SANDALS Royal Caribbean were the big winners at Thursday’s Sandals & Beaches Festival of Arts Montego Bay Region Talent and Model Competition final held at Sandals Inn.

The property walked away with four of the eight categories up for grabs in front of an audience comprising international and local guests as well as staffers.

Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Inn were also competing for top honours.

Javid Ford and Jovane Cunningham, entertainment managers at Sandals MoBay and Royal Caribbean, respectively, were pleased with the standard of the performances and are expecting the region to do well in the national finals at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort on June 15.

“We have amazing talents in Montego Bay. It’s just a matter of fine-tuning for the national and international finals,” Cunningham told the Jamaica Observer.

The occasion saw Lucky-Ann Dyer from Sandals Montego Bay’s front desk delivering one of the evening’s top performances with her rendition of Listen. For her effort, she was awarded Best Female Singer. Dyer’s vocal ability and control had the members of the audience cheering through her performance.

Akeem Smith from Sandals Inn, who won the Best Spoken Word category, was another of the outstanding performers.

Best Male Singer was Shon Wilson from Sandals Royal Caribbean, who delivered a powerful rendition of Adele’s Rumours Has It. Clayon Palmer, also from Sandals Royal Caribbean, was the Best Male Model. He had the females swooning at his every move.

Otanya Brown from Sandals Royal Caribbean was Palmer’s female counterpart. She too had the audience eating out of the palms of her hands.

Sandals Royal Caribbean swept the dance category as Tevin and Sharlton secured the Group Award.

Wilton Walters from Sandals MoBay won the DJ Clash title in fine style, while his counterpart Ramone Williams was cool as a cucumber in his set taking the instrumentalist section.

Formerly dubbed ENCORE, Sandals & Beaches Festival of Arts is a talent competition open to employees of the Butch Stewart-owned properties.