The sound of music resonated through the streets of Cooma on Saturday with buskers coming from across the country for their shot at national honours at the Australian National Busking Championships (ANBC).
Gold Coast trio The Inadequates were crowned the nation’s best buskers after impressing judges in the grand final concert held in Cooma’s Centennial Park.
After winning the Stanthorpe Busking Championships earlier this year, the eclectic group boasted an array of unique, homemade instruments, wowing audiences with their folk-inspired sound.
Inspired by Paul Kelly, Mumford and Sons and Crowded House, the group pocketed $2000 for their efforts.
No strangers to busking success, Marcus and Jackson Church from The Inadequates won last year’s ANBC with their family band the Haystack Mountain Hermits.
Now in its ninth year, the championships are a national attraction, luring buskers of all ages and styles from across Australia (The Inadequates travelled more than 1000 km to compete).
Australian National Busking Championships founder Allan Spencer said spectators were treated to a wonderful range of performances.
“Buskers from all over Australia were competing for cash prizes. The busking was free for spectators who enjoyed the great weather and listened to the fantastic music,” Allan said.
“The national finals have been held in Cooma for almost a decade and each year thousands turn out to watch a wonderful collection of performances. It’s fantastic to see so many buskers plying their trade and showcasing their talents.”
Winners of the open, secondary and primary age categories in the Cooma championships progressed through to the national grand final on Saturday afternoon where they performed alongside joined winners from the seven regional championships.
Jindabyne sisters Keysha and Tulli Oayda continued their success at the ANBC with Keysha placing third in the secondary age category and Tulli awarded the best busker among primary school-aged performers.
Illawarra-based musician Jackson Xavier followed his second placing in the 2019 ANBC with another second place at this year’s event.
Narooma duo Stitch brought their retro tunes to the streets of Cooma with crowds flocking to see the pair. Armed with a bassoon and banjo, Bev Long and Zoey Pepper were awarded the third best buskers in Australia thanks to their vintage jazz and retro covers.
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