Montano wins big International Soca prize; Dieffenthaler takes Groovy Soca title

Machel Montano won Friday night's $2 million top prize in the bmobile International Soca Monarch Finals and Groovy Soca Monarch Finals at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain.

It's the first time Montano has won the top International Soca prize. He last entered the competition in 1996.

His highly popular "Advantage", a tribute to the government's decision to return Carnioval to the Savannah, helped him win.

"Leh we thank the Government. They take we off the pavement. And it was well worth every cent. I say they're intelligent."

Neil Iwer George took the second prize of $600,000 and Bunji Garlin, who had accused the artist of "playing politics" to win the prize, place third. His wife and past Monarch winner, Fay Ann Lyons-Alvarez placed fourth in the competition.

In the Play Whe Groovy Soca Monarch competition Kes Dieffenthaler took the top prize with a performance of his popular "Wotless". His prize is half a million dollars. Benjai took the second prize and Destra was third.