The Philippine music scene’s rising acts are getting their moment in the spotlight as the 39th Awit Awards recognizes a new generation of artists making their mark on OPM.

Among the nominees for Best New Artist are singer-songwriter Gab Cabangon, art-pop trio NEW LORE and P-Pop group VVINK, who are competing alongside Jamiela, Nicole and It All Started in May for one of the ceremony’s most anticipated honors.

The Awit Awards, organized by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI), celebrates outstanding achievements in Filipino recorded music, recognizing artists, songwriters, producers, and other music industry professionals across various categories.

With their first major Awit Awards nomination, Cabangon, NEW LORE, and VVINK shared with this writer what the recognition means to them and how they hope to introduce their music to a wider audience.

Gab Cabangon: ‘It hasn’t really sunk in for me’

For Cabangon, the nomination came as an unexpected milestone, particularly because it arrived with his debut single.

Despite the surprise, he said he is grateful to receive his first nomination and to be recognized alongside artists he respects and admires.

Cabangon jokingly describes his sound as “nonchalant sadboi,” but his music is rooted in the singer-songwriter tradition, drawing inspiration from artists such as John Mayer and Ebe Dancel. He combines chill guitar-driven arrangements with soulful and emotional vocals, using his songs to reflect on different stages of life.

“I like to think my songs are my personal reflections about going through different phases of life,” he said. “I do hope that my listeners are able to appreciate the story and message of my songs.”

NEW LORE: Turning grief into music

For NEW LORE, the Best New Artist nomination feels like an affirmation of the world the group has been building through music and visual art.

The recognition is particularly meaningful because of how early it has come in the group’s journey.

The group describes its music as art pop that moves between dream pop, indie rock, folk, and electronic music. Their songs can shift from intimate and delicate to expansive and cinematic.

VVINK: ‘We get to represent our genre’

P-Pop group VVINK was equally surprised by its nomination, particularly as the only P-Pop group in the Best New Artist category.

The group also expressed pride in “Baduy” and what it has accomplished since their debut. Being recognized as Best New Artist carries an added significance for VVINK because of the opportunity to represent P-Pop on the Awit Awards stage.

“Being nominated as Best New Artist, and being the only P-Pop group in the category, makes us even prouder because we get to represent our genre and what we do,” they said. The group sees the nomination as recognition of the work that went into their training, debut, and album.

VVINK describes its sound as playful, energetic, and distinctly FlipMusic, with each member bringing different personalities and strengths to the group.

For Cabangon, NEW LORE, and VVINK, the nomination is already a milestone regardless of who ultimately takes home the trophy; an indication that their respective sounds and stories are finding a place in the ever-evolving OPM landscape.