Some 18 ca­lyp­so­ni­ans will bat­tle for the pres­tige of be­ing this year’s NACC Young King next month, as the Na­tion­al Ac­tion Cul­tur­al Com­mit­tee (NACC) has an­nounced the fi­nal­ists for the 2025 Young King Ca­lyp­so Monarch Com­pe­ti­tion.

The fi­nals will take place on Tues­day 18 Feb­ru­ary 2025, at the Grand Stand, Queen’s Park Sa­van­nah.

Guardian Me­dia’s Cas­ton Cu­pid, who placed sec­ond in the 2024 com­pe­ti­tion, has once again made it to the fi­nal cut.

The eigh­teen fi­nal­ists are list­ed be­low in al­pha­bet­i­cal or­der:

Aaron Sin­nette                                                Akeem Chance (Preedy)

An­dre Nel­son                                                  An­tho­ny La Fleur (Squeezy Rankin)

Cas­ton Cu­pid                                                  Dar­wren Greenidge (Pharaoh)

Der­rick Seales (Dr. Seales)                            De­von Mar­tin (Lyri­cal)

Dil­lon Thomas (Dil­ly Suede)                           Jalani Ko­jo (Lani K)

Jo­hann Dun­can (Slash­er)                               Kei­th Wa­son (Def Prince)

Kyle Cowie (KC)                                             Marq Pierre

Muham­mad Muwak­il                                      Niklas Go­sine (St. Nick)

Ron­dell Greaves                                             Sekon Alves

Re­serve con­tes­tants are:

Nicholas Ash­by (Nikko Ash)

Er­ic James