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Miss Labasa Divisional Hospital Isabella Raidriwa has won the Best Research Topic Award at this year’s Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North.

The award has returned to the festival after several years, giving the seven Queen contestants an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and preparation beyond the traditional pageant categories.

Festival of the Friendly North Committee President Mohammed Saiyum says the award was reinstated to align the local pageant with the national competition and ensure contestants understand what is expected of them.

“We are reinstating this Best Research Topic to align with our Fiji pageant. And we have also, with the committee, appointed a committee to go through the judging criteria because it has been long outstanding, and we had to review it and get it done. And then we also shared with the contestants how to prepare for it and how they will be judged and the sponsors so that they really know what actually is expected from the Queen for the transparency purpose.”

Contestants are also being judged in categories including Best Traditional Wear and Best Sarong, which form part of the Miss Fiji Pageant.

Saiyum says this gives contestants from the North an opportunity to gain the experience and preparation needed for the national stage.

With Labasa producing the reigning Miss Fiji, organisers say this year’s contestants must be equipped with the knowledge, confidence and skills needed to compete beyond the Friendly North Festival.

The festival continues tonight with the Bred Bank Fiji Bollywood Night and the first public judging of the King contestants at Subrail Park ground in Labasa.

This year’s festival is being held under the theme **“Healthy Youth, Wealthy North”**, with the crowning of the Miss Friendly North Queen and Mr Friendly North King set for Saturday at Subrail Park in Labasa.