The annual Antigua Carnival celebration’s highly anticipated 2026 KOSCAB Junior Party Monarch Competition has wrapped up, with two rising young soca stars stepping into the spotlight to claim the event’s most prestigious titles. Lyrical Boss secured the coveted Jumpy Monarch crown with his dynamic track “Making Bread”, outperforming a field of talented emerging competitors to take the top spot.
Following Lyrical Boss in the final Jumpy rankings, Soca J earned first runner-up recognition for his performance of “Paper Fight”, while Jamario claimed the second runner-up spot with his high-energy delivery of “Look How Me Mash Up De Place”. Beyond the core judged competition, Jamario picked up an additional honor as Best New Artist in the unjudged Jumpy awards segment, with Lyrical Boss adding a second accolade to his night by taking home the Best Performer award.
In the parallel Groovy Monarch category, it was Zsura who dominated the competition, walking away with the title for his standout performance of “Small Package”. Ava secured first runner-up placement in the Groovy division with her track “Play Ground”, and Ruez rounded out the top three as second runner-up with “Be Mine”. Zsura’s winning streak extended beyond the main title: the rising performer also swept the judged special awards for the Groovy category, taking home both Best New Artist and Best Performer honors in one night.
Additional unjudged special awards for the Groovy category recognized a range of standout young competitors. Marz was presented with the Leadership Award, while Dreya took home the Most Punctual Award. The Most Improved honor was split between Cutie and Princess Lay Lay, and Jamario added another award to his carnival haul by winning the People’s Choice Award, which reflects popularity among attending audience members.
As a key highlight of Antigua Carnival, this year’s junior competition did more than crown new champions: it served as a critical platform to showcase the next generation of Antiguan and Barbudan soca talent. Across both competitive categories, the young participants delivered high-energy, engaging performances that delighted crowds and reinforced the vibrant future of the region’s beloved soca music culture amid the annual carnival celebrations.