WHITEHOUSE, Westmoreland — Jamaica took the lion’s share of the prizes up for grabs at the hotly contested Sandals Festival of the Arts, staged here at Sandals South Coast over five intensely entertaining days, last week.

Alex Richards of Beaches Ocho Rios came out winner of the Male Vocalist segment; Owen Brown and Glenroy Walker of Sandals South Coast waltzed away from their rivals in the dance duo; Shanika Watson of Sandals Ochi was crowned Best Female Model; Jermaine Richards of Sandals Negril blew his way into the hearts of the audience and judges to snatch the instrumentalist prize and Nicholas Mairs, also of Sandals Negril, was adjudged winner of the DJ clash.

Two Sandals Grande St Lucian representatives, in the form of Johnnel Leo and Tasha Fanus, ended up in the winners’ circle, copping Female Vocalist and Spoken Words, respectively.

Other winners were: Shaquan Ward of Sandals Royal Barbados, who was adjudged Solo Dancer; and Beaches Turks and Caicos’ Romario Brown, who was ajudged the most impressive contestant in the Male Model category.

Hotel guests and other members of the audience were thrilled by the performances from the first night, which featured Silent Headphone Caribbean Beach Party, to the grand finals on Friday night.

The judges had a difficult time choosing the eventual winners from the competitive fields.

For instance, Leo, the St Lucian songbird, had to hold her notes and composure to overcome hometown star Sherion Muir. Leo belted out Never Enough, from the movie the Greatest Showman.

“I was nervous but it helps me,” said Leo, who is part of the entertainment team at Sandals Grande St Lucian.

“I was very confident coming here, untiI I got here and heard the other singers. But that’s the best that I have performed this song. I outdid myself,” she continued.

The male field was equally competitive, but Richards won over the hearts of the audience and, most importantly the judges, with his rendition of Tom Jones’, I Who h ave n othing.

The third time proved to be the charm for the multi-talented Richards who had entered the contest on two previous occasions.

“[The] first time I came I was playing the piano, then I went dancing, and now it’s singing,” he revealed.

He is part of the entertainment team at Beaches Ocho Rios.