The Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival was named Music Festival of the Year, adding another regional accolade to one of the country’s signature tourism and cultural events.

The award was announced at the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Saint Lucia also made its presence felt in the Dennery Segment categories. Saint Lucian performer Umpa was named Dennery Artist of the Year, while Jamaican-American soca artiste Klassik Frescobar won Dennery Song of the Year for Dansa.

The recognition provides another boost for a genre that originated in Saint Lucia and has increasingly established a presence within the wider Caribbean music industry.

For Saint Lucia, the awards also bring together two important aspects of the country’s cultural economy.

The Jazz & Arts Festival has developed into a major event capable of attracting international audiences while creating a platform for Saint Lucian and Caribbean performers.

Dennery Segment, meanwhile, represents a distinctly Saint Lucian musical product that has expanded beyond the communities where the sound first developed.

The latest recognition comes as discussions continue locally about strengthening the structures supporting the creative industries, including artist representation, copyright protection, royalty collection and opportunities for musicians to earn sustainable incomes from their work.

The awards therefore provide another opportunity to position Saint Lucian music not only as cultural expression but as an exportable creative product.