Finalists with CEO of BTC, Leon Williams. (BIS Photo/Vandyke Hepburn)

With the $20,000 prize money up for grabs, the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival Kickoff was filled with excitement and high energy performances in Freeport on Friday and Saturday night. At the end of it all, eight finalists were chosen to perform in Nassau during the final show-down set for May 5-7. They are as follows: Sammi Starr, Second Time Around; Wendell Avvy Mortimor, Party All Night; Ebony Gibson, Block da Road; Jive-Valene Rolle and ILsha McPhee, Rhythms and Carnival Time (two songs); Erica Lady E Symonette, I Live for the Road and Feel that Rhythm (two songs); Collin McDonald, Turn It Up; Fanshawn Taylor, Let's Dig Up da Road; and from Grand Bahama, Terrell Tynes-Wilson with Rake and Scrape.