The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Calypsonians Association has advanced major structural reforms for the upcoming 2026 Vincymas carnival, locking in internal agreement on a revamped judging framework for the national calypso monarch competition and pushing forward with a revised approach to compiling contest results, association president Earl “Cabba” Bennett announced during a formal press briefing. Bennett confirmed that the updated scoring criteria, crafted by a dedicated internal review committee, has already been forwarded to the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) for final institutional approval, kicking off the next phase of pre-carnival preparations.
As a cultural art form deeply rooted in Caribbean storytelling and social commentary, calypso competitions rely on transparent, consistent judging to uphold the integrity of the contest. Bennett explained that the updated criteria were developed to address longstanding concerns about ambiguity in the original judging guidelines, rather than introducing a radical overhaul of how performances are scored. “As an association, we made the collective decision to revisit and revise this year’s scoring criteria to bring far greater clarity to the process,” Bennett told reporters. “The framework does not deviate dramatically from the old standards, but it eliminates confusion by breaking the core judging categories into clear, defined sub-elements. This restructuring is specifically designed to make the process much more straightforward for adjudicators tasked with scoring performances.”
The cross-functional review team tasked with drafting the new criteria included a roster of seasoned calypso community figures: Janelle Allen, Marlon Nanton-James, Andrea Gaymes-Mohess, Cleve Scott, Willis Williams and Lennox Bowman. After months of internal consultations and revisions, the full association voted to approve the final draft, which is now pending CDC sign-off. “I’m proud to confirm that the entire association has reached consensus on the new scoring criteria, and we have formally submitted the proposal to the CDC for approval,” Bennett added.
Beyond changes to judging guidelines, the association has also approved a sweeping overhaul of the results tabulation process used across all three stages of the national calypso monarch competition: preliminaries, semi-finals, and finals. Under the long-standing existing protocol, a CDC liaison officer is responsible for collecting completed score sheets from judges and transporting the documents to an independent auditor, who then enters the scores into digital systems to generate final rankings. The new process shifts the initial tallying responsibility directly to competition judges, who will calculate preliminary totals on-site before passing the scores to the auditor. Auditors will then conduct a formal verification audit to confirm the accuracy of the preliminary totals before final results are announced.
Bennett framed this procedural shift as a positive step toward greater transparency and accountability for the competition, even as he acknowledged that some stakeholders may hold differing views on the change. “This year, the association and the individual calypso tents have agreed to the new model: judges will handle the initial tallying of scores, and the independent auditor will then complete their formal audit work to confirm or verify that the totals are correct. This is another change that, in my view, moves the process in the right direction. While some may have different perspectives on the reform, this is the formal decision of the Calypsonians Association.”
In addition to competition reforms, Bennett addressed the operational structure of the association’s member calypso tents, clarifying that while tents fall under the overarching governance of the SVG Calypsonians Association, each tent retains full operational autonomy. “Yes, they operate under the governance of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Calypsonians Association, but they have the autonomy to run their individual events according to their own vision, as long as all activities stay within the broader rules and regulations set by the association,” Bennett explained.
Bennett also noted that tent leaders have been proactive this year in advocating for enhanced promotional support from the CDC, pushing for earlier advertising and better access to marketing resources to boost attendance and public engagement. “Tent leaders got an early start this year, and they have been pushing the CDC for stronger promotion of calypso events,” he said. “They have been requesting dedicated marketing tools and have approached the CDC to ask for early ad placements. It’s important to note that both sides already recognize the clear distinction between generic advertising and strategic, targeted marketing, as we work to align on promotional goals.”
For the calypso association, these reforms and the push for expanded promotion are part of a broader, long-term strategy to safeguard the iconic cultural art form and strengthen its central role in St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ national identity. “We recognize that we need to connect more deeply with the public,” Bennett said. “Calypso has always been the voice of the people, and they are the audience we exist to please. Their support is what sustains this art form, so meeting their expectations is our top priority.”