Musical Island Boys is the barbershop quartet that won the International Quartet Championship for 2014 at the Barbershop Harmony Society's annual international convention, in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1] From Wellington, New Zealand, the quartet began in 2002 at Tawa College,[2] and competed in its first international barbershop contest in 2004.[3] They won the international collegiate contest in 2006 at Indianapolis,[4] and won second-place silver medals in 2011,[5] 2012,[6] and 2013 international contests.[7] Other awards include the New Zealand and Pan-Pacific Open Gold Medals at the 4th Pan Pacific Barbershop Convention in 2004,[3] and second place in the International Open Barbershop Championships in 2011.[8]
Bass singer Matt Gifford is self-described as "half Cook Island and half New Zealand Māori", lead singer Marcellus (Lusa) Washburn is from Samoa, and Jeff and Will Hunkin (tenor and baritone, respectively) are both half-Samoan and half-Niuean.[8][9]