Unique performances from folk-pop band The Incline and solo beatboxer SamIAM took out this year's Bay of Plenty Smokefreerockquest finals last night.

Mount Maunganui College student Sammie Dudley, aka SamIAM, believes she spiced up the competition with her self-taught beatboxing to win the first solo/duo category at Baycourt Theatre.

The Incline perform at Smokefreerockquest. Photo: Chris Phillips, Smokefreerockquest.

'Every performer has to have a wow factor and beatboxing is the thing I put in,” she says.

'I really like to engage the audience as I play.”

Sammie stood out to the judges, who selected her as the winner of the Smokefree Award for Women's Musicianship, selected from all of the female performers at the regional finals on Sunday.

The Incline's four members from Mount Maunganui College, Tauranga Boys' and Tauranga Girls' Colleges formed the group especially for the competition.

Incline's drummer Cody Mitchell says guidance and vocals showed the judges why they should win.

'We had a jazz music teacher so our songs have tight, unexpected stops… and lots of harmonies. We were really enjoying ourselves up on stage.”

Soloist SamIAM is off to the national finals in Auckland.

The Incline features Leilani Taula on lead vocals, Alex Twidle on acoustic guitar and backing vocals and Daniel Kulasingham bass and backing vocals. The band also won the Lowdown Best Song award, taking home $100.

Second place winners from the band category were RPM, from Mount Maunganui College and Tauranga Boys' College.

RPM is made up of Jacob Nicholas on lead vocals and electric guitar, Cormac Seymour on lead guitar, Ben Guernier on bass, and drummer Rory Priest.

The three selected acts go on to compete in the national final in Auckland on Saturday, September 28.

Founder and director Glenn Common says the hard work is not over for the finalists as they now have to continue to prove their talent.

'They now send in videos of their original music that will be judged in August as we lead up to the national final,” says Glenn.

'This process demands creativity and musical ability, as well as learning to work together as a group and developing the organisation skills they'll need if they're going to make it on the Kiwi music scene.”

Alight

Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest in its 25-year history include Kimbra, Midnight Youth, Opshop, Evermore, Ladyhawke, Minuit, Kids of 88, Die!Die!Die!, Pistol Youth, Annah Mac, Bang!Bang!Eche!, Ivy Lies, Cairo Knife Fight, Cut Off Your Hands, Luke Thompson, the Datsuns, Brooke Fraser, Anika Moa, Kora, Anna Coddington, The Electric Confectionaires, Steriogram, Aaradhna, Spacifix, Phoenix Foundation, The Feelers, The Black Seeds, Nesian Mystik, Bic Runga, The Checks, Julia Deans, Pine, King Kapisi, Kingston, The Naked and Famous, Autozamm and Elemeno P.