Sindak 1941 wins big at 2019 ALIW Awards
PHILIPPINE Stagers Foundation’s musical Sindak 1941 bagged five awards at the 32nd ALIW Awards held on Dec. 17 at the Manila Hotel.
Written and directed by lawyer Vince Tañada with music by Pipo Cifra, Sindak 1941 tells the story of Filipinos living under the Japanese regime during the Second World War.
The musical won Best Original Musical Production, Best Ensemble Performance, Best Musical Director for Pipo Cifra, Best Child Actor for Dean Rafols, and Best Actor in a Musical for Vince Tañada.
The ALIW Awards Foundation, Inc. was founded by Alice H. Reyes in 1976 with the aim of developing Philippine live entertainment through a system of awards.
The OPM music festival Playlist Playlist 2019, which was put together by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, Moy Ortiz, and Noel Ferrer, bagged three awards: Best Special Events, Best Performance in a Convert (Male) for Gian Magdangal, and Best Performance in a Concert (Female) for Gerphil Flores.
Meanwhile, theater actress and singer Lea Salonga was honored as a Hall Of Fame award for Entertainer of the Year and bagged Best Actress in a Musical for her work in Sweeney Todd.
Ms. Salonga was also the People’s Choice Award winner.
“I just want to thank all the fans that voted for this. To all of the fans that voted and kept on voting, this one (the award) truly belongs to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Ms. Salonga said in her acceptance speech.
The ALIW Awards decided to give the public a chance to vote this year for the People’s Choice Awardee. The voting was facilitated by mobile monetization company Zed Philippines Inc. through text votes submitted between Nov. 20 and Dec. 15.
The ceremony concluded with singer Regine Velasquez-Alcasid receiving the award as the 2019 Entertainer of the Year.
“Buti nalang umupo ako doon sa table nina Lea [Salonga]. Nanalo tuloy ako (It’s a good thing I sat at Lea Salonga’s table. I actually won),” Ms. Velasquez-Alcasid joked upon approaching the stage.
“Gusto ko lang sabihin na sa lahat ng mga nagbibigay ng parangal, katangi-tangi ang ALIW Awards dahil sila lamang ang nagbibigay ng awards sa lahat ng klase ng performers (I would just like to say that from all those that give recognition, ALIW Awards is distinct since they are the ones that give awards to all kinds of performers). I would like to honor you guys for always recognizing our talent,” she added.
Previous winners of the Entertainer of the Year Award include singers Pilita Corales, Martin Nievera, and Celeste Legaspi.
The list of winners follows:
• Entertainer of the Year — Regine Velasquez-Alcasid
• People’s Choice Award — Lea Salonga
• Special Award — Greenfield Development Corp. President and Chairman Jeffrey Campos; NutraVitals International Corp. President and CEO Danilo Bendong; Frontrow All In; Music Museum President Precy Florentino; Quezon City Councilor Patrick Michael “PM” Vargas; San Miguel Corp. Chairman Ramong Ang; PAGCOR Chairman Andrea Domingo; HC Diversifiera (Halili Cruz Dance Company); Frontrow founders RS Francisco and Sam Verzosa; theater actress and singer Shiela Valderrama-Martinez; and Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso
• Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to singers Eva Eugenio, Marco Sison, and Richard Merk, and Douglas Nierras, the founder, artistic director, and choreographer of Douglas Nierras Powerdance
• The Alice H. RTeyes Lifetime Achievement Award — Shirley Halili-Cruz, Founder and Artistic Director of the Halili-Cruz School of Dance
• Hall of Fame Awardees — Best Male Host, RJ Ledesma;
Best DJ, Jennifer Lee; Best Performer, Banaue Miclat-Janssen; and Entertainer of the Year, Lea Salonga
ENTERTAINMENT
• Best Female Host — Mitzi Borromeo
• Best Male Host — Jeremy Domingo
• Best Stand-Up Comedian — Ate Gay
• Best Special Events Director — Aleli Bustamante (Gabay Guro, PLDT)
• Best Special Events — 2019 Pinoy Playlist and Gabay Guro 2019
MUSIC AND DANCE
• Best New Artist Male — Ato Arman and Kiel Alo
• Best New Artist Female — Nina Campos
• Best New Artist Group — Perkins Twins
