‘I was expecting to win’

On Sunday night, a new Jamaica Gospel Star was crowned inside the Indoor Sports Centre at the transformed Independence Village in St Andrew. She is Chantal Smalling Stephenson, the gospel singer who placed second in the 2022 season of the competition and confidently returned this year to take top honours.

In a competition that eliminates one contestant each week, Smalling Stephenson secured her place in the final four who showcased their enormous talent on Sunday night’s Grand Finale of Jamaica Gospel Star 2026. The Phenomenal Four, as host Nadine Blair dubbed them, included Serena Bolton, Dania Craig, Kirkland Moses, and Smalling Stephenson.

The evening’s highly entertaining showcase, which was curated by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), opened with the finalists giving powerful solo performances, followed by a segment in which they were joined by their favourite gospel singer for a duet. The finalists chose gospel singers Julene Minto, Orville Sutherland, Petra Kaye, and Jai Kingston for this role, and it was pure fire – of the spiritual type – inside the venue when these dynamos touched the stage.

The judges did not have an enviable task, and when the fire eventually cooled, the top three were announced. Dania Craig placed third, and Kirkland Moses sang his way into second place. As the confetti rained down, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, made her way on stage to hand the prize to an emotional Smalling Stephenson.

The winner of the JCDC Jamaica Gospel Star Competition receives a $1 million cash prize, a trophy, and a professional single and music video recording package.

In an interview with The Gleaner, Minister Grange commended the JCDC for its yeoman work year-round.

“I just want to highlight the fact that what we see culminating at this time is the exceptional work of the JCDC throughout the year – unearthing talent, grooming talent, and showcasing talent. Just after we finish the celebrations each year, we go straight into planning. Tonight, all the finalists were exceptional, and it was the same thing with the Festival Song Competition,” Minister Grange said.

NOT SURPRISED

In a post-performance interview, the new Jamaica Gospel Star, Chantal Smalling Stephenson, didn’t beat around the bush when asked if she was surprised that she won the competition.

“I was expecting to win,” she told The Gleaner honestly. “When they called my name, I was just giving God thanks. When the Lord tells you to do something, He honours your obedience. I came back not just for the title but for the assignment. This year, I was in the streets … I was pushing because I was doing this for the love of music and for God.”

For her, the best part was being able to come week after week and encourage her fellow contestants. A testament to her work was the fact that her peers chose her for the Spirit of Praise award.

She shared that being a finalist is both an honour and a testimony of God’s faithfulness in her life. “I believe Gospel Star is a wonderful breeding ground for people to develop their talent and learn the values and qualities needed in the gospel industry,” she said.

She hopes to use the platform to inspire others, especially young people, to not give up, to trust God and to pursue their purpose. The Jamaica Gospel Star Competition is organised annually by the JCDC. It remains one of the commission’s premier programmes dedicated to the development and promotion of gospel music and ministry in Jamaica. A fiery gospel concert headlined by Prodigal Son and Petra Kaye brought the curtains down on the event in fine style.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com