Lea Salonga is Aliw Entertainer of the Year
Lea Salonga copped the 2016 Entertainer of the Year Award at the Dusit Thani Hotel last Nov. 30, her second since 2004.
In her acceptance speech, Lea expressed appreciation for the work done by the foundation to inspire live entertainers to reach for the stars since its establishment in 1976. The first Aliw Awards were given out in 1977.
Other winners were last year’s Entertainer of the Year Gerphil Flores who won in two categories: Best Crossover Performer and Best Major Concert; Noel Comia Jr., Best Child Performer; Baste Duterte, Best New Male Artist; Demie Fresco, Best New Female Artist; Crib, Best New Group Artist; Junior New System, Best Dance Company; Singhay Dapitan, Best Cultural Group; Banbanti Festival of Isabela, Best Festival Practices and Performance; Merjohn Lagaya, Best Instrumentalist; Jennifer Lee, Best DJ for Electronic Dance Music; Metro Manila Concert Orchestra, Best Major Concert (group); Jessa Balote, Best Classical Dancer; Al Gatmaitan, Best Classical Performer (male); Cynthia Guico, Best Classical Performer (female); and P.A.R.D., Best Crossover Performer (group).
Meanwhile, Si Ba-og at Unggoy (Singhay Dapitan) is Best Production for Children; Happiness is a Pearl, Best NonMusical Production; Annie, Best Musical Production (foreign material); Katips, Mga
Bagong Katipunero, Best Original Musical Production; Ricardo Abad, Best Stage Director (non-musical); Vince Tañada, Best Stage Director (musical); Kitkat, Best Actress in a Featured Role; Paul Jake Paule, Best Actor in a Featured Role; the cast of
Jersey Boys, Best Ensemble Performance; Gene Maglangit, Best Performance in a New Concept Production; Joie de Vivre of Singhay Dapitan, Best New Concept Production; Peter Macrohon, Best Director for a New Concept Production; Floy Quintos, Best Concert Stage Director; Jesse Lucas, Best Musical Director; and Jose Manalo, Best Stand-up Comedian.
Gladys Reyes, on the other hand, is Best Female Host; RJ Ledesma, Best Male Host; Leo Rialp, Best Stage Actor (non-musical); Pinky Amador, Best Stage Actress (non-musical); Nyoy Volante, Best Actor (musical); Joanna Ampil, Best Actress (musical); Aiza Seguerra, Best Performer in Hotels, Bars and Restaurants; Jed Madela, Best Performance in a Concert (male); Jessa Zaragoza, Best Performance in a Concert (female); Drum & Lyre Ensemble of Gloria’s Fantasyland in Dapitan, Best Instrumentalist (group); Martin Nievera, Regine Velasquez, Angeline Quinto and Erik Santos, Best Collaboration in a Concert for Royals; and Lea Salonga, Best Major Concert (foreign venue).
Discoveries of the Year were Krystal Brimner and Isabeli Araneta Elizalde for Resorts World Manila’s Annie, while Breakthrough Performance Awards went to the Halili-Cruz Junior Ballet Company and Adelle Ibarrientos Lim.
The star-studded event, which featured performances from Gerphil Flores, Joanna Ampil, Mitoy Yonting, Carla Guevara-Laforteza, Club Mwah Performers, Halili-Cruz Dance Company; Darius Razon, The Angelos and Demie Fresco, was presented by the Aliw Awards Foundation, Inc. in cooperation with Blurock Productions, Inc. Honored were Lifetime Achievement awardees Shirley HaliliCruz, Anton Juan, Dante Balois, Len Ag Santos Siasoco and Cris Nicolas, and special awardees were the MSU Sining Kambayoka, Darius and Carla.
Elevated to the Hall of Fame were The Angelos, Mitoy, Nonon Padilla, Dondi Ong and Camille Lopez Molina.
Aliw Awards Foundation, Inc., which turns 40 next year, is headed by its founding president Alice Reyes and the following officers: Brian Lu, first VP; Frank Rivera, second VP; Tess Tan, secretary; Francia Conrado, treasurer; Sonny Valencia, PRO; Jose Dadulla Jr., auditor and trustees Dennis Aguilar, Ofelia Cajigal, Aristeo Garcia, Njel de Mesa, Efren Montano, Joey Nombres, Angelo Eloy Padua and Art Tapalla.
Past presidents were Rema Manzano, Charo Yu, Elizabeth Tagle and Leo Baluyut.