Blaka Dan has been crowned the first-ever Ultimate Soca Champion, securing victory with a total score of 387 points and claiming the grand prize of $1 million. The competition, which had a total budget of $8 million, was supported by $4 million in funding from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and the Arts.

Second place went to Yung Bredda, who walked away with $300,00, while Preedy secured third place and a prize of $150,000. Contestants who placed fourth through eleventh reach received $50,000.

In addition to his second-place finish, Yung Bredda was also named Bmobile People’s Champion, an award determined by a public text vote conducted through the Bmobile network. For this achievement, he received a $10,000 cash prize, a mobile phone, and one year of free mobile service.

The highly anticipated finale took place on February 20 at the Queens Park Savannah, thousands of people attended. However, unlike its predecessor, Soca Monarch, the Ultimate Soca Champion andopted a reality show style format.

Producer Jerome “Rome” Precilla revealed that he consulted with media mogul Simon Cowell when developing the competition’s structure, which featured multiple pre-recorded episodes leading up to the grand finale. The final show was recorded in advance, edited, and later broadcast on CNC3.

The event was backed by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and the Arts, led by Minister Randall Mitchell, along with the National Carnival Commission (NCC) and its CEO, Keiba Jacob Mottley. Various sponsors also contributed to the success of the competition, reinforcing the genre’s cultural importance.

All winners and finalists will be contacted with details regarding the official prize-giving ceremony.