17th Star Awards for Music: OPM is thriving with new breed of artists redefining the local soundscape

The 17th PMPC Star Awards for Music major winners, from left: James Reid, Moira, Ben&Ben, and Jayda

The landscape of Philippine musical entertainment is undergoing a vibrant transformation, marked by a rhythmic "changing of the guard" that blends heritage with innovation. OPM is not only surviving but thriving, propelled by a new breed of artists who are redefining the local soundscape. This resurgence is characterized by a heartwarming synergy between generations; veteran icons are increasingly collaborating with rising stars, bridging the gap between classic melodies and contemporary sensibilities. This fusion has sparked a concert and theater boom, with musical plays and live performances mushrooming across the archipelago. 

Driven by a palpable hunger from Millennials and Gen Z for authentic, shared experiences, this live-entertainment renaissance has moved beyond a fleeting trend. As these younger audiences continue to champion OPM, it is clear that the industry’s current momentum is a robust long-term trajectory, ensuring that the heartbeat of Filipino music will resonate for years to come.

17th Star Awards for Music

The 17th PMPC Star Awards for Music, held on June 25 at Teatrino Greenhills, served as a testament to this: the stage belongs to a new generation of sonic architects. With celebrated artists like James Reid, Ben&Ben, Moira Dela Torre, Jayda, and Maki sweeping the honors, the evening felt like a coronation of the modern vanguard. 

Maki of the "Dilaw" fame

Singer-songwriter Maki emerged as one of the biggest winners taking home the coveted Song of the Year award for his chart-topping hit Dilaw which ranked as Google’s 10th most-searched song in the Philippines in 2024, also set a record by becoming the highest single-day streamed OPM song with 1.1 million streams. By August 2024, Dilaw had surpassed 100 million Spotify streams and was later recognized by Apple Music Philippines as one of its Top OPM Songs of 2025, landing at No. 3.

Aside from Song of the Year, Maki was also named Male Pop Artist of the Year. 

James Reid receives his first ever Star from the PMPC

Not totally a newbie, James Reid won Album of the Year for jgh. Visibly overwhelmed, he thanked the PMPC for giving him his very first music award after several years in the industry. He was also honored as Male Celebrity of the Night.

Meanwhile, Moira Dela Torre made a rare personal appearance to receive her Female Recording Artist of the Year trophy. She also delighted the audience with a heartfelt performance from her award-winning album and was likewise recognized as Female Celebrity of the Night.

TJ Monterde continued his winning streak after being named Male Recording Artist of the Year and Male Concert Performer of the Year. He also shared the Collaboration of the Year award with wife KZ Tandingan for their hit duet Palagi. Although Monterde was unable to attend, his management team accepted the awards on his behalf.

Moira & Ben&Ben (below) 

Real-life brothers Paolo and Miguel Benjamin, better known as Ben&Ben, arrived early at the venue and ended the evening with yet another career milestone after winning Best Duo/Group Artist of the Year.

P-Pop powerhouse SB19 likewise dominated several major categories, winning Duo/Group Concert Performer of the Year, Concert of the Year for their Pagtatag! World Tour (Manila), and Music Video of the Year for Kalakal featuring Gloc-9. They also received the special Fan Favorite Award, presented by co-presenter PlayTime, after garnering the highest number of votes in the online fan poll.

The phenomenal girl group BINI won Pop Album of the Year for Talaarawan, released under Star Music, while Dance Recording of the Year went to their smash hit Salamin, Salamin. Rising P-Pop group BILIB personally accepted their trophy for Say Whatcha Wanna Say.

Reliable young hosts: Dylan, Jayda, Marthena, and Jarren

Hosts Jayda Avanzado and Dylan Menor received pleasant surprises of their own after winning awards during the ceremony. Jayda was named Female Pop Artist of the Year and Female Celebrity of the Night, while Dylan was recognized as Male Star of the Night. Fellow hosts Jarren Garcia and Marthena Jickain likewise earned praise for their polished hosting performance.

The star-studded evening was further energized by special performances from Jarren Garcia, Sam Concepcion, and Reid himself. 

Music icons remains to be the bedrock of OPM

While icons will always remain the bedrock of OPM, the industry is clearly pivoting toward a digital-native era where relatability, genre-bending experimentation, and authentic storytelling take precedence over old-guard formulas. 

The 17th Star Awards for Music made sure of this with the production staged by Echo Jham Entertainment Production, headed by Ms. Mhae Sarenas, with Calvin Murphy Neria serving as director. 

