‘Take Me Home’ by Freetown Collective has been named Calypso of the Year by the National Action Cultural Committee (NACC) at this year’s Top 20 Stars of Gold & Calypso of the Year Awards in Trinidad and Tobago. Sung by Muhammad Muwakil, this accolade marks a significant milestone for Freetown Collective, reaffirming the power and relevance of socially conscious storytelling in contemporary calypso.

On November 28th, at the awards ceremony held at the Government Campus Auditorium, Muwakil graciously accepted the award. Take Me Home earned its place among an impressive field of 20 finalists, a lineup that included celebrated artistes such as Machel Montano, Kees Dieffenthaller, Karene Asche, Terri Lyons, Singing Sonia, Full Blown, Squeezy Rankin, Lyrikal, Yung Bredda, and Neval Chatelal. This recognition underscores the song’s creative excellence, lyrical resonance, and cultural impact.

Reflecting on the achievement, Muwakil shares that “Freetown Collective has been working for quite some time to get the music into the consciousness of our people, which was a journey for us in our own consciousness as well.” As he continues reflecting on the song with co-founder and musical director of Freetown Collective, Lou Lyons, Muwakil adds that, “To have a song now that is Calypso of the Year in the tradition of all the Calypsoes that came before it; we couldn’t be prouder, happier and more grateful.”

For Lyons, the award represents both progress and purpose. “It feels like a recognition of the role that Freetown Collective is playing in reintroducing the joy of calypso to those who may not have enjoyed it before or who had a broader idea of what calypso is,” he said. The honour brings to light the topic of legacy for him, as he shares that, “It is an honour to be even recognized in the same art form as so many other great artistes like Mighty Duke, Shadow, Sparrow, Kitchener, because it says that we are part of a lineage of storytelling, great songwriting and a desire to reflect the society back to itself.”

Notably, November 29th 2025, marks one year since this masterpiece was released, an anniversary made even more meaningful by this honour. Freetown Collective and their co-creators, renowned producers and writers Kit ‘Advokit’ Israel and Mevon ‘Xplicit’ Soodeen created an undeniably reflective, soul-stirring song that explores belonging, identity and the emotional landscape of “home.” Just as Muwakil and Lyons, collaborators Sooden and Israel are proud of what the song has done and continues to do.