The Wollongong harpist was judged overall champion at Narooma’s Busking Festival on Saturday, winning here the $1000 judges prize and an opportunity to compete at upcoming busking championships in Cooma.

Festival goers agreed with the judges and awarded Ms Russell the People’s Choice prize.

The four judges for this year’s event were national busking judge Alan Spencer, long-time busker Shelby Holland, shire councillor  Lindsay Brown and Slightly Twisted Production’s Fiona Brown. They caught all of the acts on the day and awarded many prizes.

Festival co-ordinator Sandra Doyle said she was “absolutely thrilled” with the response to the festival and thanked the buskers, spectators and particularly the sponsors and volunteers who made the event possible.

“I want to thank our major sponsors Narooma Golf Club, Club Narooma and Narooma Easts Holiday Park, as well as the many businesses and organisations that sponsored prizes and the 35 busker hot spots … volunteers from our own Rotary Club and from Lions, Quota, Probus, View, CWA and many others.”

The festival,  hosted by Narooma Rotary Club in parnership with the River of Art, was the last major event of the 2018 River of Art festival and a part of the Australian National Busking Championships (ANBC). 

ANBC instigator Alan Spencer said Ms Doyle and the Narooma Rotary team were “showing the way” when running a regional championship, such as sponsored busking hot spots at the car display on NATA oval, sponsored by businesses away from the town centre.

​The display featured about 30 classic cars from the Quattro Giornate Auto Classiche, the Classic and Vintage Motor Club of Eurobodalla and the Southern Motor Association, as well as new cars from the AMH Motor Group in Moruya.

‘Narooma has introduced a lot of innovation as well as showing how to involve the media, the community and small businesses in the event,’ Mr Spencer said.

Judges Awards:

Open Champion: First prize Yasmine Russell of Wollongong - $1,000 donated by Club Narooma

Open Second: Jackson State (Steve Jackson and Damon Davies of Springvale)

Open Third: Oscar Litchfield of Cooma

Special Judges Award: Josh Maynard of Cowra

Secondary Champion: Todd Hayward of Newcastle

Secondary Second: Felicity Dowd of Bega

Secondary Third: Potent Soap of Batemans Bay

Primary Champion: Abby May from Tilba

Primary Second Place: Fin Efraemson of Narooma

Primary Third Place: Bray Constable from Narooma?

Best Band (three or more performers): Kumera Patch of Congo

Best local Award: Djembe Forte of Narooma

Rising stars award: Potent Soap of Batemans Bay

Schools Awards:

Small School Winner: Tilba Primary

Large School First: Narooma Rhythm Hunters

Large School Second: Narooma Primary School

People’s Choice Open Awards (to buskers who received the most Busker Votes):

First prize Yasmine Russell of Wollongong - $1,000 (Narooma Golf Club)

Second Prize Open: Queanbeyan Pipes & Drums Equal Third prize: Waikovuna of South Coast and Two Dogz Plucking of Narooma

The People’s Choice School Awards

First: Narooma Rhythm Hunters

Second: Narooma Primary School

People’s Choice Under 18s:

First: Kumera Patch of Congo

Second: Potent Soap of Batemans Bay

Third: Felicity Dowd of Bega