Ansa McCal invests $470m in Anthony Sabga Awards

The call for nominations recently closed for the 2022 edition of the Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence initiative, which the organisers, the Trinidad-based Ansa McCal Group, say has seen investments over the life of the programme of TT$21.5 million or nearly J$470 million in prize money to award winners, who are thereafter given the title of laureates.

The laureates receive TT$500,000.00, or approximately J$11 million each, and if there are joint winners, they share the prize money.

The programme, which has been in existence since 2005, is the brainchild of the late Dr Anthony N. Sabga, a Trinidadian businessman and founder of the Ansa McCal Group, which has extensive business operations throughout the Caribbean in the fields of manufacturing, packaging, brewing, automotive, trading, distribution, insurance, other financial services, media, and retail. Berger Paints in Jamaica is a member of the Ansa McCal Group.

“Having business interests throughout the region, Dr Sabga realised that there was too little communication between islands and that there were many gifted people working in isolation. He felt that if there was more recognition and reward for talent, it would redound to the region’s benefit,” says Maria Superville-Neilson, programme director for the Anthony B. Sabga Caribbean Awards.

Driven by Dr Sabga’s personal motto that“everything needed to save the Caribbean is right here in the Caribbean”, the contributions to the region by the awards programme have included seeding and nurturing interaction among laureates in science, arts, and entrepreneurship within and among Caribbean countries.

Prize money from the initiative has allowed many persons to continue working on projects in science, entrepreneurship, and the arts, work that might not have been possible without the funding provided by the programme. These individuals include Shadel Nyack Compton in agro tourism in Grenada; Suresh Narine, involved in food processing in Guyana; Patrick Hosein, a computer science researcher in Trinidad; and Lennox Honychurch, who does environmental, historical, and conservation work in Dominica.

First Peoples awards have been presented to sculptor Winslow Craig and former Indigenous Peoples Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock of Guyana.

Many of the awardees in science are scientists associated with The University of the West Indies (UWI) who collaborate on various research projects, with the awards programme enhancing their collaboration. Superville-Neilson says that the programme organisers have been hosting lectures featuring awardees and making films and television programmes to disseminate the laureates’ achievements. The most recent lecture was by Suresh Narine at the Cave Hill campus of the UWI Barbados in 2019.

Laureates who comprise what is termed the College of Ansa Caribbean Laureates agree to be available to for public lectures and visits to schools. The prize is given for the sole purpose of furthering their work.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to do things differently in not having a single gala awards ceremony, but otherwise, the programme continues as before. The 2021 laureates will receive their awards in their home countries, and like 2020, we hope that the awards will be presented by the head of state in their countries,” Superville-Neilson said.

The 2021 award winners were Dr Floyd Morris, a member of the Senate and disabilities advocate of Jamaica, who was awarded in the category of public and civic service; Dr Guna Muppuri, medical doctor and businessman, also of Jamaica, who won in the area of entrepreneurship; Trinidadian veterinary surgeon and UWI lecturer Dr Ayanna Carla Phillips Savage for science and technology; scientist Professor Rupika Delgado, director of the Natural Products Institute of the UWI, Mona, also for science and technology; Trinidadian film-maker Maria Nunes; and classical pianist of St Vincent, Sean Sutherland, for the arts.