Rotorua kapa haka group Raukura bought the audience to tears with their waiata-a-ringa (action song) and apakura (lament) dedicated to late Te Arawa leader Mauriora Kingi.
It was these songs along with the group's other performance items that won them first place at the National Secondary Schools Kapa Haka Competition.
Rotorua Girls' High School kapa haka teacher in charge Wai Morrison said through tears of happiness that the whole group was overwhelmed by the news and too speechless to talk.
Raukura, made up of 49 students from Rotorua Boys' and Rotorua Girls' High Schools, was the only Rotorua group to make it through to today's finals.
Mr Kingi's youngest son Tawharau Mohi opened yesterday's performance with a short speech about how his father's death was still fresh for him and that he was still torn up by his passing.