Soca monarch winners from the Caribbean and the rest of the world are being invited to compete for a prize purse of TT$1 million (US$147,352). The event, the Ultimate Soca Champion, will be staged in Trinidad and Tobago in February, as one of the highlights for Carnival.
The announcement of plans to stage the event came on Friday January 17, 2025 during a press conference, which was “live” streamed.
This marks the return of an international soca monarch competition to Trinidad and Tobago following a three-year hiatus.
In December, Trinidad’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts confirmed the return of such a competition, after selecting a producer for the event, following requests for proposals earlier that year.
The initiative will be spearheaded by Star Global Productions (SGP), a joint venture between The Lollabee Group, Jerome “Rome” Precilla and Adrian Chandler.
On Friday, organisers disclosed that the Ultimate Soca Champion competition would be a made for TV, reality event. It will also feature a young soca star competition as well as the main event, open to competitors who have won in other islands and territories.
However, unlike past Soca Monarch events staged on Carnival Friday, the Ultimate Soca Champion event will be held on Thursday February 20 – twelve days before Trinidad’s Mardi Gras.
According to producer Jerome “Rome” Precilla, one of the main reasons for not having it on Carnival Friday is that it will be pre-produced.
“Therefore, the finale will be recorded on February 20, edited and broadcast during Carnival week,” he explained.
Contestants are currently being sourced from around the globe for the event.
In 2007, Biggie Irie from Barbados became the first non-Trinbagonian to win the Groovy Soca Monarch in Trinidad, while in 2019 Mr. Killa from Grenada became the first non-Trinbagonian to win the Power Soca Monarch title. Saint Lucia’s Ricky T and Teddyson John have previously competed at the finals of the International Soca Monarch, which was last won by Farmer Nappy in 2021.
The Ultimate Soca Competition will not feature separate Groovy and Power Soca categories.
Live auditions will begin on January 25 and prospective competitors need to register via the official website: ultimatesocachampion.com from Monday January 20, 2025.
