32nd Aliw Awards set Dec. 17 at Manila Hotel

Aside from the new set of winners to be revealed at the 32nd Aliw Awards, the announcement of the first-ever recipient of the People’s Choice Award for Top Filipino Live Entertainer of 2019 is the event’s highlight on Dec. 17 at Manila Hotel’s Fiesta Pavilion.

The People’s Choice Award, according to Aliw Awards Foundation, Inc. (AAFI) founding president Alice Reyes, is a partnership with Zed Philippines, Inc. that aims to give people the chance to choose the most popular Entertainer of the Year.

“This is the first time in the history of Aliw. If people choose Manny Pacquiao or Vice Ganda or whoever, then it is the people’s choice, through Aliw Awards.” Other nominees for People’s Choice Award are Sarah Geronimo, Lea Salonga, Erik Santos and Anne Curtis. Lea is topping the votes as of press time.

Deadline for voting is until Dec. 15, 7 p.m. via text (check out www.letsvote.ph).

“The board decided that these are the six who are more or less popular talaga. This year, we have over 50 categories and the challenge for our production team is how to compress the show in two and a half hours,” Reyes said during the recent media launch which was attended by other nominees —  Christian and Jesse of the Perkins Twins, Ynez Veneracion, Ato Arman, Jennifer Lee, Reuben Laurente and Rebecca Chuaunsu.

Aliw Awards, the “first and only award-giving body that has given due recognition to Filipino live entertainers” since 1977 with Pilita Corrales as its first Entertainer of the Year awardee, continues to acknowledge artists — veterans or newbies — who are making a name in the industry.

The 32nd Aliw Awards’ culminating ceremony, which also marks AAFI’s 43rd year, will see winners of over 50 categories receiving their Applause trophies.

Set to perform at the award’s night are Erik, Reuben, Janah Zaplan, Jade Riccio, Beverly Salviejo and The Angelos.

This year’s Hall of Famers are Lea, Jennifer and RJ Ledesma, while the Lifetime Achievement awardees are Eva Eugenio, Marco Sison, Nonoy Zuñiga, Richard Merk and Douglas Nierras. The recipient of the Alice H. Reyes Achievement Award is Shirley Halili-Cruz.

(The 32nd Aliw Awards is presented by Frontrow International, Nutravitals International Corp., Unilever, Greenfields, Del Monte, Unilab, PAGCOR, San Miguel Corp., Jade Vine Restaurant, Great Eastern Hotel-Quezon City, The Philippine STAR, Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, Journal Group of Publications and Philippine United News. For ticket inquiries, call 0908-3164574.)