Helon Francis won his second crown on March 2, 2025, at Dimanche Gras at Queen’s Park Savannah, defeating a field of twelve, including seven previous kings.
“To Whom It May Be,” a song by Francis, beat Kurt Allen by one point. “Your Turn,” Allen’s political commentary, came in second. Akhenaton “Yung Bredda” Lewis, a clear fan favorite, came in third with his anthem-like song “We Rise.” The audience was thrilled by his upbeat performance and afterward expressed sadness that he did not place higher.
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According to her pre-general election recommendations, Karene Asche finished fourth in A Leader.
Following his recent victory in the Chutney Soca Monarch, defending champion Machel Montano finished sixth with the song Bet Yah, which carried on his momentum from the calypso monarch victory the previous year and blurred the distinction between Soca and calypso.
In response to Jamaican dancehall rapper Beenie Man’s critique of the popular street food, Montano’s entire show was riveting, involving a dog sneering avariciously at doubles, dancing energetically, levitating dangerously far above the stage, and costumed like a jockey.
However, it appears that Montano’s lyrical material did not have enough of an impact. There was a loud applause from the crowd, but it was nothing compared to the thunderous roar that Yung Bredda received.
Roderick “Chuck” Gordon finished sixth, Duane Ta’zyah O’Connor came in seventh, Terri Lyons came in eighth, Samraj “Rikki Jai” Jaimungal came in ninth, Young King champion Anthony “Squeezy Rankin” La Fleur came in tenth, Rosalyn Reid Haynes came in eleventh, and Ann Marie “Twiggy” Parks-Kojo came in twelveth.
Shortly after the crown was placed on his head, Francis told reporters about his journey, including his calm, stoic delivery of a nonpartisan and nonjudgmental story about how he wrote a letter to Prime Minister-select Stuart Young, offering quiet words of advice like “keeping your ear to the ground.”
Francis praised Yung Bredda, who had already captured hearts with his song Greatest Bend Over, which earned him second place in the Ultimate Soca Championship.
Francis remarked, “This feels surreal,” in reference to his first triumph as a monarch seven years prior.
“I am always confident because I write my music, and I always frame it for the people.” Francis stated that he constantly seeks to provide the public with information on T&T that they might have overlooked. When asked if he anticipated having to overthrow Montano, he responded, “For you to win, you have to dethrone someone, so obviously I thought that was a possibility. Yes.”
“So, I understand the ground well,” he told reporters, adding that this was his sixth time attending the finals. Francis stated, “So, I understand the ground well. I have perfected my own style of writing and my own style of music. I went in with the same intentions I usually have, and this time, I was victorious.”
Given the Soca inclinations of Montano and Yung Bredda, Francis was asked if his victory was a victory for calypso. He grinned and said, “That is a good one. I like that one.”
He continued, “I think traditional calypso is in an evolution phase. I think what we knew as traditional calypso is evolving. And many versions can come out now.”
According to him, the public’s acceptance will determine the calypso’s destiny. Francis disputed a reporter’s assertion that his status as a senator had given him an advantage in the race.
“In the Senate, I sit as an Independent Senator, so I always take the approach of having a balanced perspective, most of the time, eh.
He further noted, “I would have my views about the islands, and I would try to put them in the best way possible, in song. The things I think the nation would not know at this period, at this point in our history. I think that is what gave me the edge.”
Francis said that before becoming a senator, he was well-known as a calypsonian. “I am doing the exact same thing all the other artistes are doing, living their lives, being creative, functioning in society the best way they can. I’m doing the exact same thing as everyone is doing. It is just that I was victorious tonight.”
He praised the contestants stating, “Everyone did a fantastic job. This was a very tight show, as you could obviously see. So I give kudos to all of them.”
When asked what he thought of Yung Bredda, Francis said that he had been concentrating on his own performance and had not watched the youngster’s.
“But from what I (previously) saw of Yung Bredda, he has a fantastic interpretation of calypso. He was fantastic at the semi-finals.” According to Francis, Yung Bredda would have had a fantastic performance if it had been similar to previous performances. “He is doing great and he is a fantastic and very versatile artiste.”
Francis was proclaimed Calypso Monarch and awarded $700,000 and a more than $300,000 SUV. In second place, Allen received a reward of $500,000. Yung Bredda took third place and received $350,000.
The top six finalists were Helon Francis (268 points), Kurt Allen (267 points), Akhenaton “Yung Bredda” Lewis (260 points), Karene Asche (259 points), Machel Montano (256 points), and Roderick “Chuck” Gordon (256 points), according to the results announced by the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organization (TUCO), which oversees the calypso monarch competition. Gordon and Montano had the same score, but it wasn’t declared a draw.
