Four Bay of Plenty bands have been announced as part of the top 30 for the Smokefreerockquest 2014.

Liquid Sun, from Katikati College and Waihi College, Joe's Van from Mount Maunganui College, Georgia Lines from Bethlehem College and JARS from Rotorua Girls' High School were chosen from 700 entries received for this year's competition.

Bethlehem College soloist Georgia Lines.

SFRQ founder and director Glenn Common says selecting the national finalists presented the usual challenge, with a very high level of expertise in all areas of musicality.

'What we see at this level highlights that there's a lot more to Smokefreerockquest than just writing a song.

'This event emphasises the whole package – song writing, performance and presentation, which is realistic preparation for making a career in the music industry.”

Last year Smokefreerockquest introduced a separate category for solo-duo performers; and the top 30 list is made up of 20 bands and 10 solo-duos.

The 30 bands and solo-duos will be further narrowed down by a panel of judges from the music industry, and the final six bands and three solo-duos to play off in Auckland next month will be announced on August 15.

The national final of Smokefreerockquest is at Auckland's Q Theatre on Saturday, September 27, at 7pm.

Smokefreerockquest, powered by Rockshop, has national winners' prize packages for bands and the solo/duos that include musical gear to a total value of $13,000 from NZ Rockshops and their suppliers, a $10,000 recoding/music video package from NZonAir, radio promotional support and video play on youth music channel FOUR.

There is also the MAINZ (Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand) Scholarship for outstanding musicianship, the APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award and the Smokefree Women's Musicianship Award.

The top 30 bands are:

Co-Lab, Whangarei Boys' High School and Kamo High School,

Northland The Paradise Stone, Rangitoto College, North Shore

Vivid, Diocesan School for Girls and Marist College, Auckland Central

Death By Butterflies, Rutherford College, West Auckland North and South, Pukekohe High School, Manukau

The Bradas, Alfriston College, Manukau

All of a Kind, Putaruru College, Waikato

Sunday Best, St Peter's School, Waikato

Liquid Sun, Katikati College, Waihi College, Bay of Plenty

Joe's Van, Mt Maunganui College, Bay of Plenty

The Crayz, Gisborne Boys' High School, East Coast

The Brothers Grimm, Napier Boys' High School, Hawke's Bay

Soda Boyz, Palmerston North Boys' High School and Freyberg High School, Manawatu

Vacant City, Wairarapa College and Rathkeale College, Wairarapa

HeadChef, Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre, Wellington and Hutt

Oh Blok, Garin College and Nelson College, Nelson

Aura, Hagley Community College, Canterbury

Bitter Class, Craighead Diocesan School and Geraldine High School, Timaru

Chandeliers, Otago Boys' High School, Otago

Oddity, Mt Aspiring College, Central Otago

And the top ten solo/duos are:

Just Grace, Wanganui High School, Whanganui

Elae, Garin College, Nelson

Jacob Morris, Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury

Liam Kennedy-Clark, Ashburton College, Canterbury

Christopher Bates, Kingsway School, Auckland

Cam Dawson, Manurewa High School, Auckland

Solomon Crook, St Peter's School, Waikato

Georgia Lines, Bethlehem College, Bay of Plenty

JARS, Rotorua Girls' High School, Rotorua

AdLib, Palmerston North Girls' and Boys High Schools, Manawatu