The 2026 National Spellbound Championship, one of Antigua and Barbuda’s most anticipated annual academic competitions for primary school learners, has wrapped up its latest edition, crowning St. Nicholas Primary School this year’s overall national champion. The closing awards ceremony was jointly organized by the country’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and Caribbean Union Bank, bringing together students, educators, and education officials from across the two-island nation to celebrate young academic talent.
In the team rankings, Greenbay Primary School followed closely behind the winner to take the second position, while Old Road Primary School secured the third-place spot on the leaderboard. Beyond the team competition, the event also highlighted outstanding individual spellers, with Tayzhoni Murrain outperforming all other contestants after a grueling series of elimination rounds to claim the individual national championship title. Shalaya Powell finished as the individual runner-up, and Denny Joseph, representing Freemansville Primary School, rounded out the top three individual competitors.
Now in its recurring annual cycle, the National Spellbound Championship was created to gather top spelling and vocabulary skills from primary school students across every corner of Antigua and Barbuda, pushing young learners to refine their command of language and build confidence in academic settings. Senior education officials offered high praise for all participants, noting that every competitor displayed exceptional spelling proficiency and a consistent commitment to academic excellence throughout every stage of the multi-round tournament. In a statement following the award ceremony, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology extended formal congratulations to every participating school and student, emphasizing the event’s ongoing role in nurturing next-generation academic achievement in the country.