17th Gawad Buhay Awards Citations Announced

 

FIRST ROUND OF CITATIONS ANNOUNCED

The Gawad Buhay Awards has released the first round of citations for the 17th edition, with the awards ceremonies scheduled for 2027. Philstage’s annual awards recognize outstanding achievement in Philippine theater.

Five productions were considered for this first round:

1. Bagets The Musical — Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA)
2. Kislap at Algo — the twin bill comprising Kislap at Fuego and Children of the Algo — PETA
3. Spring Awakening — The Sandbox Collective
4. anthropology — Barefoot Theatre Collaborative

Bagets The Musical is a PETA co-production, through the company’s creative agency and commercial arm PETA Plus, with Newport World Resorts, Viva Communications, and The Philippine Star. As a jukebox musical, it is ineligible for Outstanding Musical Score.

Under Gawad Buhay rules, the two plays comprising Kislap at Algo were considered individually.

Nominations for the 2027 Gawad Buhay Awards will be drawn from the final pool of citations in each category. The citations were deliberated upon by an independent jury composed of theater practitioners, journalists, reviewers, and academics.

A citation makes a production or production element eligible for a nomination; it does not guarantee a nomination.

FIRST ROUND OF CITATIONS

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL DIRECTION

• Ejay Yatco — Spring Awakening

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY

• Nunoy Van Den Burgh — Spring Awakening

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

• Boni Juan — Kislap at Fuego
• Raven Ong — Spring Awakening

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN

• D Cortezano — anthropology
• D Cortezano — Spring Awakening

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN

• Arvy Dimaculangan — anthropology
• Aron Roca — Spring Awakening

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN

• Sarah Facuri — anthropology
• Boni Juan — Kislap at Fuego
• Wika Nadera — Spring Awakening

OUTSTANDING PROJECTION AND VIDEO DESIGN

• Steven Tansiongco & CueCraft — anthropology

FEMALE LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY

• Maronne Cruz — anthropology
• Jenny Jamora — anthropology
• Felicity Kyle Napuli — Kislap at Fuego

MALE LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY

• CJ Navato — Kislap at Fuego

FEMALE FEATURED PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY

• Jackie Lou Blanco — anthropology
• Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante — anthropology

FEMALE LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL

• Sheena Belarmino — Spring Awakening

MALE LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL

• Noel Comia Jr. — Bagets The Musical
• Milo Cruz — Bagets The Musical
• Alex Diaz — Spring Awakening
• KD Estrada — Bagets The Musical
• Sam Shoaf — Bagets The Musical
• Nacho Tambunting — Spring Awakening

FEMALE FEATURED PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL

• Ana Abad Santos — Spring Awakening
• Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo — Spring Awakening
• Angia Laurel — Spring Awakening
• Yani Lopez — Bagets The Musical

MALE FEATURED PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL

• Audie Gemora — Spring Awakening
• Gie Onida — Bagets The Musical
• Omar Uddin — Spring Awakening

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE FOR A PLAY

• anthropology — Barefoot Theatre Collaborative
• Children of the Algo — PETA

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE FOR A MUSICAL

• Spring Awakening — The Sandbox Collective

OUTSTANDING STAGE DIRECTION FOR A PLAY

• Caisa Borromeo — anthropology

OUTSTANDING STAGE DIRECTION FOR A MUSICAL

• Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan — Spring Awakening

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF EXISTING MATERIAL FOR A PLAY

• anthropology — Barefoot Theatre Collaborative

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF EXISTING MATERIAL FOR A MUSICAL

• Spring Awakening — The Sandbox Collective

OUTSTANDING PLAY — ORIGINAL OR TRANSLATION/ADAPTATION

• Kislap at Fuego — PETA

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN

• Kislap at Fuego — PETA

Congratulations to all the artists, creatives, and companies cited in the first round of the 17th Gawad Buhay Awards.