The 39th Awit Awards had a little bit of everything: P-pop, R&B, rock, hip-hop, jazz, folk, electronic music, and plenty of familiar names sharing the spotlight with newer voices.
Held on September 15 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, the annual celebration of Philippine recorded music brought together some of the country's biggest artists for a night that reflected just how wide—and wonderfully unpredictable—OPM has become.
And when the trophies started coming in, three names quickly stood out: Dionela, IV of Spades, and SB19.
Dionela emerged as the night's biggest individual winner, taking home four awards for “Ikigai,” his collaboration with rapper Loonie. IV of Spades and SB19 followed with three awards each, while artists including Janine Berdin, Ben&Ben, Project Yazz, and Lola Amour also brought home multiple honors.
Dionela Takes Four for “Ikigai”
If there was one song that kept popping up throughout the awards, it was “Ikigai.”
Dionela and Loonie's collaboration crossed genre lines in a way that the Awit Awards clearly recognized. The track won Best R&B Recording, Best Rap/Hip-hop Recording, and Best Collaboration, while also picking up Best Vocal Arrangement in the technical awards.
That gives “Ikigai” four trophies—a particularly notable haul for a song that brings together Dionela's R&B sensibilities and Loonie's rap delivery.
It's also a nice reminder that today's OPM categories don't always stay neatly in their own lanes. A song can live comfortably in R&B, rap, collaboration, and technical craftsmanship all at once.
IV of Spades Own the Night's Biggest Prizes
For IV of Spades, the night was about the grandest trophies.
The band's album “Andalucia” was named Album of the Year, while “Aura” took home Song of the Year. The group added a third award through “Monster,” which won Best Sound Engineered Recording.
That combination recognizes different parts of the band's work—from the album as a complete body of music, to one of its standout songs, and finally to the technical work behind the recording itself.
IV of Spades also took the stage during the ceremony, performing “Isang Pag-Ibig,” “Kabisado,” and the award-winning “Aura.”
SB19 Scores Three for “DUNGKA!”
SB19 had a strong night of its own, with “DUNGKA!” collecting three awards: Best Pop Recording, Best Dance/Electronic Recording, and Best Music Video.
The music video, directed by Kerbs Balagtas, gave the group its third win of the evening.
Pablo also received Songwriter of the Year for his work as John Paulo Nase of RadKidz, giving him an additional individual recognition beyond SB19's wins.
So while “DUNGKA!” carried SB19's three major wins, Pablo's songwriting recognition highlighted another side of the SB19 story: the work happening beyond the stage and performance.
Janine Berdin, Ben&Ben, and Project Yazz Also Shine
The awards weren't just about the biggest names in the room.
Janine Berdin had a particularly memorable evening, winning both Best Ballad Recording and Best Performance by a Solo Artist for “What If I Miss You for the Rest of My Life.”
Ben&Ben likewise took home two awards for “Saranggola,” winning Best Performance by a Group and Best Musical Arrangement.
Meanwhile, Project Yazz picked up awards in two very different categories: Best Jazz Recording for “Yamot-Ennui” and Best Traditional/Contemporary/Folk Recording for “Malalim ang Gabi.”
And that's perhaps one of the more interesting things about this year's winners list: the awards moved comfortably from P-pop and R&B to jazz, folk, rock, alternative, regional music, and beyond.
There's room for all of it.
Fitterkarma Takes Record of the Year
One of the night's major awards went to Fitterkarma, whose “Pag-ibig ay Kanibalismo II” was named Record of the Year.
The other Grand Award winners included Brian Lotho for Producer of the Year and Nicole for Best New Artist for “Panaginip.”
Together with the wins of IV of Spades, SB19, Dionela, Janine Berdin, Ben&Ben, and others, the results offered a broad snapshot of where Philippine music stands right now.
And that's what makes the Awit Awards interesting: you don't have to look very far down the list to jump from a P-pop banger to an R&B-rap collaboration, then to indie rock, jazz, folk, regional music, or a carefully engineered recording.
There's room for different sounds, different scenes, and different generations of Filipino artists.
And on one night at the MOA Arena, they all got their moment.
Complete List of Winners: 39th Awit Awards
Grand Awards
- Album of the Year: “Andalucia” — IV of Spades
- Song of the Year: “Aura” — IV of Spades
- Record of the Year: “Pag-ibig ay Kanibalismo II” — Fitterkarma
- Songwriter of the Year: John Paulo Nase aka Pablo (RadKidz)
- Producer of the Year: Brian Lotho
- Best New Artist: Nicole — “Panaginip”
Performance Awards
- Best Performance by a Solo Artist: “What If I Miss You for the Rest of My Life” — Janine Berdin
- Best Performance by a Group: “Saranggola” — Ben&Ben
- Best Collaboration: “Ikigai” — Dionela ft. Loonie
Genre Awards
- Best Pop Recording: “DUNGKA!” — SB19
- Best Dance/Electronic Recording: “DUNGKA!” — SB19
- Best R&B Recording: “Ikigai” — Dionela ft. Loonie
- Best Rap/Hip-hop Recording: “Ikigai” — Dionela ft. Loonie
- Best Jazz Recording: “Yamot-Ennui” — Project Yazz
- Best Traditional/Contemporary/Folk Recording: “Malalim ang Gabi” — Project Yazz
- Best Ballad Recording: “What If I Miss You for the Rest of My Life” — Janine Berdin
- Best World Music Recording: “Love on Loop” — Lola Amour
- Best Alternative Recording: “Telepono” — One Click Straight
- Best Rock/Metal Recording: “Rapture” — Typecast
Special Recording Awards
- Best Regional Recording: “Ayaw Baya” — Arthur Nery
- Best Novelty Recording: “Baduy” — VVINK, DJ Love ft. Sherwin Tuna
- Best Inspirational Recording: “Nandiyan Ka” — Ice Seguerra
- Best Instrumental Recording: “The Awakening” — Kiss the Bride
- Best Musical Theater Recording: “Gregoria Lakambini”
- Best Original Soundtrack Recording: “Hanapin Ang Sarili” — Morissette
- Best Recording by a Child or for Children: “To Be Close to Jesus” — Young Voices of the Philippines
- Best Global Collaboration Recording: “The Moment” — Lola Amour, Kokoro of Psychic Fever from Exile Tribe
- Best Christmas Recording: “Love Joy Hope” — Various Artists
Technical Awards
- Best Vocal Arrangement: “Ikigai” — Dionela ft. Loonie
- Best Musical Arrangement: “Saranggola” — Ben&Ben
- Best Sound Engineered Recording: “Monster” — IV of Spades
- Best Remix Recording: “Sabi Ko Na (Remix)” — Yara & Nateman, remixed by Yung Bawal
- Best Cover Art: “Not That Girl” — Barbie Almalbis, cover art by Martin Honasan
- Best Music Video: “DUNGKA!” — SB19, directed by Kerbs Balagtas
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