New Found Sound Crowns 2026’s Emerging Music Talent
Resuja (pictured above) and five-piece metal band Ode to Suffering have taken out the top honours at The Y’s 2026 New Found Sound Grand Final, with Northcote College alt-metal band Vandal winning Audience Choice and 12-year-old Lyra Prasad named Best Up and Coming.
The annual youth music competition brought 12 emerging Auckland acts together at The Tuning Fork on Saturday, with Resuja taking out the Solo/Duo title and Ode to Suffering named the 2026 Band winner.
The Grand Final was the culmination of five regional heats held across Auckland throughout May and June, giving young musicians the opportunity to perform live, develop their skills and experience what it takes to perform in front of an audience and industry judges.
2026 New Found Sound winners
Solo/Duo Winner – Resuja
Resuja took out the Solo/Duo title after performing as a solo artist at Saturday’s Grand Final. She is one half of duo Mångata, which earned a place in the Grand Final following the South Auckland regional heat.
Band Winner – Ode to Suffering
The five-piece metal band from Kaipara College took out the Band title following a strong performance at the Grand Final.
Best Up and Coming – Lyra Prasad
At just 12 years old, Lyra Prasad was the youngest solo performer in the Grand Final and was named Best Up and Coming.
Audience Choice – Vandal
Northcote College five-piece alt-metal band Vandal won the Audience Choice award, adding another accolade to a strong year for the group.
Vandal also reached the 2026 Smokefree Rockquest regional finals and previously won both the Up and Coming Award and Audience Choice at New Found Sound in 2025.
The calibre of performances made for a challenging night for the judging panel, with judges recognising the potential across the entire Grand Final line-up.
The Y North Chief Executive Rebecca Russell says the Grand Final demonstrated the value of creating opportunities for young people to explore their passions and build experience.
“New Found Sound is about much more than finding great musicians. It’s about giving young people the confidence, skills and opportunities to grow both on and off the stage,” says Rebecca.
“To see 12 young acts take the stage at The Tuning Fork and share their music was incredibly exciting. The calibre of performances made for a very difficult night for the judges, which is a wonderful problem to have.
“Every performer should be proud of what they achieved. For these young musicians, New Found Sound is one step in their journey, giving them experience, connections and confidence that they can take into whatever comes next.”
New Found Sound is delivered through The Y’s Raise Up youth development programme, which gives young people opportunities across music, arts, sport, leadership and culture.
The programme is also youth-led behind the scenes, with young people involved in planning, producing and delivering the regional heats and Grand Final. Participants gain practical experience across event management, production, artist liaison, promotion, staging, lighting, sound and live event operations.
The 2026 New Found Sound Grand Final was supported by Crescendo, Eliette’s Music Academy and The Tuning Fork.
2026 New Found Sound Grand Final results
Solo/Duo Winner: Resuja
Band Winner: Ode to Suffering
Best Up and Coming: Lyra Prasad
Audience Choice: Vandal
