The 2026 Caribbean Baking Awards will feature a significant presence from Antigua and Barbuda after nominations closed on February 1, with nine local bakers set to compete across various categories in the regional showcase.

Leading the field is Carlonar Gerald from Beaucar’s Bakery and Pastisserie, competing in four separate categories including Innovative Baker of the Year, Best Vegan or Plant-Based Baker, Pastry Chef of the Year, and Cake Hero.

Among the nominees are familiar faces from previous competitions. Lana Williams from The Purple Rose Batter, last year’s Cake Hero winner, will vie for the Innovative Baker of the Year title. Timoy Titus from Teez Delights returns for the third year running in the Best Cake Designer category, having previously placed third in Best Cake in Show at the 2024 inaugural awards held in Tortola.

Multiple categories feature Antiguan representation. The Best Cake Designer category includes nominations for Timoy Titus, Rolanda Hyde from Confection Connection 268, and Sammona Hillhouse from Mixing Bowl Delights. Hyde also received recognition in the Best All Buttercream Designer category.

Other local bakers competing include Rochelle Rovedas from Little Rock Confections in the Best Bakery Shop of the Year category, Cheni Greene from Sweet Things with Cheni for Best Learning Experience, Danielle George-John from Sweet Dreams Anu for Best Sculpted Cake, and Gabrielle Thomas from The Vanilla Orchid for Pastry Chef of the Year.

The competition has attracted more than 60 nominees from fourteen Caribbean territories including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Maarten and St. Martin, the US Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, Guyana, Anguilla, The Bahamas, Grenada, the British Virgin Islands, Haiti, and Aruba.

Public voting opens March 1 and runs until April 1, 2026.