Get a peek at the stuns, stages, and shenanigans that happened at the inaugural Filipino Music Awards.
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It almost felt like it was just yesterday that the announcement of the Filipino Music Awards was made. Fast forward to October, and here we are with the conclusion of the first-ever FMAs. Dedicated to celebrating the best of OPM, the FMAs came through on that promise by bringing together hundreds of artists and creatives and thousands of fans who watched, sang, and danced for a night of performances and award speeches. You really just had to be there. But if you weren’t, that’s okay, as we’re bringing you the lowdown of what went down inside MOA Arena. Read on for the deets.
IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED
The Filipino Music Awards rightfully took over MOA Arena last October 21. One section of the arena’s ground floor served as the FMAs’ red carpet. A who’s who of your faves attended, from BINI, SB19, Maki, Cup of Joe, and more, as they shut down the carpet in their Filipino-inspired fits. The team also dressed up and showed out for the night, dressed up in ‘fits from styling partners Patricia Pascual Designs, Continuiti, and AECIA. The Met Gala was lowkey shaking with the serves.
Inside the arena, fans filled up the lower and upper box sections while the entire standing floor was converted into the seating area for the celebrities, complete with tables and a catering area at the back provided by Privé by Illo’s. To keep the energy up for the night, Au’n Scene Coffee was on the scene to provide brews all night long. If you’ve seen award shows like the GRAMMYs or even the Asia Artist Awards, especially during the past few years, the setup at the FMAs was similar, which also meant fun mingling moments and interactions between the stars.
THIS IS OPM
The pre-show kicked off with Aiyana Perlas hosting a special segment with KFC. It was like a kiss cam, but instead, chosen audience members had to pose with their favorite KFC products, and you know what—hell yeah. Afterward, the main event started, and what better way to kick off the first-ever FMAs than with an opening performance by IV of Spades. Joey Mead King, Michael Sager, and Elijah Canlas served as the night’s hosts, and let’s just say after that night, we need a project with Elijah and Michael stat.
Each winner took home a special trophy designed by Ovvian Castrillo-Hill, with the first category of awards given being the Genre Awards. As the name suggests, these awards honor songs from specific categories. SB19 took home Pop Song of the Year for DUNGKA!, Zild bagged Alternative Song of the Year for I.N.A.S., and IV of Spades’ iconic comeback just got better after they bagged Rock Song of the Year for Aura. A visibly shocked dwta and justin took home Folk Song of the Year for Sampung Mga Daliri, Morobeats bagged Hip-Hop Song of the Year for GUBAT NA SIYUDAD, while Dionela can call himself an FMA winner when he won R&B Song of the Year for Marilag.
The night’s epicness continued with back-to-back-to-back performances from BGYO, Maki, and BINI, with the latter delivering their first live performance of First Luv. The awards up next were the People’s Choice Awards, with the winners being determined by public voting on the FMAs’ official website.
SB19 pulled double duty by taking home both People’s Choice Artist and Song of the Year for DUNGKA!, while J-Hope was crowned People’s Choice International Artist of the Year.
ICONS AND LEGENDS
After a quick intermission, Apl De Ap took to the stage with Illest Morena and Dana for a fun performance, which was then followed by a slayful stage from Maxie Andreison, who proved yet again why she will always be that girl. Next was a poignant performance of Upunan by Gloc-9 that had the crowd singing the famous chorus word for word. For the third set of awards, the Legacy Awards were given to OPM icons and institutions whose undeniable legacy has helped shape OPM and Filipino culture in general into what it is today.
The Tribute Award went to the late and great Pilita Corales, with the honor being accepted by her grandchildren, Diego and Janine Gutierrez. Music Foundation of the Year was awarded to Ang Misyon, an NGO that helps, trains, and nurtures young Filipino musicians. Finally, Jose Mari Chan was named the inaugural recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ws ALL AROUND
For the last act of the show, Lolita Carbon and Yeng Constantino were joined by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra for a moving performance, who were then followed by Cup of Joe making everyone reminisce with a performance of their smash hit Multo. The final batch of awards given were the Genre Awards, which consist of some of the biggest awards of the night. SB19 snatched not one, but two awards with their wins for Tour and Concert of the Year for Simula At Wakas. Sony Music PH, the home of your faves like SB19, KAIA, Ben&Ben, and more, was named Music Company of the Year.
OPM icon Ely Buendia then took the stage for a rare live performance, and then came the final awards of the night. Cup of Joe was a big winner as they bagged Song of the Year for Multo and Album of the Year for Silakbo, much to the joy of the crowd. Lastly, SB19 earned their 6th FMA of the night when they won Artist of the Year.
As fun and iconic as the event was, the Filipino Music Awards also served as a poignant reminder that OPM isn’t just meant to entertain, but also to be a vehicle to inspire and help bring about social change. History has shown that Filipino music has been there during pivotal moments of this country’s life, and that was the case again when, after performing DAM, SB19 was joined on stage with Ben&Ben to perform Kapangyarihan, chants from the crowd saying “Ikulong na yan, mga kurakot!” included.
Given what the country is currently going through, Kapangyarihan being the last performance of the show was all kinds of correct. It all made for a historic night that brought together artists, creatives, and fans in celebrating OPM. And since this is just the start, watch out for the FMAs as it continues to make waves in the years to come.
You can watch two parts of the official telecast of the Filipino Music Awards on TV5 on October 25 and 26.
FILIPINO MUSIC AWARDS
Presented by Modern Media Group Inc.
Produced by AGC Power Holdings Corp.
Official Broadcast Partners
TV5
MQUEST Ventures
Co-presented by:
Levi’s Philippines
vivo
IQOS
ZYN
Powered by:
SONY
KFC
Sunsilk
Playtime
TECNO
Security Bank
Cream Silk
Official Mobility Partner
Toyota Motor Philippines
Special thanks to:
Jollibee
Official Catering Partners
Illo’s Group Inc.
Astons Philippines
Official Mobile Bar Partners
Fun Cocktails
Nyctophile Mixology & Bar Hosting
Salucci
Official Coffee Bar Partners
Au’n Scene Coffee Bar
The Brewing Studio
Allegro Beverage Corp.
Official Accommodations Partner
Newport World Resorts
Official Hotel Partners
TRYP by Wyndham
Microtel by Wyndham
Official Venue Styling Partners
Spruce
Florio Manila
Official Trophy Design Partner
Ovvian Castrillo-Hill
Official Food Partners
Ate Rica’s Bacsilog
Burger Beast
Official Glam Partner
Nix Institute of Beauty
Official Styling Partner
Patricia Pascual Designs
Continuiti
AECIA
Official Giveaway Partner
Lee
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