Bermudian singer Fire Wayne was declared the winner of a hotly contested Carnival soca competition on Front Street last night.

The artist was among eight performers who entertained a sizeable crowd at Harbour Nights as organisers of Carnival in Bermuda kicked off the annual festival with the singer-songwriter competition.

Backed by supporters waving the Bermudian flag, Fire Wayne captured the crowd’s attention with his song, Influence of Carnival, a rhythmic, up-tempo hit.

Aalai, who won the event last year, picked up the second-place spot for her song, Feelin' ah Feelin’, while Mr Good Energy came in third with Soca Simon Says.

The People’s Choice Award went to international artist Fiyah Marshall while Fire Wayne picked up the prize for Best Production.

Joanne Ball-Burgess, one of the four judges of the competition, told the contestants that they were still winners despite the results.

Ms Ball-Burgess said: “You are still a winner and the reason is ... it takes something special to take a creation in your heart and in your mind.

“And then bring it forward, record it and then have the courage to perform it in front of all of these people.

“That takes something special. Please do not stop what you are doing.”

Katherine-Lee Burchell, a co-ordinator of Carnival in Bermuda, said there was a “great growth” in the competition since only three finalists took part in the event last year.

“It displays a strong interest in the soca music genre.”

She said a panel of judges decided on the eight finalists to take part in the event with attention paid to sound and originality, among other criteria.

“What is special about the performances is the variety of artists,” she added.

She said the event provided the performers with an opportunity to display their creative skills.