Baritone Jarvis Dams is testament to the phrase practice makes perfect.
The former Rotorua man has entered the New Zealand Aria many times and was named a finalist twice, but last night was named winner of the prestigious event.
Admitting he still hasn't come back down to earth yet, Mr Dams described the weekend as amazing.
"The level of singing in the final last night was just incredible and I thought my colleagues all did so well, it was a complete surprise when they announced my name," Mr Dams said.
Part of his $20,000 prize package was $5000 toward entry in the Sydney Eisteddfod competition next year.
"I am absolutely looking forward to Sydney, I think it will be a good challenge for me, but with the amount of support I have received from the New Zealand Aria Trust and the Dame Malvina Major Foundation I am definitely looking forward to meeting that challenge."
New Zealand Aria trustee Ian Edward said it had been fantastic to see Mr Dams win.
"At the completion of the final and before the winner was announced I found Jarvis sitting in the foyer of the theatre," Mr Edward said. "He told me he had booked out of his motel that morning and was planning to drive back to Hamilton after the winner had been named as he was beginning a new role within with his employers on Monday."
Mr Edward said he told Mr Dams that was not acceptable and, if need be, he would ask Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick to phone the Hamilton Mayor (Mr Dams works at Hamilton City Council) and say he would be late.
"In my eyes there could not have been more a deserving winner than Jarvis," Mr Edward said. "He's been entering the competition since he was a young man and was the runaway winner last night.
"Often singers are told to go back home and work on areas of their performance and Jarvis has done just that. He has worked hard and it has taken him to the top."
Mr Dams said he was very lucky to work for Hamilton City Council. "It is a fantastic organisation that is very supportive of my artistic endeavours."
Another Rotorua local Tehezib Latiff made the finals alongside Taupo's Chelsea Dolman, Moonyoung Jang, Boyd Owen, Samson Setu, Harry Grigg, Tabatha McFadyen, Oliver Sheat and Sophie Sparrow.
First time entrant Jang placed second and Australian Owen was third.
Mr Dams took home a prize package of $20,000 courtesy of the Dame Malvina Major Foundation.
Full results follow:
Read more:
• Review: New Zealand Aria
NEW ZEALAND ARIA 2017 Results
Under 21 Section
Class 1 - Own Selection Under 10 Years
Will Connolly-Tevendale First Place
Koen McKenzie Second Place
Kahuariki Ahuriri Third Place
Te Aira Timoti Very Highly Commended
Maie Rapana Highly Commended
Whiuwhiu Mitai Highly Commended
Chloe Slater Highly Commended
Class 2 - Folk / Traditional Under 10 Years
Chloe Slater First Place
Maie Rapana Second Place
Koen McKenzie Third Place
Will Connolly-Tevendale Very Highly Commended
Class 3 - Sacred/Oratorio Under 10 Years
Raukura Makoare First Place
Class 4 - Light Entertainment Under 10 Years
Chloe Slater First Place
Koen McKenzie Second Place
Will Connolly-Tevendale Third Place
Maie Rapana Very Highly Commended
Rangitoia Rurehe Highly Commended
Class 5 - Own Selection 10 and Under 13 Years
Te Pumanawa o toku ate Rogers First Place
Clara Douglas Second Place
Connor Klein Third Place
Emilie Rosset Very Highly Commended
Jasmine Hulton Very Highly Commended
Lily Isaac Highly Commended
Class 6 - Folk / Traditional 10 and Under 13 Years
Charles Adams First Place
Clara Douglas Second Place
Emilie Rosset Third Equal
Connor Klein Third Equal
Tate Tisdall Very Highly Commended
Lily Isaac Very Highly Commended
Ava Hook Highly Commended
Lauren Thompson Highly Commended
Class 7 - Sacred / Oratorio 10 and Under 13 Years
