For one night, Philippine cinema’s biggest stars, filmmakers and films gathered under one roof.
The 74th Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards, held at the historic The Manila Hotel, honoured some of the year’s standout performances, with Maricel Soriano, Maris Racal, and McCoy de Leon among the evening’s biggest winners.
At the centre of the night’s conversation were two actresses who had recently shared top honours elsewhere during awards season.
This time, however, they were recognised separately. Soriano took home Best Actress for Meet, Greet & Bye, while Racal became the first recipient of the newly created Actress of Distinction award for Sunshine.
Soriano wins Best Actress
For many fans, seeing Soriano accept the Best Actress trophy felt like another milestone in a career that has spanned decades.
The veteran actress beat fellow nominees that included Racal, Charo Santos, Angelica Panganiban, and Krystel Go.
Racal makes FAMAS history
While Soriano received Best Actress, Racal walked away with a different distinction. The award sparked discussion online, with some initially thinking Racal had tied with Soriano for Best Actress.
FAMAS later clarified that the Actress of Distinction award is a separate recognition honouring a singular standout performance, while Best Actress takes into account a performer’s broader body of work and contribution to cinema.
De Leon scores Best Actor win
Another major winner was McCoy de Leon, who won Best Actor for his performance in In Thy Name.
His win came in a competitive category that included acclaimed performances from actors such as Jericho Rosales, Piolo Pascual, Carlo Aquino, and Earl Amaba.
‘In Thy Name’ dominates the night
If there was one film that owned the evening, it was In Thy Name.
The film won Best Picture, while Ceasar Soriano earned Best Director and Gaspar Mangarin received Best Visual Effects.
Strong showing for ‘Quezon’
Quezon also left the ceremony with multiple trophies.
Among its winners were Karylle, who won Best Supporting Actress, and Mon Confiado, who won Best Supporting Actor. The film also earned awards in technical categories, including cinematography and editing.
Other notable winners
Among the other winners were Annika Co, who received Best Child Performer for Sunshine, and the team behind Bar Boys: After School, which took home Best Screenplay.
Special awards were also handed out to industry veterans, including Dina Bonnevie, who was named Queen of Philippine Cinema, and filmmaker Jose Javier Reyes, who received a lifetime achievement honour.
