The second Filipino Music Awards had plenty of big winners Tuesday night, but one result has emerged as one of the evening's biggest talking points: “Baduy” by VVINK, DJ Love, and Pio Balbuena winning Pop Song of the Year.
The song beat a competitive field that included BINI's “Unang Kilig,” Baby Dolls' “Oohh Lala Baby,” KAIA's “hulog,” and Maki's “habangbuhay pansamantala.”
And for some music fans, the result was a surprise.
Not necessarily because “Baduy” had no place in the category, but because several of the other nominees had seemingly enormous audience and cultural impact during the eligibility period.
“Oohh Lala Baby” fans are asking: How did this happen?
Among the reactions making the rounds online, Baby Dolls' “Oohh Lala Baby” has emerged as one of the songs fans believe had a particularly strong case for the award.
One fan, Shania DJF, questioned how a Song of the Year-type recognition should be determined, pointing to metrics such as streaming plays, radio airplay, and social media mentions.
“How do we choose a song of the year?” the post asked, before arguing that “UK, OhLaLa, HP” — referring to “Unang Kilig,” “Oohh Lala Baby,” and “habangbuhay pansamantala” — were the three songs that should have been in serious contention.
Another commenter, Rod Magaru, was even more direct about “Oohh Lala Baby,” joking about waking up to discover that the song did not win.
His argument was simple: Where was the song when the entire country appeared to be dancing to it for months?
That sentiment gets to the heart of the debate surrounding the result: impact.
Was “Oohh Lala Baby” the song of the moment?
There's a difference between a song being a strong artistic entry and a song becoming a genuine cultural phenomenon.
“ Oohh Lala Baby” was nominated not only for Pop Song of the Year but also for People's Choice – Song, putting it in two different conversations at the FMA.
And its nomination for the People's Choice category is particularly interesting because that award was explicitly designed around public voting. The FMA's own website describes the People's Choice – Song category as being “voted on by the public to honor their favorite song.”
That makes the distinction between the two categories important.
“ Oohh Lala Baby” ultimately did not win either award, while “Baduy” took Pop Song of the Year and SB19's “VISA” won People's Choice – Song.
The bigger question: What does “Pop Song of the Year” actually measure?
This is where the criticism becomes more interesting.
The FMA describes Pop Song of the Year as recognizing “songwriting, memorable melodies, performance, production, and musical appeal.”
Those criteria don't necessarily mean the song with the most streams, radio plays, TikTok videos, or social media mentions automatically wins.
And that's important.
If the category is primarily about artistic achievement, then “Baduy” can be judged on the song itself — its songwriting, production, performance, identity, and overall musical appeal.
But if listeners expect an award with “Song of the Year” in its title to also reflect reach, popularity, cultural impact, and measurable success, then it's understandable why some fans are asking questions.
The FMA's own awards framework also distinguishes between different types of recognition. Its People's Choice awards are public-voted, while other categories use their own criteria.
So the real issue may not be simply whether “Baduy” is a good song.
It's whether fans clearly understand what the FMA believes makes a song the year's best pop song.
And “Baduy” wasn't exactly an impossible choice
To be fair, “Baduy” isn't a completely random winner.
The song was officially shortlisted alongside some of the biggest names in contemporary Filipino pop, meaning it already made it through the FMA's nomination process.
Its appeal is also very different from the other nominees.
Where “Unang Kilig,” “Oohh Lala Baby,” “hulog,” and “habangbuhay pansamantala” occupy more familiar territory within contemporary pop, “Baduy” embraces a more playful and unconventional Filipino sound.
That's arguably what makes its victory interesting.
The award may be recognizing something beyond sheer popularity — perhaps the song's distinctiveness, creativity, or the way it plays with Filipino musical identity.
But without a publicly detailed scoring breakdown for this particular category, listeners are left to speculate about what ultimately separated “Baduy” from the other four nominees.
And that is where the questions begin.
Baby Dolls had a legitimate case
For Baby Dolls, the disappointment is understandable.
“Oohh Lala Baby” wasn't simply a random nominee filling out the category. It was also included among the People's Choice – Song nominees and was one of the songs fans were visibly rallying around.
If the standard is pure pop appeal, it had a case.
If the standard is virality and cultural impact, its supporters clearly believe it had a case.
If the standard is public popularity, that's precisely what the People's Choice category was there to measure.
And if the standard is artistic achievement, then the FMA's criteria would suggest that other considerations come into play.
That's why the result is generating debate rather than simply being accepted as another award on the night's winners list.
Not just a BINI issue
It's also worth pointing out that the conversation shouldn't be reduced to “Why didn't BINI win?”
BINI's “Unang Kilig” was certainly a strong contender, particularly given the group's enormous presence in Filipino pop. And the group ultimately had one of the biggest nights of the ceremony, winning Artist of the Year and Tour of the Year.
But there were four other songs in the Pop Song of the Year race, and each brought a different argument to the table.
Baby Dolls had the viral, highly accessible pop hit.
Maki had “habangbuhay pansamantala.”
KAIA had “hulog.”
BINI had “Unang Kilig.”
And VVINK, DJ Love, and Pio Balbuena had “Baduy.”
The FMA chose the last one.
The debate is part of the story
Awards will always be subjective to some degree. Fans will have their favorites, artists will have their supporters, and no judging system will make everyone agree.
But the reaction to “Baduy” raises a useful question for the Filipino Music Awards as it enters only its second edition:
Should the awards make the basis for major genre categories more transparent?
If streaming, radio, social media impact, charts, sales, cultural reach, jury scores, or other measurable indicators play a role, explaining how those factors are weighed could help audiences understand why one song ultimately rises above the rest.
Because right now, fans are looking at “Oohh Lala Baby,” “Unang Kilig,” “hulog,” and “habangbuhay pansamantala” and asking a very simple question:
How did “Baduy” win?
And perhaps the best answer shouldn't come from fans, critics, or music bloggers.
It should come from the Filipino Music Awards itself.
Filipino Music Awards 2026: Complete List of Winners
The second Filipino Music Awards took place on October 6, 2026, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, celebrating Filipino music across genre, public-voted, legacy, and major industry awards.
Here is the complete list of winners:
GENRE AWARDS
Pop Song of the Year
“Baduy” – VVINK, DJ Love, Pio Balbuena
Alternative Song of the Year
“Kabisado” – IV OF SPADES
Hip-Hop Song of the Year
“Since Day One” – Skusta Clee ft. Flow G
Rock Song of the Year
“What Would It Take (For You To Realize The True Evil In This World?)” – Typecast
Folk Song of the Year
“Lifetime (Reimagined)” – Ben&Ben
R&B Song of the Year
“LOVE AGAIN” – Denise Julia
“Sinigang” – ALAMAT
Tie
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS
People’s Choice – Artist
SB19
People’s Choice – Song
“VISA” – SB19
People’s Choice – International Artist
BTS
People’s Choice – Star of the Night
KAIA
LEGACY AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Regine Velasquez
Music Foundation Award
Organisasyon ng mga Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM)
Music Company of the Year
Star Music
Tribute Award
Francis Magalona
GRAND AWARDS
Breakthrough Artist of the Year
fitterkarma
Tour of the Year
Signals World Tour 2026 – BINI
Concert of the Year
Wakas At Simula: The Trilogy Concert Finale – SB19
Song of the Year
“Since Day One” – Skusta Clee ft. Flow G
Album of the Year
KOLORCOASTER – Maki
Artist of the Year
BINI
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