Toi Ohomai Partners with Smokefreerockquest to Spotlight Emerging Bay of Plenty Music Talent

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology is proud to partner with Smokefreerockquest to announce the winners of the Toi Ohomai Emerging Talent Awards at the competition’s 2025 Bay of Plenty regional finals: Charli Palmer from Mount Maunganui College and Ngā Kai Kiore from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau.

Charli Palmer received the award at the Tauranga Smokefreerockquest final, held at Totara Street on Friday 13 June. She performed with her four-piece band, Sketch, who also earned a Musicianship Award.

Ngā Kai Kiore, a six-piece band from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau near Murupara, received the award at the Rotorua final held at Sir Howard Morrison Centre on Tuesday 17 June, where they also placed second overall.

Both winning acts have earned the opportunity to record Tiny Concerts at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology’s on-campus recording studios. The tiny concert format, made popular on YouTube, involves making full live audio and visual recordings of original music.

Toi Ohomai Music Tutor, Dave Bishop, says Smokefreerockquest provides a fantastic platform for young musicians to write and perform music that matters to them and their peers. 

“It brings back memories of what it's like to be young and just starting out. When you're a teenager with a guitar, drumsticks or a microphone, there's nothing that beats that feeling. Toi Ohomai is proud to be part of that scene, and sponsoring this year’s Emerging Talent Awards was an exciting opportunity for us.”

As part of the partnership with Smokefreerockquest, seven Toi Ohomai music and performance and creative industries students gained production and back-stage experience working at Smokefreerockquest and Showquest (the allied event celebrating performing arts) across the Bay of Plenty.

Quinnjessa Avery, a Bachelor of Creative Industries student at Toi Ohomai, supported the Toi Fashion event at Showquest in Rotorua. She says the opportunity gave her insight into the judging and production of fashion and wearable arts.

“It aligns with my passion for fashion design as a future career. I would definitely be interested in helping out again next year,” Quinnjessa says. 

Toi Ohomai Academic Leader for Art, Design, Music and Media, Nicol Sanders O’Shea, says the partnership with Smokefreerockquest and Showquest highlights Toi Ohomai’s commitment to supporting emerging talent here in the Bay of Plenty.

“These events are a great platform to spotlight young musicians and creatives in our region while also providing our current ākonga with valuable real-world experience in event production, backstage operations, and creative support roles.”

Nicol adds the Tiny Concert prizes awarded to Charli Palmer and Ngā Kai Kiore not only recognise their musical talent, but also provide them with a meaningful introduction to studio production.

“Recording in our on-campus studios gives these young artists insight into what goes into producing an album. It’s a great opportunity for those who may be considering music and performance careers after high school, or studying music at a tertiary level.”

Georgia Parker, Publicist and Event Manager for Rockquest Promotions, says the organisation values its new regional partnership with Toi Ohomai in the Bay of Plenty.

“We were pleased to host some Toi Ohomai students for work-integrated learning placements at our Smokefree Rockquest and Showquest regional events. These students played a key role in the smooth delivery of our jam-packed event days, and we hope the experience was both fun and rewarding for them,” she says.

Toi Ohomai congratulates all the 2025 Smokefreerockquest winners. For more information about the music and creative industries courses on offer at Toi Ohomai, visit https://www.toiohomai.ac.nz/study/subject/creative