North Shore Brass from Auckland has claimed the 2026 New Zealand National A Grade title in Wellington under the baton of Nigel Weeks.

Formed in 1923 it is the first time they have lifted the NZ Championship Gold Cup.

In what was a commanding overall victory, they topped both the set-work and own-choice disciplines (the latter with a score of 99 points from adjudicator Russell Gray) as well as coming second in the sacred item category.

Their conductor Nigel Weeks returned to the winner's rostrum at the event for the first time since 2004 for what was his own seventh A Grade victory.

It brought to an end the run of seven successive victories from Wellington Brass, as the defending champion ended third behind former champion Woolston Brass.

Results:

A Grade:

Set Work: Taniwha (Scott Kennedy-French)
Adjudicator: Russell Gray
Set Work/Sacred item/Own Choice = Total

1. North Shore Brass (Nigel Weeks): 48/98/99 = 245.0
2. Woolston Brass (Philip Johnston): 48.5/97/97 = 242.5
3. Wellington Brass (Reuben Brown/David Bremner): 47.5/95/98 = 240.5
4. Hutt City Brass (Matthew Stein): 46/96/95 = 237.0
5. Hamilton City Brass (Te Reo Hughes): 46.5/94/93 = 233.5
6. Auckland City Brass (Mark Close): 45/92/90 = 227.0*
7. Waitakere Auckland Brass (Steven Booth): 45/91/91 = 227.0

* Set work mark takes precedence

Best Own Choice Test Piece Performance: North Shore Brass
Best Sacred Item Performance: Woolston Brass
Best Test Piece Performance: North Shore Brass
Conductor of Champion Band: Nigel Weeks (North Shore Brass)
Conductor of the Best Own Choice Test Piece Performance: Nigel Weeks (North Shore Brass)
Best Section in Test Piece: Percussion (North Shore Brass)
Best Principal Cornet in Own Choice: Harmen Vanhoorne (cornet) — North Shore Brass
Best Soloist in Test Piece: Walter Hughes (euphonium) — Hamilton City Brass

B Grade:

Set Work: Images (David Woodcock)
Adjudicator: Russell Gray
Set Work/Sacred item/Own Choice = Total

1. St Kilda Brass (Peter Adams): 95/46.5/93 = 234.5
2. Levin & Districts Brass (David Maas): 94/45.5/91 = 230.5
3. Eastern Bay of Plenty (Andrew Leech): 92/43.5/87 = 222.5
4. Addington Brass (Tyme Marsters): 93/45/83 = 222.0*
5. Woolston Concert Brass (Matt Toomata): 90/44/88 = 222.0
6. Porirua City Brass (Nicholas Garrett): 87/4.5/89 = 220.5
7. The Deon Hotel New Plymouth Brass (Bruce Gordon): 88/44/85 = 217.0
8. Canberra Brass (Veronica Boulton): 86/44.5/86 = 216.5
9. Tauranga City (Steven Thompson): 84/43/84 = 211.0
10. Malborough District Brass (Robin Randall): 83/43/83 = 209.0

* Set work mark takes precedence

Best Own Choice Performance: St Kilda Brass (Tallis Variations)
Best Soloist (Set Work): Harry Porthouse (cornet) — St Kilda Brass
Best Principal Cornet (Own Choice): Harry Porthouse (cornet) — St Kilda Brass

C Grade:

Set Work: Where the Light Falters (Kodi Rasmussen)
Adjudicator: Glyn Williams
Set Work/Sacred item/Own Choice = Total

1. Rolleston Brass (Raynor Martin): 96/49/96 = 241.0
2. Rangiora RSA Club (Dwayne Bloomfield): 92/48/91 = 231.0
3. Te Awamutu Go Bus Brass (Sarah Carroll): 85/47/93 = 225.0
4. Upper Hutt Brass (Jim Downey): 88/46/84 = 218.0
5. Howick Brass (Matthew Verrill): 81/42/94 = 217.0
6. North Shore Brass Academy (Liam Wright): 86/45/85 = 216.0*
7. Papakura City Brass (Adrian Raven): 84/44/88 = 216.0
8. Wodonga Brass (Fenella O'Sullivan): 82/43/87 = 212.0
9. Palmerston North (Keenan Buchanan): 83/41/86 = 210.0

* Set work mark takes precedence

Best Test Piece Performance: Rolleston Brass
Best Sacred Item Performance: Rolleston Brass
Best Own Choice Performance: Rolleston Brass

D Grade:

Set Work Sacred Item: Elegy (Fraser Bremner)
Adjudicator: Helen Williams
Sacred item/Own choice/Stage March = Total

1. Brass Whanganui Concert Brass (Ray Farrow): 93/96/95 = 284.0
2. Tonga College Community Band (Sione Hapa): 92/95/96 = 283.0
3. Lighthouse Brass (N/K): 95/94/93 = 282.0
4. Buzzing Brass Wellington (Byron Newton): 94/93/94 = 281.0
5. Koru Brass Hamilton (Michelle Panko): 90/92/91 = 273.0
6. New Brighton Silver (Lachlan Grant): 89/91/90 = 270.0
7. Kumeu Brass (Linda Heart Filimoehala): 88/89/92 = 269.0
8. Masterton District Brass (N/K): 91/88/89 = 268.0

Youth Grade:

Own choice
Adjudicator: Helen Williams
Set Work/Sacred item/Own Choice = Total

1. Tonga College Brass (Sione Harper): 96/95 = 191
2= Auckland City Youth (Xiaoyang Hu): 94/93 = 187
2= Maamaloa Youth Brass (Langi Mausia): 93/94 = 187
3= Buzzing Brass Wellington (Byron Newton): 91/92 = 183
3= Marlborough Youth Brass (Robert Evers): 91/92 = 183

Best Soloist: (cornet) — Tonga College Brass

Solo Champions:

Open Champion of Champions: Byron Newton (Buzzing Brass Wellington)
Junior Champion of Champions: Keina Rollinson (Woolston Brass)
Masters Champion: John Sullivan (North Shore Brass)
Open Slow Melody: Kevin Hickman (Woolston Brass)
Invitation Slow Melody: Aisha Leitner (North Shore Brass)
Junior Slow Melody: William Stewart (Wodonga Brass)
Championship Cornet: David Maas (Levin & District)

Open Soprano: Jonty Zydenbos (Hutt City Brass)
Open Cornet: Toby Pringle (Wellington Brass)
Open Flugel: Kevn Hickman (Woolston Brass)
Open Horn: Mike Ford (Wellington Brass)
Open Baritone: Cameron James (Hamilton City Brass)
Open Euphonium: Byron Newton (Buzzing Brass Wellington)
Open Trombone: Aishah Leitner (North Shore Brass)
Open Bass Trombone: Benji Pickering (St Kilda Brass)
Open Eb Bass: Joel Williams (Woolston Brass)
Open Bb Bass: Lachlan Grant (Woolston Brass)
Open Percussion: Sho Kubota (Woolston Brass)