GREAT BAY--The SUNSHINE Awards has announced the individuals selected for recognition at its 38th Annual SUNSHINE Awards, which will be staged on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the Aleeze Convention and Event Center in St. Maarten, bringing the internationally recognized celebration of Caribbean culture and achievement to the island.
The 2026 celebration is being positioned as a historic return of the SUNSHINE Awards to the Caribbean. Founded in 1989, the organization has spent nearly four decades recognizing artists, cultural figures, entertainers, educators and others whose work has contributed to Caribbean culture and the wider global community.
Those announced for the 2026 celebration are Clara Reyes, Yubi Kirindongo, Bankie Banks, Bregje Boetekees, the late Ruby Bute, Christopher Henocq, Danielle Chance, Nakishma Rogers, Isidore Sosthene Hilarion York, better known as Mighty Dow, and Ihndhira Richardson-Marlin. Together, the group represents achievement across culture, the arts and community development, and reflects the regional and international reach of the SUNSHINE Awards.
The evening will be co-hosted by Errol Fabien and Nikki Crosby and will feature a broad entertainment program highlighting Caribbean music, dance and cultural expression. A special appearance by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Band Women’s Contingent is also scheduled as part of the evening’s program.
St. Maarten talent will also feature prominently throughout the celebration, with performances by T-MO, King Beau Beau and Mighty Dow, along with the INDISU Dance Theater. Caribbean jazz artist John Arnold is also scheduled to perform, adding to an entertainment lineup designed to showcase the diversity and strength of Caribbean artistic expression.
The 38th Annual SUNSHINE Awards will be held under the theme “Black Inventions,” highlighting the creativity, ingenuity, innovation and contributions of Black people throughout history and across the world. Organizers have described the event as more than an awards ceremony, with the St. Maarten staging intended to bring together different generations, artistic traditions and cultures in one major Caribbean celebration.
The event also places St. Maarten in an international cultural spotlight, as invited guests, artists, honorees and supporters are expected to gather on the island for the October celebration. The staging provides an opportunity to showcase St. Maarten not only as a tourism destination, but also as a location capable of hosting significant regional cultural and entertainment events.
The SUNSHINE Awards traces its beginnings to a concept developed by founder Gilman T. Figaro Sr., who sought to establish a platform recognizing innovators and contributors to Caribbean art forms. The first SUNSHINE Awards program was staged in 1989 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, with the organization subsequently expanding the scope of its recognition beyond the performing arts.
Tickets for the October 17 event are currently on sale online through SXMExperience.sx and are also available in person at the Aleeze Box Office. Organizers are encouraging early purchases as preparations continue for what is expected to be one of the major cultural events hosted in St. Maarten this year.
The 38th Annual SUNSHINE Awards will bring together recognition, entertainment and Caribbean culture in an evening celebrating those whose work has contributed to the region’s artistic, cultural and community legacy.
