It was a night to celebrate for Southern Institute of Technology (SIT), with an impressive line-up of staff, graduates and current students recognised at the 2026 Southland Music Awards in Invercargill recently.
Talent connected to SIT’s Contemporary Music and Audio Production programmes featured across the awards, from Song, Band, Album, Guitarist and Drummer of the Year honours to Southland Music Hall of Fame inductees. SIT’s contribution also extended behind the scenes, with current students and graduates helping bring the event to life through stage, lighting and graphics roles.
SIT Music and Audio Tutor Asher Skerrett received one of the evening’s highest accolades, induction into the Southland Music Hall of Fame, recognising his longstanding contribution to the Southland music scene.
His love of music began at home through his father, Peter, who had a long involvement with SIT.
“My dad, Peter, who used to be the programme manager for music and audio here at SIT a long time ago; I grew up lucky enough carting his gear around for him, because Dad had a bad back when he was younger and [I would] carry his amp. He played with a lot of famous people, and I got to see the industry.
“I grew up in it, and I knew from a young age that’s all I really ever wanted to do.
“I always played music. We always had guitars around home. Dad was a bass player, and I wanted to be a bass player.”
Having those closest to him there to share the occasion was particularly meaningful for Mr Skerrett. “It was great for me that I had so many people out there supporting. It was a big deal to me just to have the people around me, my friends, family, work colleagues.”
And Music and Audio Programme Manager Antonio Mercuri had double reason to celebrate. He was named Drummer of the Year, while Brenny & The Bushwhackers, in which he plays, took out Band of the Year.
Adding to the impressive haul, Southland band, Rhythmonyx, took out Song of the Year with Bones. The band includes SIT Audio Production and Music Programme Leader, Doug Heath (trombone and flugel horn).
Former SIT students were also among the major winners. Anna van Riel won Album of the Year for Wooden Leg, while former Music and Audio student Vance Manu was named Guitarist of the Year.
Mr Heath said the awards highlighted just how extensive SIT’s connections are throughout the Southland music community. “It was a great celebration and recognition for so many.”
Those connections were particularly evident on stage. Skerrett’s band included Metua Marama, Mia Fletcher, Emmy Roderique and Darcy Kerr, who all have links to SIT’s Music or Audio programmes as graduates or current students.
And the event’s backing band, Filth Wizard, are a clean sweep of SIT graduates: Hana Ott, Joseph O'Donnell, Tyler Reynolds and Marcus Crowe.
The awards also recognised several musicians with earlier connections to SIT. Former student Jordan Cossil received the Ambassador’s Award and was also an Entertainer of the Year nominee, while former SIT tutors Holly Longman and Shannon Cooper- Garland were inducted into the Southland Music Hall of Fame.
SIT’s presence was not confined to the performers and award winners. Behind the scenes, first-year Audio students Larnie Davidson and Eli Tuiavli assisted as stagehands, while Screen Arts graduates Ash Bartlett and Rubin Kennedy were involved in lighting and graphics.
The success of Bones also brought different creative disciplines together, with Mr Heath acknowledging the creatives behind the music video, which provided an opportunity for SIT film students to be involved.
“Also, on behalf of our band Rhythmonyx, I would like to acknowledge the team at Second Beer (James Wilkinson and Nick McGrath); thanks to their creativity on our music video for Bones, we have such a great story to tell. This also allowed SIT film students to be involved in a music video that has now won song of the year.”
The SIT connections stretched into the recording side of the awards as well, with SIT Tutor and Sound Engineer Charlie Rodgers among the engineers behind nominated recordings and performers on the night.
Completing SIT’s connection to the celebration, the Institute sponsored the Southland Entertainer of the Year award, won by KC Barris.
From award-winning performers and educators to established graduates and first-year students getting valuable experience behind the scenes, the 2026 Southland Music Awards provided an impressive snapshot of the depth of talent cultivated locally through SIT’s Contemporary Music and Audio Production programmes, and there’s more to come.
“… we’ve had our biggest group of Year One students this year, 25-ish … students in our [degree] first year, which is so good. It is a great number. So, we’re growing,” Mr Skerrett noted.
He also pointed to the strength of the team around the students. “We’ve got such a great team of tutors here and we all get along. We’ve all known each other for years, which helps. We’ve got deep-set relationships.”
And he is equally positive about the opportunities available to musicians locally.
“We’re lucky that we have opportunities in Invercargill that they don’t have in other parts of the country, simply because we’ve got the ILT here … Bands can get out there and do it.
“We’ve got original venues now (such as The Riff, and Threes and Sevens Records), for original bands. It’s just opened up.
“I think it’s blossoming. One word.”