The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) is currently searching for empowered young women between the ages of 18 and 25, who are intelligent, culturally-aware, poised and are seeking a platform to make their contributions to nation building, to become the next Miss Jamaica Festival Queen.

The competition which is free for entry will be staged virtually this year, and young women who qualify may submit their entries at the JCDC’s website www.jcdc.gov.jm.

Jamaica’s premier national pageant competition, the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition saw a hiatus last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but has returned to crown a new queen for the 2021 competition cycle.

“A signature programme of the JCDC, the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition focuses on leadership, appreciation of the role of women, culture, creative talent and community involvement, and has produced some outstanding queens who have continued to make a significant contribution to building ‘Brand Jamaica’ beyond their reign,” said Andrew Clunis, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the JCDC.

“That is why we are ecstatic to be able to bring the competition back for our 2021 cycle. We thank our current Festival Queen, Khamara Wright for going above and beyond the call of duty, and rising to the occasion gracefully when she was asked to be the first Queen in the competition’s history to serve a second term because of the global pandemic. But now it is time to choose a new queen, one who will reign over the upcoming Jamaica 59 Independence celebrations,” Clunis continued.

“Despite the far-reaching effects of this pandemic, this competition will continue to provide holistic development for all the young women who enter. In addition to all the amazing cash and prizes to be won, these aspiring cultural ambassadors will also receive training in speech and diction, poise, talent and business and social etiquette and will leave the competition ready to lead their peers in contributing to national development,” Clunis concluded.

Clunis also noted that a major component of the competition is the social outreach aspect where the contestants are encouraged to give back to their respective communities by organizing social projects, which are always well received.

Persons interested in entering the 2021 competition must first register for a JCDC ID number on the JCDC’s website, as the ID number will be required to complete their entry for submission. Potential participants should also note that their entry should include a passport sized photo of themselves, a brief introductory video of maximum two minutes duration and a video of their cultural performance item, which should be a maximum of three minutes in length. Additional Information regarding the entry process and competition guidelines may also be found on the JCDC’s website.

Since its inception in 1963, the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition has provided opportunities for outstanding young women to leave their mark on not only Jamaica’s culture but all spheres of our nation’s development. Some of the past queens include Dr. Marsha Barnett, Jennifer ‘Jenny-Jenny’ Small, Jacinth Hall-Tracey, Dahlia Harris, Krystal Tomlinson and Kaysia Johnson.

The deadline for entry for the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition is Monday, May 31, 2021.