News: Winchester big winner at COTT Music Awards

"Shurwayne Winchester, Bunji Garlin, Explainer and Destra Garcia were all on winners’ row on Wednesday night when the Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT) hosted its Annual Music Awards at Queen’s Hall, St. Ann’s.

Winchester was the night’s big winner, walking away with two awards, for Song of the Year (2004-2005) with his Road March winning song The Band Coming and Songwriter of the Year. He was presented with his award by Culture Minister Joan Yuille Williams and Trinidad and Tobago President George Maxwell Richards.

The award for New Songwriter of the Year went to Shawn Ainsley Noel while Destra Garcia won the Female Songwriter of the Year award. She and Nadia Batson were the only female entertainers to receive awards on the night. The late Andre Tanker picked up and award for Jazz World/Music Composition.

The Golden Achievement Awards was presented to calypsonian David Rudder who, in his acceptance speech, noted that it felt strange to be receiving such an award at a time when calypso music was suffering because of piracy."

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