Easter 2025, Melbourne. Brassbanned streamed every grade live and free in glorious 4K from Xavier College and Methodist Ladies College in Kew, and the weekend made history. Sydney City Brass, under Jason Katsikaris, became the very first Premier Grade Australian National Champion, lifting the famous Fireman’s Helmet in a packed Xavier College hall. Senior national titles also went to Footscray-Yarraville City, Cairns Brass No. 1, Wonthaggi Citizens and City of Ballarat Municipal Brass.
This is the complete record: every grade, the full placings and points, with our broadcast replays so you can watch any performance again. Results sourced from the official championships and the reports at 4BarsRest and Brass Band Results.
Watch the full broadcast
Streamed live in 4K across the Easter long weekend. Settle in and watch any of it again.
Hall 1
Solos & Ensembles from MLC
Parade of Bands
Premier Grade
Xavier College · Adjudicators: Margaret S Antrobus, Tyme Marsters, Ken Waterworth Set Work: King Kong on Rue Igor Stravinsky (Paul McGhee)
The inaugural Premier Grade, and a clear-cut one. Sydney City topped the hymn and set work on day one and never let go, sealing the first Fireman’s Helmet of the new era. Two points covered second to fourth, with Darebin taking the final podium spot on a higher test-piece mark.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Hymn | Test | Own Choice | March | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney City Brass | Jason Katsikaris | 99 | 198 | 196 | 96 | 589 |
| 2 | Brisbane Excelsior | David Bremner | 97 | 195 | 194 | 98 | 584 |
| 3 | Darebin City Brass, Preston | Andrew Snell | 98 | 196 | 193 | 95 | 582* |
| 4 | Willoughby City Band | Dominic Longhurst | 96 | 192 | 197 | 97 | 582 |
| 5 | Brisbane Brass | Alan Spence | 96 | 190 | 191 | 92 | 569 |
| 6 | Glenorchy City Concert Brass | Simon Reade | 95 | 189 | 190 | 91 | 565 |
Where totals tie, the test-piece score takes precedence.
A Grade
Adjudicators: Margaret S Antrobus, Tyme Marsters, Ken Waterworth
A clean sweep. Glyn Williams led Footscray-Yarraville City to the band’s first A Grade national title in 51 years, topping all four disciplines.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Hymn | Test | Own Choice | March | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Footscray-Yarraville City | Glyn Williams | 94 | 190 | 195 | 96 | 575 |
| 2 | Willoughby Band No. 2 | Dominic Longhurst | 93 | 188 | 192 | 94 | 567 |
| 3 | Kensington & Norwood Brass | Jonathan Baker | 92 | 186 | 190 | 94 | 562 |
| 4 | Geelong West Brass | Jason Mears | 93 | 185 | 187 | 91 | 556 |
| 5 | Boroondara Brass | Daniel van Bergen | 90 | 181 | 189 | 95 | 555 |
| 6 | Glenferrie Brass | Phillipa Edwards OAM | 92 | 182 | 186 | 93 | 553 |
| 7 | Holroyd Brass | Dail Vail | 91 | 183 | 185 | 92 | 551 |
B Grade
Adjudicators: Heather Aitken, Brian Hogg, Bryan Hurdley
The tightest finish of the weekend. Cairns Brass and Parramatta City finished dead level on 544, with the title going to Cairns on a higher test-piece mark. Cairns also took the John Kelly Shield for the highest marks in the Parade of Bands.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Hymn | Test | Own Choice | March | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairns Brass No. 1 | Jon Christodoulides | 88 | 191 | 183 | 82 | 544* |
| 2 | Parramatta City | Luke Bradbury | 84 | 185 | 190 | 85 | 544 |
| 3 | Box Hill City | Simon Brown | 84 | 179 | 186 | 84 | 533 |
| 4 | Canberra Brass | Veronica Boulton | 79 | 183 | 184 | 83 | 529 |
| 5 | Whitehorse Brass | Broden Ford | 81 | 179 | 179 | 78 | 517 |
| 6 | Diamond Valley Brass | Jeff Steele | 82 | 181 | 173 | 78 | 514 |
| 7 | City of Greater Dandenong | Jamie Lawson | 80 | 180 | 173 | 77 | 510 |
| 8 | Ulverstone Municipal | Thomas Lamb | 71 | 170 | 171 | 79 | 491 |
Where totals tie, the test-piece score takes precedence.
