FAMAS clarifies Maricel Soriano, Maris Racal awards
MANILA, Philippines — The Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS) cleared the air on the recent awards it gave to actresses Maricel Soriano and Maris Racal.
At the 74th FAMAS Awards held last October 27, Maricel was honored as Best Actress for her performance in "Meet, Greet and Bye," winning over Maris, who starred in "Sunshine," Charo Santos of "Only We Know," Angelica Panganiban of "Unmarry," and Krsytel Go of "I'mPerfect."
Maris, however, was recognized by FAMAS with a first-ever Actress of Distinction Award, allowing her to join the evening's winners onstage.
A number of Filipinos expressed confusion about the honors, discussing online if one award carried more value than the other or why the body did not decide a tie between Maricel and Maris. Another award-giving body, Star Awards, named both actresses as co-winners a few days earlier.
FAMAS issued a statement explaining how they recognized the achievements for both actresses, noting how its selection for Best Actress "is not confined solely to an isolated performance" but also considers one's "collective body of work, consistency of artistic excellence, versatility, and enduring contribution to Philippine cinema."
Winning Best Actress means recognition not just for the film she is nominated for but it is given to an actress who showed "depth, maturity, and cumulative artistic achievements that lend greater significance to the performance."
FAMAS cited the latter as reason why Maricel, dubbed by many as the "Diamond Star," won this year's Best Actress award.
"Her remarkable and effective body of work, spanning diverse characters, genres, and generations, reflects an extraordinary command of her craft," said FAMAS. "Her sustained excellence, emotional authenticity, and profound contribution to Philippine cinema establish her as an actress whose artistry transcends any single performance."
The inaugural Actress of Distinction, meanwhile, "recognizes a singular performance of exceptional artistic merit one that demonstrates extraordinary depth, originality, emotional conviction, and an unmistakable impact on the cinematic experience."
For FAMAS, Maris' "Sunshine" performance qualifies given her "compelling portrayal demonstrates remarkable courage, sensitivity, and artistic maturity."
"It is a singular performance of such distinctive quality that it merits recognition in its own right, independent of the cumulative achievements traditionally considered in the Best Actress category," the organization added.
FAMAS clarified both honors are not competing recognitions or indications one is superior than the other. Instead, they both celebrate "the enduring brilliance of an actress' collective artistry and the extraordinary power of one unforgettable performance."
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Handing both awards does not diminish Maris or Maricel's achivements, rather it is FAMAS given the opportunity "to recognize their respective accomplishments with greater precision, fairness, and artistic appreciation."
"FAMAS believes that excellence in acting cannot be measured through a single standard alone," it reiterated. "Some artists distinguish themselves through a remarkable legacy of performances, while others deliver a singular portrayal so exceptional that it deserves its own special recognition."
"Maricel represents the enduring excellence of a distinguished body of work. Maris represents the extraordinary brilliance of a singular, distinctive performance. Both are deserving of recognition. Both embody excellence. Both are truly Pang-FAMAS," the organization ended.
The clarification was welcomed by some but others questioned why similar awards were not given in other categories like for the male counterpart.
Some also pointed out that the explanations for each honor should have applied for the other given that it is the first time an Actress of Distinction was handed out while the Best Actress plum has long been given to worthy performances in a given year.
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