SB19, Ben&Ben emerge as majorwinners at 35th Awit Awards
MANILA, Philippines — Maymay Entrata opened the 35th Awit Awards ceremony with a powerful performance of Amakabogera on Wednesday night at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. The event was presented by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI) and curated by MYX.
The Kapamilya star also took home the People’s Voice Favorite Female Artist award. She revealed in her acceptance speech that her hit track Amakabogera saved her from leaving the entertainment industry.
“Until now, I still can’t believe that I am here. Hindi na po pucho-pucho ‘to. (This is) Awit Awards. Grabe uy!” she said, thanking the Awit Awards committee, Team Maymay, StarPop, family and loved ones, and dedicating her trophy to God, “Wala pong impossible kapag nandyan Siya sa buhay ko.”
Maymay, who took voice lessons for Amakabogera, recalled 2021 as the “most challenging year in my entire life.”
“Nawala po talaga ako na muntik na po talagang umalis sa industriya. Umabot na po duon. Tinawanan ko na lang po kasi tapos na po eh,” she said.
“Hindi ko na mahal yung sarili ko tapos binigay sa akin yung Amakabogera,” she continued.
“Sabi ko, Lord, bakit po? Ba’t ako, Lord? Hindi po talaga ako po passionate sa pagkanta o dito po sa music, tapos while nagtatanong po ako nun, while naghihintay po ako ng process sa kasagutan ng Panginoon po, talagang ang ginawa ko nag-singing lesson ako,” she said in her speech, which became one of the awarding night’s highlights.
The biggest winner of the night would be P-pop group SB19 who won seven awards, including Most Streamed Song and Best Performance by a Group Recording Artist for Mapa, Most Streamed Artist, Best Global Recording for What?, Best Pop Recording and Best Dance Recording for Bazinga. Mapa also won the Best Vocal Arrangement under the Technical Achievement Awards, in which Jay Durias, Simon Servida and John Paulo Nase served as the vocal arrangers. The group is currently overseas for a series of concerts.
Ben&Ben had the second most number of awards after the group was honored with the Album of the Year for Pebble House, Vol.1: Kuwaderno, Best World Music Recording and Best Collaboration for Sabel (featuring KZ Tandingan), Best Musical Arrangement for Upuan and Best Music Video for Lunod (featuring Zild and Juan Karlos).
Darren Espanto and P-pop boy band BGYO, on the other hand, bagged the Favorite Male Artist award and Favorite Group, respectively, under the People’s Voice category. Belle Mariano was awarded Breakthrough Artist and her track Sigurado was voted Favorite Song.
In the Performance Awards section, KZ got the Best Performance by a Female Recording Artist trophy for 11:59; Zild’s Kyusi for Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist; Jessica Villarubin’s Ako Naman for Best Performance by a New Female Recording Artist; Angelo Garcia’s Mamahalin for Best Performance by a New Male Recording Artist; Shockra’s Operation 10-90 for Best Performance by a New Group Recording Artist; Noel Mendez feat. Rancis de Leon, Jack Rufo, Bobby Taylo’s Cutting Candy for Best Instrumental Performance and Best Jazz Recording; and LouisVint and Juliana Celine’s Get Me Down for Best New Artist In A Collaboration.
Zack Tabudlo’s Binibini was cited as Song of the Year; Leanne & Naara’s Anticipation as Record of the Year and Best R&B Recording; Ebe Dancel’s Manatili as Best Ballad Recording; Valley of Chrome’s Mahirap Mahalin as Best Rock/Alternative Recording; Grin Department’s Chub@by as Best Novelty Recording; and Ice Seguerra’s Wag Kang Aalis as Best Traditional/Contemporary Folk Recording for the Creative Awards category.
Adding to the list of winners in the same section are Angela Ken’s Ako Naman Muna as Best Inspirational Recording; The Itchyworms’s Halo-Halo as Best Christmas Recording; Jrldm’s (featuring Gloc 9) Lagi Na Lang as Best Rap/Hip-Hop Recording; Maris Racal’s Asa Naman as Best Regional Recording; and Regine Velasquez Alcasid’s Di Ka Nag-iisa for FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano as Best Song Written for Movie/TV/Stage Play.
The song Blink under Wonder Collab Studios and with Fran “The Ringmaster” Lorenzo as the sound engineer was recognized as Best Engineered Recording, while Paul Ramirez won the Best Cover Art for his album Kalawakan. Nonoy Zuñiga was the recipient of the Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino award.
“The Awit Awards was established in 1987. So for 35 years, we’ve been giving awards for excellence for music,” AWIT Organizing Committee chairman Enzo Valdez remarked in his speech.
He considered this year’s awarding “very special” for two reasons. He said, “First, this is the very first major award show that we’ve held since the (COVID-19) pandemic. This means the whole industry is in one venue and for that, I’d like to thank first, PARI, our core team (and) partner MYX Global.”
“Second, all of the awards are actually given for songs done in 2021. What does that mean? 2021 was a hard year for everyone to produce music. Our artists had to buy equipment, produce their own songs, (and) learn how to send files online so that they could compile and create their songs together with a band. And also they had to risk their lives in shooting music videos just to bring joy and happiness to everyone,” he added.
He concluded his speech by thanking fans, listeners, artists, label heads and all who are part of the music industry.
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