Awit Awards

Honoring the best in Filipino music—celebrating talent, creativity, and the spirit of our sound.

History of Awit Awards

The idea for Awit Awards was conceived by Oskar “Oskee” Salazar, the Billboard correspondent for the Philippines at that time, in late 1968. The first awards ceremony was held on March 23, 1969, that took place in Makati. It was organized by the Awit Awards Executive Committee, which composed of representatives from different record companies, with Salazar as their chairman. Winners were voted by a jury composed of 15 people which were selected by the Awit Awards Executive Committee. The jurors were chosen by their jobs in the music industry such as a record retailer, jukebox operator, entertainment/music writer or a radio station program director.

Days before the second awards, they decided to create a formal academy called the Philippine Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (PARAS), replacing the Awit Awards Executive Committee. The academy was headed by Danny Villanueva, the outgoing president of the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS), as the chairman alongside Salazar as the co-chairman. It was composed of 75 members. The second awards was held in July 1970 while the third happened in June 1971. These two ceremonies were administered by the academy. From 1972 until 1987, no Awit Awards ceremonies were held.

In 1988, the Philippine Association of the Record Industry resurrected the Awit Awards. Instead of following the previous numbering pattern, they decided to call the 1988 awards as the 1st Awit Awards. This pattern continued until now.

Past Winners

Last Year’s Awit

Full List of Winners – 37th Awit Awards

🎶 37th AWIT AWARDS – Winners