00:00An explosion of colour, music and talent.
00:04For the past three evenings, the top samba schools have been performing for Rio Carnival's ultimate prize.
00:10And the competition has been fierce.
00:15It's very exciting. We rehearse a lot all year and today is the big day, so we get emotional.
00:21The anticipation is huge. We want everything to go right.
00:28One performance stood out among the rest.
00:32Via Dororo Samba School has been crowned champions for a fourth time.
00:37Twelve schools took part in the hotly contested special group competition in the city's iconic sambadrome
00:43and were judged on their costumes, floats, harmony and percussion.
00:48From paying tribute to Brazilian artists to exploring the arrival of African traditions in the country,
00:53the themes were wide-ranging.
00:55But all competitors have one thing in common, their love for carnival.
01:02Carnival is my passion. It's where I can heal all my wounds, my sadness.
01:07I love carnival. It will always be a part of my life.
01:13The samba parade may now be over, but the world's biggest party continues.
01:18Revelers will be lining the streets of Rio until winners Via Dororo perform in the champions parade
01:23to close out carnival on the 21st of February.
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