Anthony N Sabga 2020 laureates announced

A Trinidadian astronomer is among those who will receive the 2020 Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence.

The 2020 winners are TT astronomer Dr Shirin Haque, St Lucian sculptor Jallim Eudovic, Guyanese entrepreneur Andrew Mendes and Jamaican social scientist Dr Olivene Burke.

The awards honour people who have made significant contributions to the areas of art, entrepreneurship, civil society and science.

The Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence announced the recipients on Tuesday at the Tatil Building on Maraval Road, Port of Spain

Haque, the laureate for science and technology, has been the first and only woman to head the UWI St Augustine campus's Department of Physics. In 2008 she was featured on the BBC's Science in Action programme. She is a member of the International Astronomical Union. In 2018, Haque became the first woman to be awarded the Caricom Science Award.

The work of Eudovic, the laureate for arts and letters, has been featured in exhibitions in China, the US and the UK. His work has also been featured in international publications and TV programmes such as PBS's The Travel Writer and NBC's The Voyager. He is also one of the youngest directors to serve on the board of St Lucia's Cultural Development Foundation.

Mendes, the laureate for entrepreneurship, is the managing director of Guyana's Farfan and Mendes Ltd which brings in net sales of over Guyanese $5 billion. Mendes is also well known for his humanitarian work and corporate responsibility work in Guyana.

Burke, the laureate for public and civic contributions, has been the executive director of UWI's Mona Social Service organisation for the last decade. Burke is responsible for the MSS's six-pillar social intervention programme in under-developed Jamaican communities. The programme has, to date, provided improved livelihoods for over 40,000 people in Jamaica.

The nominees were revealed by Prof Emerita Bridget Brereton of the eminent persons selection panel responsible for the final selection of nominees.

Brereton said, "Since this award ceremony began, in 2006, we have named 39 distinguished scientists, artists, writers, activists.

"Since 2015, when we added the fourth category, of entrepreneurship, we have also honoured distinguished entrepreneurs, all of whom had made outstanding

contributions to the nation and who we confidently expect will continue to do so, because as indicated, this is not an end-of-career award."

She said next year's recipients "are all mid-career and we expect many many more great things from them."

Awards programme director Maria Superville-Neilson said, "Their work can be benchmarked and is likely to be of tremendous benefit to our region"

Since its creation 2005, the awards has named 43 laureates, including next year's. To date, over $19 million has been awarded.

The 2020 laureates will be honoured in a ceremony in April, when they will each receive $500,000.