The goal of the Anthony N. Sabga Awards, Caribbean Excellence is to recognize significant Caribbean achievement and to encourage and support the pursuit of excellence by Caribbean persons for the benefit of the region.
Our History
From 2006-2010, the Awards were made biennially. From 2010, they became an annual event. The original Awards’ categories did not include Entrepreneurship, which was added in 2015.
Screening
The screening of candidates begins with our nomination form, available here. Nominees are screened by Country Nominating Committees (CNCs) in five territories: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and Trinidad & Tobago.
Once CNCs are satisfied that candidates have met the criteria, ONE candidate in each category is selected, and sent to the Regional Eminent Persons Panel for final selection. Laureates are selected and the Programme Director confirms their willingness to accept the awards.
the CNCs are mandated to select candidates with the following characteristics:
A track record of consistently superior work that has demonstrated excellence, leadership, and pioneering ability. The work must be a benchmark and positively referenced by others in their field.
The capacity for and likeliness of significant future achievement, being at the stage of life where this award could help them realize their promise and potential. They are between the ages of 35 and 55.
Their work has had, or is likely to have, a positive impact in the Caribbean region and has or would benefit Caribbean people.
They are likely to be a worthy exemplar and must be willing and available to serve as a Caribbean model of excellence, to inspire hope and emulation by the people of the region. Each CNC comprises members who are themselves models of excellence in various spheres of public life.
The Founder
Dr. Anthony N. Sabga spent seven decades in business, moving from his father’s to his own. By the 1940s, he was selling fridges from the back of a truck, offering his customers payment terms for an appliance that immediately became indispensable. From there, he was involved in many businesses, from automotive distribution to manufacturing, construction, media, banking, and insurance. The ANSA McAL Group is built from his vision and hard work.
It was after his retirement in the early 2000s that Dr. Sabga turned his attention to a problem many people spoke of, but few knew how to address: regional unity. He believed that many stories of achievement and excellence existed within the region, but because of the nature of regional politics and society they were not being told. His answer to this, after consulting with many friends and associates, was the Anthony N. Sabga Awards for Caribbean Excellence. The Awards was launched in 2005 and its first laureates named in 2006.
The Anthony N. Sabga Awards, Caribbean Excellence has since named a distinguished college of 50-plus laureates – exceptional Caribbean citizens whose work uplifts their communities and sets standards for us all.