The Philippine Association of the Recording Industry (PARI) officially launched the start of the Awit Awards season on April 21.
With the announcement, PARI opened the nominations for the various categories that comprise the awards show.
PARI’s 36th Awit Awards Organizing Committee chair, Atty. Marivic Benedicto, also introduced the “exciting changes to Awit that are meant to recognize the new global trends and practices in the (music) industry.”
Said changes include the addition of new categories such as “Best Rock / Metal Recording,” “Best Musical Theater Recording,” “Best Global Collaboration Recording,” “Best Remix Recording,” “Best Dance / Electronic Recording,” “Best Original Soundtrack Recording,” and “Best Recording by a Child or For Children.”
PARI also added the “Lifetime Achievement Awards” category to recognize the outstanding achievements of figures and movers on and behind the music scene.
Benedicto also noted that the 36th Awit Awards have opened up “allowing collaborations between Filipino and non-Filipino composers to qualify for awards.”
The eventual collaborations will naturally require that 50% of the work is composed by a Filipino.
Still, it does open up a myriad of possible collaborative configurations between Filipino music artists and creatives not only within the region but of the whole world.
With the new rule changes, “recordings are (now) allowed to be produced and mixed outside the Philippines, allowing recordings produced and/or mixed abroad to qualify for awards.”
“These are just a few of the forward-looking changes we have introduced this year in the hopes that (the) Awit Awards will remain updated and relevant for years to come,” Benedicto said.
“Needless to say, Awit is a work in progress, and we pledge to continue to evolve and innovate and be responsive to the needs and sentiments of all PARI members and the music industry,” she added.
Last year, PARI partnered with MYX Global to deliver one of the best Awit Awards ceremonies in recent years.
A date for the 36th Awards Show will be announced at a later date.