Mr Alton Bertie walked away with the Man of the Year Award at the 2026 Virgin Islands Icon Awards on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Photo: VI Icon Awards

(L-R) Erica Frederick and Erwin Telemaque aka ‘Redz’, Big Brother’s Gas Station & Convenience Store Awards for Sports Development, Coach of the Year Award. Photo: VI Icon Awards

Ova Drive received the Virgin Islands Icon Awards Live Entertainment Ensemble – Battle of the Bands Award. Photo: VI Icon Awards

Brent Hoyte received the Music Industry-The Studio Award at the 2026 VI Icon Awards. Photo: VI Icon Awards

Lesmore Smith was awarded for Humanitarian Efforts at the 2026 VI Icon Awards. Photo: VI Icon Awards

Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline’s Honestly Speaking was awarded the Recorded Entertainment – Show of the Year Award. Photo: VI Icon Awards

The highly anticipated award show was held at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex under the theme ‘The Celebration of a Nation: A Night of Legends’. Other winners included Good Moon Farm for Environmental Works- Agriculture, Quame Campbell for Visual Arts – Graphic Design, and Lesmore Smith for Humanitarian Efforts. 

The show hosted by Temulji O.R. Hughes and Sophia M. Rubaine aka ‘Sophie B’ also saw Brent D.R. Hoyte awarded the Music Industry-The Studio Award, Ova Drive for Live Entertainment Ensemble – Battle of the Bands, and Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline’s Honestly Speaking for Recorded Entertainment – Show of the Year. 

The Excellence in Service from the Family Islands Award went to Anne A. Lennard; The Eclipse VI Award for Aesthetics to Stacy-Ann Bobb; there was a tie for the Industrial Equipment: Heavy Equipment Operators with Devon Smith aka ‘Sweat’ and Brian Blyden aka ‘Chinaman’ sharing the award; the Corporate Social Intelligence - The Giveback Award went to Ogier; the Entrepreneurship: Youth In Business Award went to Shea O.S. Alexander (O'Neal Alexander Consulting Group). 

Erica Frederick and Erwin S. Telemaque aka ‘Redz’ also tied for the Big Brother’s Gas Station & Convenience Store Awards for Sports Development, Coach of the Year Award. 

VI Icon Awards 2026 Honourees

The Virgin Islands Icon Awards also honoured deserving Virgin Islanders during the show. Among some of the honourees were:

Long Bay Beach Resort Award for Nation Building: Pride and Patriotism- Ayana S. Hull (An author of the Virgin Islands Territorial Song), Mrs Brenda M. Lettsome-Tye (Creator of ‘Defining Ourselves: The Virgin Islands in Song and Dress’ The System through which National Symbols were defined and made official), Ms Kristin C. Frazer and Florence Phillips (Designers of the Virgin Islands Territorial Dress)

Walkers Award for Commerce: Honouring Family Legacies- The Royal Shop, Vanterpool’s Pharmacy, Crandall’s Pastry Plus, E.A. Creque, ROMASCO, and Skelton Group of Companies

The Cedar Equity Ventures Virgin Islands Icon Award for Legendary Work in Aesthetics: Hair and Beauty- Margarita Turnbull (Founder of Total Look Salon), Delia Carolina Wells (Founder of Carolina’s Beauty Salon), Pam George, Victor Robert Christopher (Founder of Happy Hearts Barbershop),  and Dwight Marshall aka ‘Cabbage’ (Founder of Cabbage Beauty Spa)

Premier Dental Award for Legendary Work in Writing and Publishing- Linnel Abbott (Founder of BVI Beacon), Elton Callwood (Creator of the BVI Penny Saver/BVI Standpoint, Life and Style Magazine and others), and Jason Fonseca aka ‘Mad’ (Creator and publisher of MAD News)

The Alvera Maduro-Caines Award for Religion/Spirituality/Inspiration- Bishop Naaman and First Lady Nola Chalwell, Dr Robert and Dr Jocelyn Hoyte, The Foggy Mountain Boys, and Reverend Dr Melvin A. Turnbull and Pastor Marion Turnbull

The Skelton Group of Companies Award from History/Culture/Traditions- Ken and Jeanette Boynes, Heather Butcher, Moviene F. Fahie, Roberto Harrigan aka ‘Tico’, Charlie Turnbull, and Bernadine A. Walters-Louis

The Republic Bank Award for Education- Eugene Donovan-Glasgow, Belsadys Donovan, Cicily Malone, MBE, Venetta Mathavious, Caryl O’Neal-Alexander, Daisy Simmonds, Gracia Stevens, MBE, and Erma Vanterpool

The CIBC Award for Musical Performance- Eustace C. Freeman aka ‘Boss’, Aubrey Forbes Sr., Kamau A. Georges, Glenford C. Maduro aka ‘Chappy’, and Dirk L. Walkers

The GUANA FUND Award for Tourism- Bellancita Creque, Elwin Anderson Flax aka ‘Andy’, Perla George, Lynette L. Harrigan, MBE, and Hazel Penn

The Penn Medical Center Award for Sports-Performance: The 2009 BVI National Basketball Team, Keita Cline, OLY, Dion Crabbe, OLY, Taheisha G. Harrigan-Scott, OLY, and Rey S. O’Neal

The VI Sweet Treats Award for Media: Presenter- Wilburn Fahie aka ‘Shabonda’, Leroy James, Dwight Pickering aka ‘The Groove Governor’, Ian Thomas aka ‘DJ Commodore’, and Sandra I. Ward

The Appleby Award for Health, Lifestyle and Fitness- Dr Kedrick D. Pickering, Dr Mitchell E. Penn, Dr Irad Potter, Dr D. Orlando Smith, OBE, and Dr Robin E. Tattersall

The Infinity BVI Award for Event and Interior Design- Terry Donovan, Ernest Scatcliffe aka ‘Popeye’, and Daphne Stoutt