Brett Baker described as packed with world class playing. The Junior Champion of Champions went to Walter Hughes of Hamilton City Brass, and the Invitation Slow Melody to Anthony Smith of Wellington Brass. The solo days are in the Wednesday and Thursday replays above.
Parade of Bands: grade honours to Brass Whanganui (A), Tupou College (B) and Rolleston Brass (C), with Tupou College named overall Parade champion. Full replay above.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2024 New Zealand Brass Band Championships? Wellington Brass, conducted by David Bremner, won the A Grade for a sixth consecutive year, their tenth national title since 2013, topping all three disciplines.
Where were the 2024 NZ Nationals held? At the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau, south Auckland, from 10 to 13 July 2024, as part of the Pacific Festival of Brass, the contest’s first visit to south Auckland.
Who won the other grades? Tupou College Tonga won the B Grade on their debut appearance, Matamata Brass took the C Grade by a quarter of a point, and Maamaloa Brass won the D Grade. Mike Ford of NBS Nelson City Brass was Champion of Champions.
Where can I watch the 2024 NZ Nationals? Brassbanned’s full 4K replays from every day, both halls and the solos are embedded above, free to watch any time.
New to contesting? Read how brass band contests work, meet the instruments, and start at the very beginning with what is a brass band?
More championship replays
- 2025 New Zealand Brass Band Championships
- 2026 Australian National Band Championships
- 2025 Australian National Band Championships
- 2024 Australian National Band Championships
- 2023 New Zealand Brass Band Championships
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