Sabrina Francis Becomes First Woman to Win Grenada’s Groovy Soca Monarch Crown

Sabrina Francis has become the first woman to win Grenada’s Groovy Soca Monarch title, taking the 2026 crown with “Honour You” during the island’s Spicemas celebrations.

Francis secured the title at the Groovy Soca Monarch finals on August 7, defeating 11 other finalists at the competition. Boyzie finished second, Muddy placed third, while defending champion Mr Gold’n finished fifth.

The victory came during Francis’s first appearance in the competition.

Her entry into the soca contest represented a new direction for an artist whose career has been associated with a broader Afro-Caribbean pop sound. Francis has previously performed internationally and developed concert projects including Wide Open and Meet Me at the Mango Tree.

“Honour You” was produced by Stemz Productions and mixed and mastered by Johann “Madman” Seaton, according to NOW Grenada’s report on the competition.

Francis’s victory was decided in a field that included several established Grenadian soca performers. The official results placed Boyzie second, Muddy third, Riggy Atmosphere fourth and Mr Gold’n fifth.

Speaking after the competition, Francis said the experience had changed her understanding of performing on a monarch stage.

She pointed to the difference between performing in a conventional concert setting and competing before a large carnival audience, saying the experience had taught her new ways of communicating with and commanding a crowd.

The result also adds a new distinction to Francis’s career outside Grenada.

Before entering the Groovy Soca Monarch competition, she had performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall while supporting Nigerian-French singer-songwriter Asa. Her previous work has also included an appearance with vocal group Pentatonix, alongside regional performances and her own concert productions.

Francis is the daughter of veteran Grenadian calypsonian Lady Empress, connecting her to a longstanding musical tradition on the island.

Her decision to enter the Groovy Soca Monarch competition brought that background into Grenada’s contemporary carnival competition, where she ultimately secured the title with her first competitive entry.

The result is particularly notable within the history of the Groovy Soca Monarch competition. Francis’s victory makes her the first woman to capture the crown, according to NOW Grenada’s report on the 2026 finals.

The 2026 competition also produced a first-time winner in the Power Soca category. Rio “Snakey” St Paul won that title with “Raging Seas”, while Muddy finished second and Lil Kerry third.

For Francis, however, the immediate significance is the Groovy Soca title and what it represents within Grenada’s carnival music landscape.

She entered the competition as an artist with an established body of work outside the monarch circuit and emerged with a title that had never previously been won by a woman.

“Honour You” has now become the song associated with that milestone, while Francis’s performance has added her name to the list of artists who have won one of Grenada’s major soca competition crowns.

Her victory closes the 2026 Groovy Soca Monarch competition with a new name at the top of the results — and a first for women in the competition’s history.