Regine Velasquez honored her award with her presence

Not to be missed was Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez who turned heads with her K-pop-inspired fashion as she personally received her Female Concert Performer of the Year trophy for her successful concert Regine Rocks: The Repeat.

One of the evening’s most touching moments was the presentation of the Pilita Corrales Lifetime Achievement Award to music legends Celeste Legaspi and Andrew E. Meanwhile, acclaimed songwriter Mon del Rosario received the prestigious Levi Celerio Lifetime Achievement Award, expressing heartfelt gratitude to his mentors, supporters, and PMPC. Tribute performances were rendered by Ima Castro for Celeste Legaspi, Salbakuta for Andrew E., and Chad Borja together with JV Decena, who performed some of Mon del Rosario’s timeless compositions.

Andrew E

Lifetime Achievement awardees Celeste Legaspi and Dr. Mon del Rosario (below) 

The legendary ’70s hitmakers Rainmakers were also honored as Mga Natatanging Alagad ng Musikang Pilipino, delighting guests with a nostalgic performance.

The Rainmakers with PMPC presidents led by incumbent Prexy Fernan de Guzman (3rd from right) 

Here is the complete list of winners:

Female Recording Artist of the Year 

-- Moira Dela Torre – “San Ka Na” 

Male Recording Artist of the Year 

-- TJ Monterde – “Sariling Mundo” 

Duo / Group Artist of the Year

-- Ben & Ben – “The Traveller Across Dimensions” 

Album of the Year 

-- “jgh” – James Reid 

Song of the Year 

– “Dilaw” – Maki (Tarsier Records)

Male Concert Performer of the Year 

– TJ Monterde – “Sarili Nating Mundo Concert” 

Female Concert Performer of the Year 

– Regine Velasquez – “Regine Rocks: The Repeat” 

Female Pop Artist of the Year 

– Jayda Avanzado – “Right Lover, Wrong Time” 

Male Pop Artist of the Year 

– Maki – “Dilaw” 

Pop Album of the Year 

-- “Talaarawan” – BINI 

Concert of the Year 

-- “Pagtatag! World Tour (Manila)” – SB19

Duo/ Group Concert Performer of the Year 

– SB19 – “Pagtatag! World Tour (Manila)”

Music Video of the Year 

-- “Kalakal” – SB19 x Gloc-9

New Male Recording Artist of the Year 

– Dwayne Garcia – “Taym Perst Muna”

New Female Recording Artist of the Year 

– Debbie Lopez – “Ang Higugmaon Ka”

Rock Artist of the Year 

-- Sponge Cola – "Tatlong Buwan" 

Female R&B Artist of the Year 

-- Zéla – "Pogi Boy" 

Male R&B Artist of the Year 

-- Kris Lawrence – "Within" 

Female Acoustic Artist of the Year 

-- Angela Ken – "Kulimlim" 

Male Acoustic Artist of the Year 

-- Juan Karlos – "Tanga Mo Juan" 

Collaboration of the Year 

- "Hanggang Dulo" – Jos Garcia x Nolo Lopez (Stardom Music Production) and  Palagi – TJ Monterde x KZ Tandingan 

Rap Album of the Year 

-- "Drugs" – Shanti Dope

Rap Artist of the Year 

-- Illest Morena – "Morenita" 

New Female Group Artist of the Year 

-- PIX!E – "Iced Coffee" 

New Male Group Artist of the Year 

-- Five Fingers – "Lakas Mo" 

Dance Recording of the Year 

-- "Say Whatcha Wanna Say" – Bilib  and "Salamin Salamin" – BINI 

Revival Recording of the Year 

-- "Ipagpatawad Mo" – Khel Pangilinan

Inspirational Song of the Year 

-- "Pagmamahal sa Tinubuang Lupa" – Kayla Acosta, Kamilla Acosta, Enoch Casiño, Emilio David, Ephraim Maglaque (Independent)

Composer: Atty. Persida V. Rueda-Acosta; and "Ningas Ng Pag Asa" -Jamie Rivera Feat. 92 AD 

Christmas Song of the Year 

-- "Rainbow Christmas" – Vice Ganda

Pilita Corrales Lifetime Achievement Award

-- Celeste Legaspi

-- Andrew E

Parangal Levi Celerio Lifetime Achievement Award

-- Mon Del Rosario

Mga Natatanging Alagad ng Musikang Pilipino

-- Rainmakers

Female Star of the Night 

-- Moira Dela Torre

Male Star of the Night 

-- Dylan Menor

Female Celebrity of the Night

-- Jayda Avanzado

Male Celebrity of the Night

-- James Reid

Playtime Fan Favorite Award

-- SB19