Francis Reffel has emerged as the winner of the 2025 Cribs International Talent Search, one of Sierra Leone’s most prestigious entertainment competitions.
The grand finale, held at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown on Saturday night, drew a packed audience and saw five finalists compete for the top prize. Reffel’s performance was praised by the judges for its originality, stage presence, and emotional depth.
He now walks away with a prize package that includes a Le300,000 cash reward, a record deal, full album production, and long-term career support under the Cribs International brand.
The other finalists included Melrose Fatima Swarray (#62), Anita Macmillan Sesay (#139), Frankstella Freeman (#150), and the duo Chocolate and Makissa (#224). All five contestants had advanced from the semi-finals, which took place earlier this month at the same venue.
Cribs International, which launched the talent search to uncover new voices in Sierra Leone’s growing creative industry, says this year’s edition received hundreds of entries from across the country.
CEO of Cribs International, Sho Cole official welcome Francis Reffel and the two others to Cribs International.
“This competition has become a national platform for young talents to be seen, heard, and supported,” CEO of Cribs International told Salone Messenger