The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith, August 2025. Two halls running all weekend, brass grades in the Q Theatre, wall-to-wall school and community concert bands in the Concert Hall, and Brassbanned streaming both, live and free. NSW’s championship is one of the biggest band gatherings in the country, and the 2025 edition packed the building.
On the brass side, Willoughby Brass No.2 took the A Grade under Dominic Longhurst, completing a remarkable year for the Willoughby organisation. And a lovely Brassbanned footnote: the A Grade adjudicators were Broden Ford and Nigel Weeks, both of whom you’ve met on this very site.
This is the record of the weekend, with our broadcast replays so you can watch any performance again. Results sourced from the official championships and Brass Band Results.
Watch the full broadcast
Two halls, two full replays, settle in.
Hall 1 (Concert Hall), concert bands
Hall 2 (Q Theatre), brass bands
A Grade
Q Theatre · Adjudicators: Broden Ford & Nigel Weeks Set Work: On Alderley Edge (Peter Graham)
Willoughby Brass No.2 led from draw one and were not caught, backing the set test with the sacred item His Provision and an own choice of Tallis Variations. Holroyd Brass pushed hard with Paganini Variations; Waratah Brass withdrew on the day.
| Pos | Band | Conductor | Test | Sacred | Own Choice | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willoughby Brass No.2 | Dominic Longhurst | 92 | 46 | 93 | 231 |
| 2 | Holroyd Brass | Dale Vail | 89 | 43 | 92 | 224 |
Grade winners
The full grade honours across the weekend:
- B Grade: Parramatta City Band, on the set work The Plantagenets
- C Grade: Gosford City Brass, on Saint-Saëns Variations
- D Grade: Waratah Brass Academy
- Junior B Grade: City of Wollongong Juniors
- Junior C Grade: Catalina Brass
The concert band program ran a full two days in Hall 1, from primary school divisions through the Youth A grade, with adjudicators including Rachel Howley and Nigel Weeks. Every performance is in the Hall 1 replay above.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2025 NSW Band Championships? Willoughby Brass No.2, conducted by Dominic Longhurst, won the A Grade with 231 points from Holroyd Brass, playing the set test On Alderley Edge.
Where were the 2025 NSW Championships held? At the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith, over the weekend of 23 and 24 August 2025, across two halls.
Who won the other grades? Parramatta City Band (B Grade), Gosford City Brass (C Grade), Waratah Brass Academy (D Grade), City of Wollongong Juniors (Junior B) and Catalina Brass (Junior C).
Where can I watch the 2025 NSW Championships? Brassbanned’s full replays from both halls 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
- 2025 Victorian State Band Championships
- 2025 QLD Band Championships
- 2026 Australian National Band Championships
- 2025 Australian National Band Championships
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