Neuhof School Band from Neuhof English Medium School in Mizoram has emerged as the national champion of the Yamaha Teens Rock 2026 – Battle of the Bands, winning the grand finale held in Bengaluru on Sunday.
The band represented the Northeast Zone and beat five other finalists at the Prestige Centre for Performing Arts. The competition, organized by Yamaha Music India and powered by Trinity College London, attracted more than 680 registrations and over 270 video submissions from young bands across India. Six bands made the final, five qualifying as zonal winners and one through public voting.
The win carries a prize of Rs 4.5 lakh. CS Howlers from CS Academy in Tamil Nadu finished as first runner‑up, while The Apricity from Shri Hanuman Mandir Dharamshala School in West Bengal was second runner‑up. The finale also featured special performances by students from KM Music Conservatory, The Sunshine Orchestra and Yamaha artists, and the young musicians performed before Yamaha’s brand ambassador and composer A.R. Rahman.
Neuhof English Medium School, founded in 1984, emphasizes English‑language education and co‑curricular activities such as music. The band had earlier secured the Northeast Zone title, earning a place among the five zonal winners at the national finale. Yamaha said the competition is open to bands from academic schools and music academies, with performers aged 18 and below. The judging panel included Yamaha artists Ranjit Barot, Gulraj Singh and Rhythm Shaw, and Stuart Briner, Director of Music and Performing Arts at Trinity College London.