C Grade
Adjudicators: Joanne Heaton, David Musk, Richard Shirley
Wonthaggi Citizens took their first national title since 2019 under Craig Marinus, building a lead on the set work and hymn that the field could not quite run down.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Hymn | Test | Own Choice | March | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wonthaggi Citizens | Craig Marinus | 89 | 185 | 184 | 89 | 547 |
| 2 | Darebin City Brass, Northern Brass | Martyn Scrimshaw | 82 | 171 | 191 | 95 | 539 |
| 3 | Western Brass | Jared McCunnie | 82 | 171 | 190 | 87 | 530 |
| 4 | Hyde Street Youth | Phillipa Edwards OAM | 83 | 160 | 192 | 94 | 529 |
| 5 | Marion City | Aaron Madden | 86 | 173 | 179 | 87 | 525 |
| 6 | Moonee Valley Brass | Dean Hughes | 83 | 169 | 180 | 82 | 514 |
| 7 | Creswick Brass | Katrina Bird | 85 | 167 | 177 | 84 | 513 |
| 8 | Wodonga Brass | Fenella O’Sullivan | 77 | 161 | 184 | 90 | 512 |
| 9 | Sunshine Community Brass | Shan Amunugama | 81 | 163 | 179 | 85 | 508 |
| 10 | City of Greater Bendigo Brass | Cally Bartlett | 72 | 167 | 170 | 80 | 489 |
D Grade
Adjudicators: Karina Filipi, Andrew Porter, Louisa Trewartha
City of Ballarat Municipal Brass landed their first national title since 1972, topping the hymn and set work on the way to a commanding win under Dennis Stevenson.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Hymn | Test | Own Choice | March | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City of Ballarat Municipal Brass | Dennis Stevenson | 95 | 189 | 181 | 82 | 547 |
| 2 | Marist Brass Band | Colin Wellard | 89 | 183 | 177 | 88 | 537 |
| 3 | Boroondara Harmony Brass | Robyn Lowenstein Waugh | 84 | 180 | 184 | 87 | 535 |
| 4 | City of Wollongong Junior Brass | Desmond Cannings | 78 | 168 | 194 | 86 | 526 |
| 5 | Aberfeldie Brass | Brad Johnston | 85 | 170 | 183 | 80 | 518 |
| 6 | Sale City Band | Tom Cousin | 77 | 184 | 171 | 76 | 508 |
| 7 | Stonnington City Brass | Kevin Hillier OAM | 75 | 173 | 170 | 71 | 489 |
Junior Grades
| Grade | Band | Conductor | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior A | Hyde Street Youth | Andrew Wilson / Bethany McAuliffe-D’Rozario | 577 |
| Junior B | Box Hill Academy Brass | Lauren Innes | 580 |
| Junior B (2nd) | City of Wollongong Junior Brass | Desmond Cannings | 569 |
| Junior C | Richmond Youth Brass | Champions |
Champion of Champions
The Blue Riband went to Sydney City Brass player Bruce Myers, whose performance of Lucy Pankhurst’s Concerto for Tenor Horn had judges Richard Shirley and Jamie Lawson declaring he was doing things on the instrument that “shouldn’t be legal.”
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2025 Australian National Band Championships? Sydney City Brass, conducted by Jason Katsikaris, won the inaugural Premier Grade and the Fireman’s Helmet National Trophy.
Where were the 2025 Nationals held? At Xavier College and Methodist Ladies College in Kew, Melbourne, over the Easter long weekend (18 to 21 April 2025).
Who won the other grades? Footscray-Yarraville City (A Grade), Cairns Brass No. 1 (B Grade), Wonthaggi Citizens (C Grade) and City of Ballarat Municipal Brass (D Grade).
Where can I watch the 2025 Nationals? Brassbanned’s full 4K replays are embedded above, free to watch any time.
New to contesting? Read how brass band contests work, meet the instruments, and start at the very beginning with what is a brass band?
More championship replays
- 2026 Australian National Band Championships
- 2025 New Zealand Brass Band Championships
- 2024 Australian National Band Championships
- 2024 New Zealand Brass Band Championships
- 2025 NSW Band Championships
- 2025 Victorian State Band Championships
- 2025 QLD Band Championships
Brassbanned has streamed the Australian Nationals, the world’s most watched band contest, live and free in 4K for over a decade.
