The Awit Awards revealed last weekend, the finalists for its 36th music awards as diverse music acts such as ALAMAT, BGYO, Angela Ken, Dilaw, Sunkissed Lola, Zack Tabudlo, Ben & Ben, Zild, Ena Mori and others vie for major nods and the 30-plus performance, music style and technical categories.   

It’s a heady but balanced mix of Pinoy pop, rock, acoustic-tinged folk pop, ballads, newbies and established acts on the Awit Awards’ listings for its major awards.

Starting with Album Of The Year category and its lineup that includes young folk-pop act Angela Ken’s self-titled record (Star Music). Sing and dance boybands BGYO album “Be Us” (Star Music) and ALAMAT with “Pasulong” (Viva Records) are there to represent Pinoy pop. Solo rocker Zild’s “Medisina” (UMG Phils) and art pop rocker Ena Mori and her “Don’t Blame The Wild One” (Offshore Music) album keeps the banner aloft  for modern rock .

For Record Of The Year, Morissette Amon’s “Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw” (Star Music), all-girl P-pop group BINI with “Lagi” (Star Music), Nica Del Rosario’s movement-inspired theme “Rosas” (Flipmusic Records), Zack Tabudlo’s “Yakap” (UMG Phils) and Dilaw with their instantly recognizable hit “Uhaw” and Player Two with their pop-hiphop flavored “That’s My Baby” (both from Warner Music Phils) will all vie for this equally prestigious category.

For bragging rights of having the biggest song this year, five acts that include Sunkissed Lola’s bluesy “Pasilyo” (Ditto Music), Ben & Ben’s “The Ones We Once Loved” and “Paninindigan Kita” (Sony Music Entertainment), “Asan Ka Na Ba” by Zack Tabudlo (UMG Phils) and “Uhaw (Tayong Lahat)” by Dilaw are all eyeing the nod for Song Of The Year category.

30 or so more categories in various music styles, performance and technical recognitions are up for grabs on this year’s event that will happen on November 9th, 7pm at the Baked Studios in Makati.

For the full list of finalists, check out Awit Awards official Facebook page.