St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN)—The St. Kitts-Nevis National Carnival Committee has introduced the five delegates for the 2026-2027 National Carnival Queen Pageant while announcing changes aimed at providing greater benefits for the winners.
During a ceremony held recently, the committee officially revealed the five delegates: Xyarra Zara Wilson, Mia Alexander, Karina Doerr, Ajane Bristol and Ashley Wilson.
Chair of the National Carnival Committee Shannon Hawley also announced that eventual winners will receive a significant prize package.
“This year’s Queen Pageant winner will receive EC20,000 in cash and, for the first time in almost 40 years. The winner of the Queen Pageant will also receive something that represents far more than a prize. She will also receive a plot of land because, as we celebrate our young women, we should also invest in their future. A crown may be worn for a year, but an investment in a young woman’s future can change the trajectory of her life. Ladies and gentlemen, I am immensely proud to announce that the St. Kitts-Nevis Anguilla National Bank is the official title sponsor of the National Queen Pageant.”
The announcement comes as the National Carnival Pageant celebrates its 55th anniversary, with the committee also seeking to create an environment where delegates feel welcome as the event returns to the Dome.
“This partnership represents exactly where we want carnival to go. It is about bringing together two institutions that are deeply connected to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis. It is about corporate partnership meeting cultural preservation. It is about investing not simply in an event but in our young women, our creative economy and our national identity and the timing could not be more meaningful because National Bank also celebrates 55 years as an institution that has grown alongside our nation and our people, and now, as the Queen Pageant begins this exciting new chapter, National Bank is stepping forward to help us build what comes next. To the board of directors, management and staff of National Bank, thank you so much for believing in the vision; thank you for investing in our culture and thank you for demonstrating what is possible when a corporate St. Kitts and Nevis partners meaningfully with carnival. This is the energy we want to carry throughout this entire season: partnership, progress, pride and possibility. Sugarmass is all of ours. It belongs to the Calypsonian preparing that final verse, the masquerader perfecting every movement, the designer sewing late into the night, the vendor preparing for the crowds, the young women who are here tonight preparing to walk onto that Queen Pageant stage and the thousands of people who will fill our streets and remind the world that nobody, absolutely nobody, celebrates our culture like how we do.”
Holly also used the occasion to recognise the volunteers whose continued work helps keep the national carnival celebrations moving forward.
“This year, the Queen Pageant, after 55 years of existence, is entering a new era with a new home and a renewed vision. For the second time in the pageant’s history, we are hosting the pageant in the Royal St. Kitts event dome under the theme diamonds and elegance; come dressed to sparkle. This move is intentional. We want to elevate the entire Queen Pageant experience from the moment our ambassadors begin their journey to the moment that one of the extraordinary young women is crowned, and when we say a new era, we mean it and this year the crown itself will carry a completely new name. That name represents more than a change in title. It represents our commitment to building a pageant that reflects excellence, sophistication, national pride and the extraordinary women who step forward every year to represent St. Kitts and Nevis. Carnival is teamwork. It is long nights, it is early mornings, endless phone calls, meetings, rehearsals and volunteers. Volunteers working behind the scenes long after everyone else has gone home. So tonight, before I continue, I want to recognise the volunteers of the incredible Miss St. Kitts and Nevis Queen Pageant Subcommittee. The committee is co-chaired this year by both Lesroy Bryan Blue and Tamisha Fifield and their subcommittee members who are Vanessa Pascal, Katia Laws, Michelle Stanley, Liberty Woodley, Cedric Clarke, Terani Phillip, Tiwana Collins, Kelsha Breezy, Shafia Gishad and Joyce Lynn Stapleton. To every one of you, thank you. Thank you for your creativity, your sacrifice, your patience and your commitment. Much of what the public eventually sees for a few hours on the night of the pageant requires months of work behind the scenes. We see that work, we appreciate it, and our carnival is stronger because of you. So tonight I told you that we are raising the standard, and I meant it.”
The 2026-2027 National Carnival Queen Pageant is scheduled for December 22, 2026.