Te Pumanawa o toku ate Rogers First Place
Charles Adams Second Place
Lily Isaac Third Place
Katelyn Bedford Very Highly Commended
Tate Tisdall Highly Commended
Class 8 - Light Entertainment 10 and Under 13 Years
Lily Isaac First Place
Charles Adams Second Place
Tate Tisdall Third Equal
Connor Klein Third Equal
Clara Douglas Very Highly Commended
Emilie Rosset Very Highly Commended
Te Pumanawa o toku ate Rogers Highly Commended
Class 9 - Own Selection 13 and Under 16 Years
Jacob Siohane-Royle First Place
Edward Smith Second Place
Anahera Waiariki Third Place
Jocelyn Scott Very Highly Commended
Jean-Daniel Rosset Very Highly Commended
Hannah Flacks Very Highly Commended
Isabella Reid Very Highly Commended
Sinaea Hull Highly Commended
Jaenelle Whittaker Highly Commended
Class 10 - Folk / Traditional 13 and Under 16 Years
Sinaea Hull First Place
Jacob Siohane-Royle Second Place
Anahera Waiariki Third Place
Jocelyn Scott Very Highly Commended
Jade Okey Very Highly Commended
Anabel Jamieson Very Highly Commended
Jemma Chester Highly Commended
Edward Smith Highly Commended
Class 11 - Sacred/Oratorio 13 and Under 16 Years
Edward Smith First Place
Jemma Chester Second Place
Anabel Jamieson Third Place
Jean-Daniel Rosset Very Highly Commended
Sinaea Hull Highly Commended
Jacob Siohane-Royle Highly Commended
Isabella Reid Highly Commended
Class 12 - Light Entertainment 13 and Under 16 Years
Jacob Siohane-Royle First Place
Jocelyn Scott Second Place
Anahera Waiariki Third Place
Jemma Chester Very Highly Commended
Hannah Flacks Very Highly Commended
Anabel Jamieson Very Highly Commended
Jean-Daniel Rosset Highly Commended
Edward Smith Commended
Jade Okey Commended
Isabella Reid Commended
Sinaea Hull Commended
Jaenelle Whittaker Commended
Class 13 - Restricted Class Under 14 Years
Tate Tisdall First Place
Lauren Thompson Second Place
Class 14 - Duet Under 14 Years
Clareabell Taoho and Wini Te Kurapa First Place
Class 15 - NZ Composer Under 14 Years
Sinaea Hull First Place
Isabella Reid Second Place
Brianna Lemalie Third Place
Class 16 - Maori Song Under 14 Years
Isabella Reid First Place
Te Pumanawa o toku ate Rogers Second Place
Jasmine Hulton Third Place
Waikimihia Douglas-Karauna Very Highly Commended
Class 17 - Restricted Class 14 and Under 21
Te Ohorere Williams First Place
Maia Carrington Very Highly Commended
Class 18 - Duet 14 and Under 21
Sophia Yang and Arthur Close First Place
Claudia Cooke and Larissa Kent Second Place Equal
Hannah Flacks and Hazel Francis Second Place Equal
Class 19 - NZ Composer 14 and Under 21
Aidan Phillips First Place
Arthur Adams-Close Second Place
Claudia Cooke Third Equal
Hannah Flacks Third Equal
Class 20 - Maori Song 14 and Under 21
Anahera Waiariki First Place
Anna Kelland Second Place
Tyrell Tamaki Third Place
Class 21 - Own Selection 16 and Under 18 Years
Emily Dela Rue First Place
Victoria Hos Second Place
Holly Minchington Third Place
Tyrell Tamaki Very Highly Commended
Class 22 - Folk / Traditional 16 and Under 18 Years
Victoria Hos First Place
Emily Dela Rue Second Place
Tyrell Tamaki Third Place
Holly Minchington Very Highly Commended
Anna Hamilton Very Highly Commended
Class 23 - Sacred / Oratorio 16 and Under 18 Years
Tyrell Tamaki First Place
Victoria Hos Second Place
Holly Minchington Third Place
Anna Kelland Very Highly Commended
Class 24 - Light Entertainment 16 and Under 18 Years
Tyrell Tamaki First Place
Anna Hamilton Second Place
Holly Minchington Third Place
Victoria Hos Very Highly Commended
Emily Dela Rue Highly Commended
Class 25 - Own Selection 18 and Under 21 Years
Te Ohorere Williams First Place
Sophia Yang Second Place
Madison Horman Third Place
Arthur Adams-Close Very Highly Commended
Class 26 - Folk / Traditional 18 and Under 21 Years
