Stage excellence spotlighted: 15th Gawad Buhay! unveils 2024 top theater contenders

The curtain is set to rise once again on the country’s most prestigious celebration of live theater as the 15th Gawad Buhay! Awards, presented by Philstage (The Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group), officially announces its roster of nominees. The awards ceremony is scheduled for July 30, 2025, at the newly-renovated Aliw Theater, promising a night of tribute to the best of Philippine stagecraft in 2024.

At the forefront this year is Tanghalang Pilipino, the resident theater company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, leading the pack with a staggering 33 nominations across two critically acclaimed productions. Balete, a haunting new play partly inspired by F. Sionil José’s novel Tree, scored 17 nods, while the Emilio Jacinto musical Pingkian: Isang Musikal earned 16 nominations. Both productions have been praised for their bold direction, technical artistry, and strong ensemble performances.

Also emerging as a major player is Barefoot Theatre Collaborative with its innovative staging of Bar Boys: A New Musical, adapted from the 2017 courtroom drama film. The production garnered 13 nominations, including nods for direction, choreography, musical score, and featured performances. Meanwhile, Repertory Philippines took home 11 nominations for its Filipino staging of the Off-Broadway romantic comedy I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, solidifying its reputation as a leader in musical theater revival.

The list of nominees reflects the diversity and vitality of the Philippine theater scene. This year, 11 companies received at least one nomination, drawn from 15 eligible productions mounted between January 1 and December 31, 2024. A 20-member independent jury composed of critics, academics, artists, and journalists made the final selections based on 143 citations.

A notable trend in this year’s list is the emergence of fresh talent, with 27 first-time nominees making the cut—a healthy 43% of the total 62 nominated individuals. However, the jury withheld citations in two major categories: Outstanding Original Script and Female Lead Performance in a Play, indicating a need to strengthen output in these areas.

The announcement was made via a pre-recorded video posted on the official Philstage Facebook page, hosted by returning Gawad Buhay! awardees Phi Palmos and Kakki Teodoro, lending excitement and legitimacy to the reveal.

As the industry continues to rebuild and redefine itself in the post-pandemic era, the 15th Gawad Buhay! serves as both a celebration of creative resilience and a reminder of the transformative power of live performance.

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🏆 Complete List of Nominees for the 15th Gawad Buhay! Awards

Outstanding Translation or Adaptation

• Rody Vera, Chris Millado, Sabrina Basilio, Delphine Buencamino, and the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company (Balete)

Outstanding Book of a Musical

• Juan Ekis (Pingkian: Isang Musikal)

• Pat Valera (Bar Boys: A New Musical)

Outstanding Original Score

• Myke Salomon & Pat Valera (Bar Boys)

• Ejay Yatco & Juan Ekis (Pingkian)

Outstanding Musical Direction

• Myke Salomon (Bar Boys)

• Myke Salomon (One More Chance)

• Ejay Yatco (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change)

• Ejay Yatco (Little Shop of Horrors)

• Ejay Yatco (Pingkian)

Outstanding Choreography

• Delphine Buencamino (Balete)

• Jomelle Era (Bar Boys)

• Jomelle Era (Pingkian)

Outstanding Costume Design

• Mio Infante (Little Shop of Horrors)

• Joey Mendoza (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change)

• Raven Ong (Parokya ni Edgar Musical)

• Carlo Pagunaling (Pingkian)

• Carlos Siongco (Balete)

Outstanding Lighting Design

• John Batalla (Betrayal)

• D Cortezano (Pingkian)

• Roman Cruz (Balete)

• Meliton Roxas Jr. (Parokya ni Edgar Musical)

• Meliton Roxas Jr. (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change)

Outstanding Sound Design

• Teresa Barrozo (Balete)

• Aji Manalo (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change)

• Fabian Obispo (Betrayal)

• TJ Ramos (Pingkian)

• Myke Salomon (One More Chance)

Outstanding Set Design

• Ohm David (Bar Boys)

• Joey Mendoza (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change)

• Wika Nadera (Balete)

• Carlo Pagunaling (Pingkian)

• Miguel Urbino (Betrayal)

Outstanding Projection and Video Design

• GA Fallarme (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change)

• GA Fallarme (Pingkian)

• GA Fallarme & Joyce Garcia (Parokya ni Edgar Musical)

• JM Jimenez (Balete)

Male Lead Performance in a Play

• James Bradwell (Betrayal)

• Nonie Buencamino (Balete)

• James Cooney (Betrayal)

Female Featured Performance in a Play

• Toni Go-Yadao (Balete)

• Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan (Balete)

• Gabby Padilla (Tiny Beautiful Things)

Male Featured Performance in a Play

• Earvin Estioco (Balete)

• Gelo Molina (Balete)

• Jonathan Tadioan (Balete)

• Marco Viaña (Balete)

Female Lead Performance in a Musical

• Krystal Kane (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change)

• Nicole Omillo (One More Chance)

• Tex Ordoñez-de Leon (Parokya ni Edgar Musical)

• Gabby Padilla (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change)

• Sue Ramirez (Little Shop of Horrors)

Male Lead Performance in a Musical

• Sam Concepcion (One More Chance)

• Alex Diaz (Bar Boys)

• CJ Navato (One More Chance)

• Benedix Ramos (Bar Boys)

• Vic Robinson (Pingkian)

Female Featured Performance in a Musical

• Sheena Belarmino (One More Chance)

• Bituin Escalante (Pingkian)

• Sheila Francisco (Bar Boys)

• Gab Pangilinan (Pingkian)

• Lance Reblando (Rent)

Male Featured Performance in a Musical

• Paw Castillo (Pingkian)

• Noel Comia Jr. (Parokya ni Edgar Musical)

• Audie Gemora (Little Shop of Horrors)

• Juliene Mendoza (Bar Boys)

• Omar Uddin (Bar Boys)

Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Play

• Balete (Tanghalang Pilipino)

Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Musical

• Bar Boys (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative)

• I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Repertory Philippines)

• Pingkian (Tanghalang Pilipino)

Outstanding Stage Direction for a Play

• Victor Lirio (Betrayal)

• Chris Millado (Balete)

Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical

• Mikko Angeles & Pat Valera (Bar Boys)

• Toff de Venecia (Little Shop of Horrors)

• Jenny Jamora (Pingkian)

• Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change)

Outstanding Production of Existing Material – Play

• Betrayal (Repertory Philippines)

Outstanding Production of Existing Material – Musical

• I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Repertory Philippines)

• Little Shop of Horrors (The Sandbox Collective)

Outstanding Original Play or Adaptation

• Balete (Tanghalang Pilipino)

Outstanding Original Musical or Adaptation

• Bar Boys (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative)

• Pingkian (Tanghalang Pilipino)

Outstanding Production for Children

• Jepoy and the Magic Circle (Repertory Philippines)