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Congratulations to the Winners

By NU107

Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Filipino pride was high on October 30, 2009 as some of the biggest names in the local music scene were present at what is considered the summit of Pinoy rock: the annual NU 107 Rock Awards. For the awards show’s 16th year, the theme was High Definition; an allusion to both the level of technical expertise of 2009’s honorees, and to the defining characteristics that can be ascribed to the ever-evolving sound of Philippine music. Thus, it made perfect sense that the winners comprised an eclectic collection of artists possessing diverse styles, yet with a decidedly distinct Filipino flavor. Hosts Iza Calzado and Ramon Bautista kept the audience entertained along with a number of other celebrity guests who share in NU 107’s enthusiasm for the local music arena.

The first award of the night went to Peryodiko, whose self-titled debut earned them the award for Best New Artist. Frontman Vin Dancel was coincidentally celebrating his birthday that night so it must have been quite a gift when they went on to win 2 more awards: Guitarist of the Year for widely respected yet long overlooked Kakoy Legaspi, and Producer of the Year for Robin Rivera, who last took to the podium 12 years ago for his work on the Eraserheads’ Fruitcake.

No stranger to acclaim at the Rock Awards or the international music circuit, Up Dharma Down was the night’s other triple-winner, bagging the Album of the Year trophy for their sophomore release Bipolar—a favorite among music critics and the general listening public. For their continuing effort in breaking genre barriers and elevating the limits of categorically Filipino creativity, the band also took home the award for Artist of the Year, presented to them by three groundbreaking personalities in the local music scene: erstwhile Eraserheads members Ely Buendia, Raimund Marasigan and Buddy Zabala.

Up Dharma Down frontwoman Armi Millare provided one of the more touching moments of the night as she was visibly emotional while accepting her award for Vocalist of the Year, which she shared with Sugarfree’s Ebe Dancel who almost didn’t make it to the stage since he was in the men’s room as his name was being announced! Sugarfree’s Mornings and Airports also took home the award for Best Album Packaging. Hilera took home 2 trophies as well: Best Live Act and Bassist of the Year for Ivan Garcia—whose signature onstage style includes standing on his upright bass as he plays.

The award for Drummer of the Year went to Kamikazee’s Alan Burdeos who previously claimed the same award in 2003. Other past winners that were awarded were Chicosci(who took home the Listeners’ Choice trophy) and 2008 Vocalist of the Year Rico Blanco, whose hit anthem “Antukin” was awarded Song of the Year. Previous nominee Pancho Esguerra took home a Rock Award for directing Bamboo’s “Last Days On A Cruise Ship” video.

Despite the threat of Typhoon Santi, music fans poured into the World Trade Center and were treated to performances from the winners and other nominated artists like the Itchyworms and Kjwan along with a slew of others: from the swinging soul of Juan Pablo Dream (complete with ‘60s-style cage dancers) to the straight up hard-rockin’ adrenaline of Razorback and Greyhoundz. Cebuano bands Urbandub and Franco represented the Queen City of the South while 2008 Artist of the Year Pupil, as always, did not disappoint.

A memorable highlight this year came in the form of a moving montage in memory of the artists we bid farewell to this year, culminating with the presentation of the Hall Of Fame Award to the courageous and unforgettable Francis M. Shortly after his wife Pia accepted the award on her late husband’s behalf, she proudly introduced a special tribute performance featuring their son Elmo accompanied by Ely Buendia, and an all-star gathering of musicians.

The 16th Rock Awards was indeed a night focused on preserving and honoring the persevering spirit of the Filipino by taking a focused look at the past, present and future of its artists.

Tags: RA09 winners