• Best DJ for Electronic Dance Music — Patty Tiu
• Best Instrumentalist — Jong Cuenco
• Best Choral Group — Ateneo Chamber Singers
• Best Festival Catalyst/Organizer — Nilo Augustin (Carabao Festival/Pulilan Bulacan) and Mayor Arthur Robes (Tanglawan festival/San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan)
• Best Festival Practices and Performances — Carabao festival and Tanglawan Festival
• Best Cultural Theater Group — Tanghalang Sandaang Pulo (Pangasinan)
• Best Cultural Dance Group — Tanghalang Bagong Sibul Theater and Dance Company (Malabon)
• Best Classical Dance — Abigail Olivero (Snow White/Ballet Manila)
• Best Classical Singer Female — Nenen Espina
• Best Classical Singer Male — Joseleo Logdat
• Best Blue/Jazz Artist — Skarlet
• Best Pop Artist — Janah Zaplan
• Best Crossover Performer Female — Jade Riccio and Ynez Veneracion
• Best Crossover Performer Male — Reuben Laurente
• Best Dance Production — Snow White (Ballet Manila)
THEATER
• Best Production for Children — The Quest for the Adarna (Repertory Philippines)
• Best Child Performer — Dean Rafols (Sindak 1941/Philippines Stagers Production)
• Best Choreographer — Douglas Nierras (Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical)
• Best Musical Rerun — Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical
• Best Actress in a Featured Role Musical — Bituin Escalante (Waitress/Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group)
• Best Actress in a Featured Role — Arriana Golondrina (Loob/Philippine Stagers Foundation)
• Best Actor in a Featured Role Musical — Nyoy Volante (Sweeney Todd/Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group)
• Best Actor in a Featured Role — Johnrey Rivas (Gemetzel/Philippine Stagers Foundation)
• Best Musical Revival — Himala: Isang Musikal (The Sandbox Collective)
• Best Ensemble Performance — Sindak 1941 (Philippine Stagers Foundation)
• Best Director for a Musical — Pipo Cifra (Sindak 1941, Philippine Stagers Company)
• Best Composer for Original Musical Theater — Pipo Cifra (Sindak 1941/Philippine Stagers Foundation)
• Best Director for a Play — Loy Arcenas (The Dresser/Repertory Philippines)
• Best Actor in a Play — Audie Gemora (The Dresser/Repertory Philippines)
• Best Actress in a Play — Gigi Escalante (Ang Bahay Ni Bernarda Alba/Dulaang UP)
• Best Play — Loob (Philippine Stagers Foundation)
• Best Stage Director for a Musical — Laurice Guillen (Magnificat, Lyric Opera of the Philippines)
• Best Actor in a Musical — Vince Tañada (Sindak 1941, Philippine Stagers Foundation)
• Best Actress in a Musical — Lea Salonga (Sweeney Todd/Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group)
• Best Original Musical — Sindak 1941 (Philippine Stagers Foundation)
LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES
• Best Musical Director for a Concert — Butch Miraflor (Tribute to Rico J)
• Best Performer in Lobby lounge, Music Lounge, Bars (Solo) — Lloyd Mara (Astoria)
• Best Performer in Lobby lounge, Music Lounge, Bars (Group) — Brothers Unlimited, Noli Aurillo, and Skarlet (Propaganda)
• Best Foreign-Based Filipino Performer — Joey Albert
• Best Performance in a Concert (Male) — Gian Magdangal (2019 Pinoy Playlist)
• Best Performance in a Concert (Female) — Gerphil Flores (2019 Pinoy Playlist)
• Best Collaboration in a Concert — Sharon Cunenta and Regine Velas quez-Alcasid (Iconic/Araneta Coliseum) and Martin Nievera and Lani Misalucha (Timeless Classics/Plenary Hall, PICC)
• Best Concert Stage Director — Louie Ignacio (Julie Sings The Divas/Sunny Side Up Productions & Solaire)
• Best Major Concert for Group Category — Ely Buendia + Itchyworms (The Greatest Hits/Newport Performing Arts Theater, RWM) and Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (Gold: Classical Music Treasures/CCP)
• Best Major Concert Male Category — Gerald Santos (The Homecoming Concert, The Theatre at Solaire, Solaire)
• Best Major Concert Female Category — Julie Ann San Jose (Julie Sings The Divas/The Theater at Solaire) and Imelda Papin (Imelda Papin Queen @ 45, Philippine Arena) — Michelle Anne P. Soliman
