A celebrated Antiguan creative powerhouse is set to take the global stage in Madrid next year, after earning a prestigious regional leadership honor from CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. Tyreke “VICIOUS” Lewis, a beloved soca and calypso recording artist and youth arts advocate based in Antigua and Barbuda, has been named a 2026 recipient of the third iteration of the Enrique García Leadership Award, a distinction that spotlights outstanding contributors to community progress, with this year’s edition specifically centered on elevating culture as a core catalyst for long-term sustainable development. Lewis will travel to the Spanish capital on November 5, 2026, for the official awards ceremony to accept the honor in person. The recognition comes in direct tribute to Lewis’s years of uncompensated, self-funded work nurturing the next generation of young musical talent across his twin-island nation. At his own expense, he runs the VICIOUS Music Artist Launchpad, a completely free skill-building workshop designed exclusively for aspiring performers under the age of 18, offering hands-on industry guidance that many young creators in the region would otherwise be unable to access. The program’s transformative impact was on full display during the 2026 Antigua Carnival season, when 11 of its participants secured spots in the highly competitive Junior Soca Monarch semifinals, and an impressive eight of those young artists progressed all the way to the final round of the contest. In a public statement, Lewis shared that his drive to launch the Launchpad grew directly from his own lived experience navigating the local soca circuit as a teen: “I cut my teeth competing in Junior Soca Monarch, and I had to figure out almost every part of the process on my own because I could not afford to pay for professional coaching or production support. I built this program to give young creators exactly the kind of guidance and backing I desperately wished I had when I was their age.” Beyond running his free workshop, Lewis has cemented his reputation as a leading mentor for young talent by penning three chart-topping Junior Soca Monarch winning tracks over the past several years: African Prince’s 2019 Jumpy segment winner “African Jam”, Jai’Lilah’s 2023 Groovy segment champion “Party Nice Again”, and Jai’Lilah’s 2024 Jumpy segment follow-up victory “Beast Mode”. His track record of mentorship success dating back to 2018 also includes guiding Jai’Lilah to a Junior Calypso Monarch title, plus nine additional top-tier competition placements for other young artists he has supported. In the formal official notification letter confirming his selection, CAF Secretary General Alejandra Claros Borda noted the institution’s immense pride in honoring Lewis, writing that the bank was delighted to “recognize your distinguished career, leadership, and the important work you continue to advance” for Caribbean creative communities. A decorated performer in his own right, Lewis claimed back-to-back Junior Calypso Monarch titles in 2017 and 2018, and most recently earned dual finalist spots in both the Groovy and Jumpy divisions of the 2026 Inet Party Monarch contest, taking home the second runner-up prize in the Groovy category. He added a major academic achievement to his list of accolades in 2024, when he graduated from SAE Institute Miami with a bachelor’s degree in audio engineering, a perfect 4.0 grade point average, and the salutatorian distinction for his graduating cohort. He has also worked tirelessly to raise the global profile of Antiguan music, with standout sets at high-profile cultural events including Antigua Day in New York and Miami Carnival, while his widely beloved single “Sweet Julie” serves as a heartfelt, joyful tribute to his home islands and the unique warmth of Antiguan community life.
VICIOUS Earns International Recognitionfor Youth Artist Development
