Fans of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) came together in a historic celebration on Tuesday night, Oct. 21, 2025, as the country witnessed the first-ever Filipino Music Awards (FMAs) at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Hosted by Joey Mead King, Michael Sager and Elijah Canlas, the ceremony gathered 500 musicians and industry legends in music and entertainment, all under one roof to celebrate homegrown talent and creativity.
Night of firsts
The FMAs introduced a dynamic structure, recognizing achievements across Genre Awards, People’s Choice Awards, Legacy Awards and Grand Awards to highlight a different dimension of OPM’s growing influence.
The Genre Awards, judged by a distinguished panel of OPM icons and industry veterans, honored the songs that pushed musical boundaries and inspired innovation. Among the night’s winners were:
Pop Song of the Year: “Dungka!” by SB19
Alternative Song of the Year: “I.N.A.S.” by ZILD
Rock Song of the Year: “Aura” by IV of Spades
Folk Song of the Year: “Sampung mga Daliri” by Dwta and Justin
Hip-hop Song of the Year: “Gubat na Siyudad” by Morobeats
R&B Song of the Year: “Marilag” by Dionela
Power to the people
While the jury handled the technical and artistic merits, the audience had their moment, too. Through nationwide voting, fans decided the People’s Choice Awards, the only category entirely shaped by public support.
SB19, the global P-pop powerhouse, swept all three fan-voted awards, People’s Choice Artist, People’s Choice Song for “Dungka!” and People’s Choice International Artist, which went to J-Hope.
Honoring legends
The Legacy Awards paid homage to icons who have left a mark on Philippine music. The night turned emotional as the audience rose to honor Pilita Corrales, recipient of the Tribute Award, followed by Ang Misyon Orchestra of the Filipino Youth, recognized as Music Foundation of the Year, and the legendary Jose Mari Chan, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Grand triumph
Rounding off the night were the Grand Awards, which combined jury evaluation and data-driven success. Once again, SB19 emerged as the evening’s biggest winner, taking home Artist of the Year, Concert of the Year and Tour of the Year for “Simula at Wakas.”
Meanwhile, Cup of Joe claimed two major honors, Album of the Year for “Silakbo” and Song of the Year for “Multo,” cementing their place among today’s most promising acts. Sony Music Philippines was named Music Company of the Year, recognizing its continued support in promoting Filipino talent on the world stage.