While the National Cultural Foundation may well divest itself of certain aspects of the Crop Over Festival, it will not hand it over ?lock, stock and barrel? to the private sector.

That assurance was given over the weekend by Culture Minister, Steve Blackett, when he addressed festival stakeholders, awardees, sponsors and specially invited guests at the Crop Over Awards Ceremony at the Grand Salle of the Tom Adams Financial Centre.

The Minister was at the time responding to earlier comments made by the head of the Barbados Association of Masqueraders (BAM), Roger Millar, who had raised a ?red flag? about government?s proposal to pass on certain events of the island?s national festival to private enterprise.

?Rest assured, Mr. Millar, it is not our intention to hand Crop Over lock, stock and barrel to the private sector. We are very mindful of the festival?s contribution to the economy. Even though we acknowledge that it has the potential to make an even greater contribution, Crop Over is not just a commercial undertaking. No people-based festival should even be construed as such,? Mr. Blackett declared.

The Minister also pledged to keep the cost of tickets for Crop Over events at a minimum cost.

“It is always government?s intention to ensure that the cost of admission is not so high as to preclude the majority of Barbadians from enjoying them. So, when you hear that a particular event might not have realised the kind of profit, please remember, that we try as far as possible to keep the cost of tickets as low as we can,” he assured.

Inter-Parish float parade

Winner: St. Lucy ?Miss Lucy?

1^st Runner up St. Thomas ?Natural Beauty, Earthly Bounty?

2^nd Runner up St. John ?We come for Crop Over?

Scotia Bank Jr. Calypso Monarch – w/trips from Air J’ca

Winner: 8-12 yrs category – Myles Gittens (Myles-Z)

Winner: 13-18 yrs category – Chad Bowen (Sir Ruel)

Cable & Wireless/First Caribbean International Bank Pic-O-De Crop

BMA Brands of Barbados Award – Adrian Clarke, Song title: ?I am a Bajan?

Best Nation Building – Anderson Ward (Mr. Impact) Song title: ?Where is my country??

Best HIV/Aids Awareness song – Lianne Hinds, Song title: ?Keep your pants on?

Best song writer of the festival – Mr. Don Marshall

******

Kraft/Farmer?s Choice; Jr. Kadooment.

Best Community Band; Bush Hall Masqueraders ? Children of the Sun

Best Historical; Eden Lodge Primary – All in a name

Best Fantasy; Clowning Around in Bim

Most Topical; Oistins, Oh What a town

Best Folklore; L.T Gay Primary – Music is we ting

Best Environmental; Belmont Primary – Splendour of the reef

Best Individual (3-6 yrs); T. Cadogan – Sea Foam

Best Individual (7-10 yrs); J Ifill – Sunken treasure

Best Individual (11-15 yrs); K. Gibbs – Aquatic Splendour

Best Couple (3-6 yrs); Fish & Chips

Best Couple (7-10 yrs); Fish boning and scaling

Best Couple (11-15yrs); Shell and Coral)

Best Couple overall; Shell and coral

BMA Brands of Barbados; L.T Gay Primary School – Music is we ting

HIV/AIDS Award; L.T Gay Primary School – Music is we ting

Season of Emancipation; Children of the sun

Jr. King of the band; D. Denny (Sting Ray) – Sea World

Jr. Queen of the band; S. Kidd (Chelsea Gardens) – Sea World

Most Colourful Band; L. T Gay Primary School

Best School Band; L.T Gay Primary School

Best Band; Under the Umbrella

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Rotherley Construction Grand Kadooment Awards

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Best Individual Male; Ewan Pilgrim ?Irie Rastafari? – Gwyneth Squires band

Best Individual Female; Dawn-Lisa Smith ?Soca? – Refugees band

Best Traditional; ?Harold?s Hobnoberry – Renegades band

Best Historical; ?Unsung Heroes? – Radikal band

Best Fantasy; ?Hollywood Action Heroes come to Crop Over? ? Berger Boyz

Most Topical; ?Sand Dollars? – Jump Promotions

Most Colourful Large Band; ?Y Barbados? – Power X Four

Most Colourful small band; ?Jewels of Barbados? – Outraje

Best Community Tee shirt band; We going .. Big – Youth Explosion

Best Advertising; ?This is my land? – Gwyneth Squires band

Best Community costume band Gimme a dollar wine – Bajana

HIV/Aids Award; ?Ah feeling so? – Betty West

BMA Brands of B?dos award; Y Barbados – Power X Four

(Large band category)

BMA Brands of B?dos award; ?Harold?s Hobnobbery? – Renegades

(Small band category)

BTA 50^th Anniversary Award; ?Gimme A Dollar Wine? – Bajana

Flag Person of the year; David “DiDi” Winston

Queen of the bands; Katrina Grimell ‘Madame Butterfly’ Refugees

King of the bands; Trevor Chase, ?De Crown Jewel? Outraje

Best Band on the road; Outraje ?Jewels of Barbados?

Small Band of the year; Outraje ?Jewels of Barbados?

Large band of the year; Betty West ?Ah Feeling So?

Best Festival Designer; (The Robert Weekes Award) Gwyneth Squires