Elementary, junior high school and high school choirs from Warren County and Rankin and Hinds counties won the top places in the school divisions of the 11th annual V105.5 Christmas Caroling Contest Saturday.

Choirs from Sherman and Warrenton elementary schools and Warren Central Junior High School were winners in the choir division, with choirs from St. Francis and Redwood elementary schools taking second in three of the choir divisions.

The four-day contest concluded with finals in eight divisions Saturday night at the Vicksburg Convention Center. Judges for the event were Trinity Baptist Church music director Mike Gillis, Cedar Grove M.B. choir director Bobby Banks, and local artist Glenda Arredondo.

“We filled the convention center Saturday night,” V105.5 station owner and general manager Mark Jones said. “We had to bring in extra chairs. We had good attendance Thursday night and Monday and Tuesday. Thursday, we had 14 choirs competing.

“We gave away a total of $10,000 in prize money to the winners,” Jones said. “That put us at $100,000 in prize money we’ve given away since we began the contest.”

The contest began Nov. 30 with a total of 44 choirs, soloists, duets, trios and ensembles, which performed over three separate preliminary nights in eight different divisions.

The contestants were narrowed down by the judges to the 18 finalists who performed Saturday night.

The winners include:

• Adult solos and small groups: Katie Locke, first; Tessa G. Scandizzo, runner-up.

• High School solos and small groups: Trio of Wyatt, Brandon and Alex Turner, first; Nathan Moak, runners-up.

• Children’s division: Lee Denton, first; Brelynn Beck, runner-up.

• First and second grade choirs: Sherman Avenue Elementary, first; Stonebridge Elementary of Brandon and the Redwood Elementary Holiday Choir, runners-up,

• Third and fourth grade choir: Brandon Elementary Singers first; St. Francis, runner-up.

• Fifth and sixth grade choirs: Warrenton Elementary Honor Choir, first; St. Francis Fifth and Sixth Grade Choir and Pearl Upper Elementary of Pearl, runners-up.

• Junior High: Warren Central Junior High School, first; Sumner Hill Junior High School, Clinton, runner-up.

• High School; Clinton High School Colla Voce, first; Clinton High School Vivace, runner-up.