What sets The Eddys apart

The Entertainment Editors Awards for Movies, better known as The Eddys, are presented by the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd) annually. They aim to elevate Philippine cinema by honoring the excellence of its remarkable talents, and pride themselves in upholding the highest standards of integrity within the movie industry. This year, the 7th Eddys were held on July 7 in the Ceremonial Hall of the Marriott Grand Ballroom at Newport World Resorts in Pasay City. A delayed telecast of the event was aired on ALLTV on July 14 at 10 p.m.  

With so many award-giving bodies in showbiz, what sets the Eddys apart for me is SPEEd’s unwavering commitment to transparency. Their winners are announced only during the event itself, following the tabulation process which is overseen by certified public accountant Juancho Robles of Chan, Robles & Company, which ensures the integrity and impartiality of the results.

This year, SPEEd decided for the first time to give Eddys for Box Office Heroes. The award is for artists who starred in top-grossing films which gave the “dying” movie industry much needed shots-in-the-arm and brought moviegoers back to theaters in droves.

The awardees for movies that grossed over P100M each were Kathryn Bernardo for “A Very Good Girl,” and Julia Montes and Alden Richards for “5 Breakups and a Romance.” Piolo Pascual received his Box Office Hero award for the P200M-plus grosser “Mallari,” while Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera won their awards for the box-office phenomenon “Rewind,” which grossed over P1B.

What I found truly remarkable was that most of these A-listers were present to accept their awards, lending glitz and glamour to the event. Husband and wife Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera who was wearing a beautiful white terno by Jo Rubio made a handsome power couple. Piolo looked dapper in his barong, while Julia Montes looked elegant in her all-black terno by Koko Gonzales of Light Shine White. Sending their regrets were Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, who are both preparing to shoot the sequel to “Hello, Love, Goodbye” in Canada.

The Eddys also gave importance to beloved veterans who have entertained film fans over many decades, and given Filipinos some of the most iconic moments in Philippine cinema. This year, the Icon awards went to Eva Darren, Leo Martinez, Gina Alajar, Nova Villa and Senator Lito Lapid.

Who can question the talent and longevity of these artists? With the exception of Senator Lapid (who had nephew, lawyer John DX Lapid accept his award), the other awardees were all present. Leo Martinez elicited lots of laughter when he quipped that the Icon awards should have been presented at the beginning of the program since senior citizens go to bed early and have to go to the bathroom regularly.

Aside from the pageantry, I also enjoyed the captivating production numbers. The show opened with Jed Madela’s powerful rendition of Go the Distance, which set the tone for what was to come. The second production number brought the house down when the five Rampa Reynas — drag queens Kiari, Katana, Khiendra, Felicia Ding, and Kieffy Nicole — danced to the music of Rampa by Vice Ganda.

But it was Ogie Alcasid’s performance of Kailangan Kita while playing the keyboard that brought tears to my eyes. The song was Ogie’s tribute to the men and women of the entertainment industry who passed away in recent months, and made special mention of Leo Dominguez, Ogie’s dear friend and manager for over 30 years, who passed away in May.

The finale number came courtesy of very talented young ladies Elisha Ponti and Andrea Gutierrez, who performed a medley of Lambing, Naghihintay and Ikaw ay Ako, which perfectly capped a beautiful, feel-it-all evening for our movie industry. 

Kudos to the men and women behind the 7th Eddys Awards Night and congratulations to the winners!