Glen Common and Pete Rainey founded the Smokefree Rockquest in Christchurch in 1989. Now in its 30th year, the competition is still going strong with over 800 bands entering in 2018. In this RNZ Music Mixtape, they share some of their favourite artists from the competition, and discuss why Rockquest is still thriving.

Its been a big 2018 for Mitch James. After opening for Ed Sheeran earlier this year he has now released his debut album but he speaks to Alex Behan about how it hasn't all been rosy.

Dunedin band Marlin's Dreaming introduce their song 'I'll Stick By You'.

The Beths scored a Silver Scroll nomination for their song ‘Future Me Hates Me’, the title track of an album which has earned them rave reviews at home and abroad. We visited the band at their Auckland studio.

We visit Manurewa High School to meet the talented young musicians from Mit Eldnar - an 11-piece band headed for the national finals of both Smokefree Rockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats.

Rob Ruha won four awards, Ria Hall was named Best Female Artist, Alien Weaponry took out Best Music Video, Troy Kingi won Best Pop Album, and Seth Haapu won Best Songwriter at the 11th Annual Waiata Māori Music Awards in Hastings.

You might not have heard of Rotorua-born musician Alayna Powley, but the rest of the world has. At just 25, she’s worked with some of the world’s biggest pop producers and clocked up over nine million streams on Spotify.

Fables introduce their song 'Where You Are, I Am'.

British-born, New York-based Devonte Hynes explores his sense of dislocation in an uneasy new album. Nick Bollinger has a listen.

Don McGlashan has emerged from his songwriting cocoon to flutter around the country in September and October. He’ll be playing songs from his well-loved back catalogue as a solo artist, with The Mutton Birds, The Front Lawn and Blam Blam Blam, and road-testing some new songs too. He joins Kirsten Johnstone for a mixtape of songs gifted to him by friends.