WHITEHOUSE, Westmoreland — There was no shortage of star-studded performances inside the Le Caberet theatre at Sandals Whitehouse last Wednesday, as the resorts in the west — Sandals Whitehouse, Sandals Negril and Beaches Negril — presented their regional finalists in the Sandals and Beaches Resorts Festival of the Arts Talent and Model Search Competition.

As the night unfolded, a fully engaged audience shared in the passion, views and remarkable gifts of the region’s most talented and beautiful. Presentations were made in six categories: instrumentation, dance, spoken word, vocal, modelling, and the newest category, the ‘DJ’ competition.

Sandals Whitehouse took the awards in all three of the evening’s opening categories — best instrumentalist, David Facey from the resort’s housekeeping department; guest activities agent Peta-Gay Thompson won the solo dance category; and the award for best spoken word went to Entertainment Supervisor Angelita McDonald.

The vocal ability and range of Beaches Negril’s guest activities agent Leo Artwell was undeniable in his rendition of Sam Smith’s Lay me Down, securing for himself the best male vocalist award.

Best female vocalist, Sandals Negril’s Latoya Jackson, sent a shock wave of goosebumps through the audience with her powerful delivery of Bound to You made popular by Christina Aguilera in the motion picture Burlesque.

Winner of the best male model category, Christopher McKoy of Sandals Whitehouse was perfect from every angle, while Beaches Negril’s Stacy-Ann Sinclaire won the affection of the judges and was awarded best female model.

Beaches Negril also took home the best disc jockey award, as Jason McIntyre kept the audience in a musical uproar with his superb selection of hits ranging from pop to hip hop to dancehall.

Laurel Richardson, entertainment manager at Beaches Negril, expressed confidence in the region’s representatives and is anticipating an excellent showing at the national level.

“We have some outstanding talent coming out of Negril and Whitehouse and the entertainment managers intend on molding that talent and putting our best foot forward come September 22,” she said.

Finalists from the Negril and Whitehouse region will compete against winners from Montego Bay and Ocho Rios in the national finals today at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort.

Sandals and Beaches Resorts Festival of the Arts, formerly Entertainment Now Creates Opportunities Rewarding Excellence (ENCORE), was created in 2003 to aid in the discovery, development and celebration of talent within the Sandals and Beaches hotels.