Crop Over Stalwarts to be Honoured at Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes

When the Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes takes place in Queen’s Park on Saturday, July 4, 2026, from 2 p.m., the National Cultural Foundation will honour a remarkable group of individuals and organisations whose work has helped shape, sustain and elevate the Crop Over Festival.

The 2026 Crop Over Stalwarts represent the many hands, voices, rhythms, lights, costumes, stories, meals and quiet acts of service that have kept the Festival alive across generations. Their contributions span music, mas, media, folklore, production, health and safety, sponsorship, performance and community tradition, reminding Barbadians that Crop Over is built not only by those in the spotlight, but also by those who work faithfully behind it.

Among this year’s honourees is The Nation Publishing Company, which has walked with Crop Over since its rebirth in 1974. Through decades of reporting, special publications and its annual Crop Over magazine, The Nation has helped document the Festival’s journey from a beloved national tradition to a major cultural and creative force.

Adisa “AJA” Andwele’s Crop Over story began in the very first year of the revived Festival, when he joined the youthful street energy of the 1974 procession. He later contributed as a musician, riddim poet, public relations officer and event coordinator, producing major events including Bridgetown Market, Grand Kadooment, Junior Monarch, Soca Royale and Pic-O-De-Crop.

Adisa “AJA” Andwele

For Anthony Layne, the road became both a calling and a classroom. From early Kadooment experiences to leading bands of up to 1,500 revellers, and later serving as President of the Barbados Association of Masqueraders, Layne has helped strengthen and unify the masquerade community.

Anthony Layne

Richard “Salief” Smith has kept the rhythm of Barbadian culture alive through drumming, teaching and performance. From the Garrison Secondary School Steel Orchestra to the Mass Tuk Band, the Israel Lovell Foundation, Party Monarch, Soca Royale and CARIFESTA 2025, his work has preserved and passed on the heartbeat of tradition.

Richard “Salief” Smith

Pedro Arthur’s journey moved from childhood wonder at Kadooment to stilt-walking, performance and soca. Introduced to stilts by Jeffrey “Ife” Wilkinson, Arthur later performed at major Festival events and reached the Soca Royale finals in 2013 with “Soca Army.”

Pedro Arthur

Captain Charles Sandiford has spent decades keeping the Barbados Landship and tuk traditions on course. From learning under Captain Ivan Cumberbatch to founding BLS Queen Elizabeth in Speightstown and pioneering the “bashment landship” style, his contribution reflects both preservation and innovation.

Captain Charles Sandiford

Martin Went, one of the remaining male practitioners of the beloved Mudda Sally character, has brought laughter and joy to audiences for more than 40 years, while keeping treasured Barbadian folk characters alive.

Martin Went

The Stalwarts also include Erskine Springer, whose environmental health leadership has quietly helped keep Crop Over safe since 2019; Ricky Nurse, whose sponsorship and artiste-support initiatives have helped create memorable Festival experiences; and Cou-Cou Village, which has fed generations of patrons with authentic Bajan food since 1978.

In costume and design, Wayne Smith and Glenn Brathwaite have stitched imagination into the fabric of Crop Over, mentoring young creatives while producing work rooted in discipline, beauty and heritage. In production, Jefferson Inniss has spent more than 40 years ensuring Barbadian talent is seen at its best through stage lighting, while Dawn-Lisa Callender-Smith has moved from performer to creative director, shaping presentations, events and cultural imagery across the Festival.

Anthony “Admiral” Nelson will also be honoured for his lifelong advocacy for calypso, using radio and television to give Barbadian kaiso national and regional prominence. Mark Husbands, meanwhile, has helped define the sound of Junior Monarch and Pic-O-De-Crop, mentoring young calypsonians and arranging music for generations of performers.

Anthony “Admiral” Nelson

The occasion will also include a special award to recently retired Station Sergeant Peter Bovell, in recognition of his outstanding service and longstanding contribution to the successful staging of Crop Over. Over the years, Sgt. Bovell has been an instrumental figure in the coordination and management of key festival events, working closely with organisers, stakeholders and law enforcement teams to help ensure that the season’s major activities were delivered safely, smoothly and with the level of professionalism expected of Barbados’ premier national festival.

Retired Station Sergeant Peter Bovell

Together, the 2026 Crop Over Stalwarts tell a larger story of service, creativity and cultural pride. Their recognition at the Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes is a fitting reminder that Crop Over is more than a season of celebration. It is a living inheritance, carried forward by people who have given their talent, time and hearts to Barbados. (PR)