OFFICIAL STATEMENT

CLARIFICATION ON THE JUDGING AND RESULTS OF THE
MISS GRENADA CARNIVAL QUEEN PAGEANT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Spicemas Corporation has taken note of the public discussion, commentary and concerns surrounding the judging and final results of the Miss Grenada Carnival Queen Pageant, held on Friday, August 6, at the National Cricket Stadium under the theme “Tropical Enchantment.”

The Corporation recognizes the significant national interest generated by the Pageant and respects the right of patrons, supporters and members of the public to express their opinions regarding the performances of contestants and the outcome of the competition. Given the questions raised, Spicemas Corporation considers it necessary to provide a clear account of the judging process, the distinction between special awards and scored categories, and the official final scores used to determine the placements.

Following review of the official scoring process and final score sheet, Spicemas Corporation wishes to state unequivocally that no discrepancy has been identified in the final tabulation that would warrant any alteration to the declared results. The Corporation therefore stands by the official results.

THE COMPETITION AND JUDGED AREAS

Seven (7) contestants representing the various parishes participated in the competition.

Contestants were assessed in Swimwear, Talent, Costume, Evening Wear and Interview. In addition, a Pre-Interview was conducted prior to the final show, with those scores carried forward into the final scoring process. The final score sheet therefore records six scoring components: Swimwear (45), Costume (60), Talent (45), Evening Wear (45), Interview (50) and Pre-Interview (50).

The overall winner is determined by the cumulative scores recorded across these scored areas. It is not determined by public perception, popularity, social-media support, audience reaction, or the number of special awards received.

SPECIAL AWARDS AND THE OVERALL RESULT

Several special awards were presented: Miss Congeniality, determined by a vote among the contestants; People’s Choice, based on votes received through the designated social-media platforms; Miss Photogenic, determined by the official/main photographer; and Best Beauty with a Purpose Initiative, based on the contestant’s chosen platform and work undertaken to raise awareness of that issue.

Three (3) of these special awards were received by Miss St. Andrew. These awards are important recognitions in their own right, but they did not add points to the cumulative score used to determine the overall winner.

Accordingly, the receipt of several special awards does not automatically mean that a contestant must receive the highest overall score. Any assessment of the final result based solely on the number of special awards would not reflect the judging system used to determine the crown.

“BEST” AND “BEST IN” AWARDS

With the exception of Talent, some categories were separated into “Best” and “Best In” components for award purposes. Each component had applicable criteria, while the cumulative score for the respective category was used in calculating the contestant’s overall result.

An individual category award therefore cannot, by itself, establish the overall winner. The crown is determined by the cumulative final score.

JUDGING AND SCORING SAFEGUARDS

Judges preside over the relevant categories based on their skill sets, with a Head Judge presiding over the judging process.

The judging system used eliminates the highest and lowest judges’ scores and then calculates the mean score for the respective category. This safeguard is intended to reduce the influence of an unusually high or unusually low individual score.

Public preference and official judging are not the same. A difference between public expectation and the official result does not, by itself, establish an error, irregularity or bias in the judging process.

OFFICIAL FINAL SCORE SHEET

In the interest of transparency, the Corporation sets out below the results recorded on the Official Final Score Sheet.

Parish	Swimwear	Costume	Talent	Evening Wear	Interview	Pre-Interview	Total	Position
St. Andrew	35	51	31	36	38	39	230	3
Petite Martinique	31	45	41	35	36	25	213	6
St. David	34	48	37	34	44	38	235	1
St. George	29	47	38	34	46	40	234	2
St. John	29	44	34	35	32	41	215	5
St. Patrick	35	44	33	36	32	43	223	4
St. Mark	28	40	32	28	28	32	188	7

WHAT THE FINAL SCORES CONFIRM

Miss St. David recorded the highest cumulative score of 235 points and was therefore placed first. Miss St. George recorded 234 points and was placed second. Miss St. Andrew recorded 230 points and was placed third. The remaining placements were Miss St. Patrick with 223 points, Miss St. John with 215 points, Miss Petite Martinique with 213 points and Miss St. Mark with 188 points.

The difference between first and second place was one (1) point, while the difference between first and third place was five (5) points. A close result does not constitute evidence of an irregularity; where contestants perform at a similarly high level, the established scoring system must determine the outcome.

The arithmetic recorded for the leading contestants is consistent with the totals on the final score sheet: Miss St. David – 34 + 48 + 37 + 34 + 44 + 38 = 235; Miss St. George – 29 + 47 + 38 + 34 + 46 + 40 = 234; and Miss St. Andrew – 35 + 51 + 31 + 36 + 38 + 39 = 230.

The score sheet also demonstrates why category or special awards cannot be considered in isolation. Miss St. Andrew, for example, recorded 51 in Costume and strong scores in Swimwear and Evening Wear, while her Talent, Interview and Pre-Interview scores also formed part of her cumulative total. The final placement reflects performance across all scored areas.

THE CORPORATION’S POSITION

Spicemas Corporation takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard the integrity of competitions staged under the Spicemas banner. Legitimate concerns should be examined against the official records. Equally, where those records do not substantiate an allegation of error or wrongdoing, the Corporation has a responsibility to defend the integrity of the competition, its contestants, judges and officials.

For the avoidance of doubt: the special awards did not contribute additional points to the final cumulative scores; the number of special or individual awards received does not, on its own, determine the overall winner; the established judging system eliminates the highest and lowest judges’ scores before calculating the mean for the respective category; and the final placements were determined by the cumulative scoring process.

Having reviewed the official scoring records, no discrepancy has been identified in the final tabulation that would warrant a change to the declared outcome. Spicemas Corporation therefore stands by the official results of the Miss Grenada Carnival Queen Pageant.

The Corporation respectfully asks that public discussion be informed by the official scoring record and remain respectful of all seven contestants, the judges and officials. Each contestant deserves recognition for the preparation, talent, confidence, cultural pride and carnival spirit demonstrated on the national stage.

MISS GRENADA CARNIVAL QUEEN – MISS ST. DAVID – 235 POINTS
FIRST RUNNER-UP – MISS ST. GEORGE – 234 POINTS
SECOND RUNNER-UP – MISS ST. ANDREW – 230 POINTS

Spicemas Corporation congratulates all winners and contestants and thanks the judges, attaches, volunteers, production teams and all others who contributed to the staging of the Pageant.

The Corporation remains committed to fairness, consistency, accountability, transparency and respect for all participants.

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