Harry Grigg First Place
Arthur Adams-Close Second Place
Aidan Phillips Third Place
Mary Laing Very Highly Commended
Class 27 - Sacred/Oratorio 18 and Under 21 Years
Mary Laing First Place
Arthur Adams-Close Second Place
Class 28 - Light Entertainment 18 and Under 21 Years
Harry Grigg First Place
Aidan Phillips Second Place
Alex Matangi Third Place
Arthur Adams-Close Very Highly Commended
Madison Horman Very Highly Commended
Class 29 - Operatic Aria 16 and Under 21 Years
Harry Grigg First Place
Madison Horman Second Place
Te Ohorere Williams Third Place
Mary Laing Very Highly Commended
Class 30 - Oratorio/Sacred Song 16 and Under 21 Years
Mary Laing First Place
Katie Trigg Second Place
Te Ohorere Williams Third Place
Class 31 - Lieder/Art Song 16 and Under 21 Years
Harry Grigg First Place
Te Ohorere Williams Second Place
Arthur Adams-Close Third Place
Larissa Kent Very Highly Commended
Class 32 - Own Selection 16 and Under 21 Years
Harry Grigg First Place
Larissa Kent Second Place
Katie Trigg Third Place
Arthur Adams-Close Very Highly Commended
Mary Laing Highly Commended
Madison Horman Highly Commended
Alex Matangi Highly Commended
The Maureen Potter NZ Aria Award Under 10 Years
Koen McKenzie First Place Equal
Will Connolly-Tevendale First Place Equal
Chloe Slater Second Place
Maie Rapana Third Place
The Maureen Potter NZ Aria Award 10 and Under 13 Years
Clara Douglas First Place
Connor Klein Second Place
Emilie Rosset Third Place
NZ Aria Award 13 and Under 16
Jacob Siohane-Royle First Place
Anahera Waiariki Second Place
Jocelyn Scott Third Place
NZ Aria Award 16 and Under 18
Victoria Hos First Place
Emily Dela Rue Second Place Equal
Tyrell Tamaki Second Place Equal
NZ Aria Award 18 and Under 21 Years
Arthur Adams-Close First Place
Madison Horman Second Place
Aidan Phillips Third Place Equal
Sophia Yang Third Place Equal
Mike Steiner Interior Design Junior Award
Harry Grigg First Place
Te Ohorere Williams Second Place
Mary Laing Third Place
Kowhai Award
Sinaea Hull First Place
Isabella Reid Second Place
Aidan Phillips Third Place
NZ Aria Award - Most Promising Competitor Under 21 Years
Te Ohorere Williams Winner
Adult Section 18 Years and Over
Class 330 - Baroque Classical Aria
Sophie Sparrow First Place
Tehezib Lathiff Second Place
Olivia Sheat Third Place
Sophie Lamb Very Highly Commended
Class 331 - Maori Song
Mereana Teka First Place
Class 332 - Solo Own Selection (not an Operatic Aria)
Laura Loach First Place
Tehezib Lathiff Second Place
Malinda Di Leva Third Place
Chelsea Dolman Very Highly Commended
Alicia Cadwgan Very Highly Commended
Class 333 - Oratorio or Sacred Solo
Jarvis Dams First Place
Tehezib Lathiff Second Place
Tabatha McFadyen Third Place
Class 334 - Lieder Own Selection
Jarvis Dams First Place
Boyd Owen Second Place
Harry Grigg Third Place
Tabatha McFadyen Very Highly Commended
Laura Loach Very Highly Commended
Samson Setu Very Highly Commended
Class 335 - Folk or Traditional
Anna Mahon First Place
Harry Grigg Second Place
Jonathan Dunlop Third Place
Class 336 - 20th Century Art Song (in Original Language)
Harry Grigg First Place
Tehezib Lathiff Second Place Equal
Boyd Owen Second Place Equal
Jarvis Dams Third Place
Moonyoung Jang Highly Commended
Class 337 - Vocal Duet
Katie Trigg and June Potifara First Place
Class 345 - New Zealand Aria - 2017 Heats
Jarvis Dams Finalist
Harry Grigg Finalist
Boyd Owen Finalist
Tabatha McFadyen Finalist
Moonyoung Jang Finalist
Samson Setu Finalist
Tehezib Lathiff Finalist
Sophie Sparrow Finalist
Chelsea Dolman Finalist
Olivia Sheat Finalist
Class 346 - New Zealand Aria 2017
Jarvis Dams First Place
Moonyoung Jang Second Place
Boyd Owen Third Place
John Bond Award
Harry Grigg Winner
Ethel & William Harman Ambassador's Award
Chelsea Dolman Winner