The 8th Asia Artist Awards (AAA) proved to be a moment of pride for the Filipino entertainment industry as local artists and performers emerged as winners.
Among the notable Filipino winners were P-pop powerhouse SB19, acclaimed folk-pop band Ben&Ben, rising boy group Hori7on, actors Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, and comedienne Melai Cantiveros-Francisco.
Known for their chart-topping songs and energetic performances, SB19 garnered attention not just in their home country but also internationally as they bagged the Hot Trend and Best Artist Award (Singer).
“First and foremost, I would like to thank God for giving us strength to get through everything and, of course, giving us A’TIN. You guys are the best. We love you all so much,” said Pablo during his speech.
“This is our first time to be part of [the] Asia Artist Awards. This is such a big milestone not just for SB19 but for every Filipino out there. We can say that we made it and we’ll keep on achieving our dreams,” Josh added.
SB19 was among the Hot Trend Award winners together with Korean superstars, Lee Jun-ho and Ahn Hyo-seop, and singers, Lim Young-woong, and NewJeans.
The “Gento” singers were also named as Best Artist Award for the singer category along with award-winning Korean groups LE SSERAFIM, AKMU, ITZY, IVE, and The Boyz.
Meanwhile, on winning the award, the eldest member also said that they were surprised to be recognized by AAA.
“It was really surprising and overwhelming because we didn’t expect any awards. We just wanted to perform yesterday and it was a big opportunity for us to show the Filipino talents all over the world and of course, to the Koreans,” he said in a separate interview.
Hori7on, a South Korea-based Filipino boy band, was among the first to receive recognition at AAA with the FOCUS award.
On the other hand, Ben&Ben was one of the recipients of the Best Choice Award.
Ex-lovers Kathryn and Daniel were also given the spotlight with the AAA Fabulous Award. Daniel thanked his fans while Kathryn expressed her gratitude for those supporting Filipino-made series and movies.
“Wow! What an honor to be recognized tonight with these beautiful and talented people. Thank you so much, AAA, for this Fabulous Award,” Kathryn stated.
“Nakaka-proud na bilang Pilipino, tayo ‘yung nagho-host ng ganitong event. Also, I want to take this opportunity to thank everybody for supporting Filipino-made TV series as well as movies,” she added.
Among the highlights of the prestigious event was the presence of Magandang Buhay host Melai Cantiveros-Francisco.
Known for her bubbly personality, Melay brought her unique brand of humor to the awards ceremony. She took home the Best Actor Award for headlining the film Ma’am Chief: Shakedown in Seoul.
“I just receive award [sic] all of my life from my mother and father, every time they’re angry to [sic] me. Tonight, my heart is very kuwan…the best. I think it’s because God moves in mysterious ways,” she said.
Filipino-Argentinian Chanty’s group, Lapillus, was also awarded with the Potential Award. “It’s Showtime” host Ryan Bang also graced the event hosting the Red Carpet ceremony.