'Kisapmata,' 'Shrek the Musical' + More: Here Are the Winners of This Year's Gawad Buhay Awards

(SPOT.ph) 2025 was a big year for the Philippine theater scene, with over 200 productions that kept audiences busy and entertained the whole year round. The best of these plays were honored Tuesday night at the 16th Gawad Buhay! Awards. Among the big winners were Kisapmata and Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinoy Pop Musical, both from Tanghalang Pilipino; Full House Theater’s Shrek the Musical; and Stages' Come From Away.

Kisapmata, Guelan Varela-Luarca’s stage adaptation of the 1981 Mike De Leon film, dominated the awards, bagging 11 wins. It made history as the first production to sweep honors for production, direction, writing, ensemble performance, and all four individual acting categories for either a play or a musical.

Varela-Luarca earned his second Gawad Buhay! for directing and his third for writing, the latter shared with the TP Actors Company. Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan and Toni Go-Yadao each took home their second Gawad Buhay! trophies for performance, while Joey Mendoza won his third for set design, D Cortezano his second for lighting design, and Arvy Dimaculangan his third for sound design. Rounding out the wins, Marco Viaña received his third Gawad Buhay! for Featured Actor in a Play, bringing his career total to five trophies.

Shrek the Musical trails the TP production with six wins in the bag, including Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical for Dexter Santos; Outstanding Production for Children; and Outstanding Performance in a featured and lead role for Topper Fabregas and Jamie Wilson, respectively.

The accolades were awarded in a fast-paced program on July 18 at the Aliw Theater, attended by the who’s who of Philippine theater. But the star-studded night did not only hand out silver statues to the best of the best, it also featured musical numbers from the cast of Come From Away, Gregoria Lakambini, and Side Show, including a dance number from The Foxtrot’s JC Santos and Jackie Lou Blanco.

The evening also paid tribute to Philippine theater stalwarts who passed away recently, including actress Sue Prado, playwright and actor George de Jesus III, and GA Fallarme, who won Outstanding Projection and Video Design for Shrek The Musical that evening, alongside Justin Santiago and JM Jimenez. The Natatanging Gawad Buhay!, the lifetime achievement award, was also posthumously given to the late arts educator and visual artist Brenda Fajardo, PhD.

• Outstanding Original Script: Liza Magtoto, J-mee Katanyag, Nina Gühlstorff, and the Cast of Nobody Is Home’ (Nobody Is Home)

• Outstanding Translation or Adaptation: Guelan Varela-Luarca and the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company (Kisapmata)

• Outstanding Book of a Musical: Nicanor Tiongson and Eljay Castro Deldoc (Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical)

• Outstanding Original Score: Nica del Rosario, Matthew Chang, Nicanor Tiongson, and Eljay Castro Deldoc (Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical)

• Outstanding Musical Direction: Farley Asuncion and Myke Salomon (We Aren’t Kids Anymore)

• Outstanding Choreography: Stephen Viñas (Shrek the Musical)

• Outstanding Costume Design: Carlos Siongco (Side Show)

• Outstanding Lighting Design: D Cortezano (Kisapmata)

• Outstanding Sound Design: Arvy Dimaculangan (Kisapmata)

• Outstanding Set Design: Joey Mendoza (Kisapmata)

• Outstanding Projection and Video Design: GA Fallarme, Justin Santiago, and JM Jimenez (Shrek the Musical)

• Female Lead Performance in a Play: Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan (Kisapmata)

• Male Lead Performance in a Play: Jonathan Tadioan (Kisapmata)

• Female Featured Performance in a Play: Toni Go-Yadao (Kisapmata)

• Male Featured Performance in a Play: Marco Viaña (Kisapmata)

• Female Lead Performance in a Musical: Marynor Madamesila (Side Show)

• Male Lead Performance in a Musical: Jamie Wilson (Shrek the Musical)

• Female Featured Performance in a Musical: Heart Puyong (Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical)

• Male Featured Performance in a Musical: Topper Fabregas (Shrek the Musical)

• Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Play: Kisapmata (Tanghalang Pilipino)

• Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Musical: Come From Away (Stages)

• Outstanding Stage Direction for a Play: Guelan Varela-Luarca (Kisapmata)

• Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical: Dexter Santos (Shrek the Musical)

• Outstanding Play – Original or Translation/Adaptation: Kisapmata (Tanghalang Pilipino)

• Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Play: Via Dolorosa (The Necessary Theatre)

• Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Musical: Come From Away (Stages)

• Outstanding Musical – Original or Translation/Adaptation: Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical (Tanghalang Pilipino)

• Outstanding Production for Children: Shrek the Musical (Full House Theater Company)

• Special Citation for Achievement in Puppetry: Shrek the Musical (Full House Theater Company)

• Natatanging Gawad Buhay!: Dr. Brenda Fajardo

Since 2008, the Gawad Buhay, or more formally known as the Philstage Awards for the Performing Arts, has been one of the country's most prestigious awards in the performing arts. Think of it as our own version of Broadway's Tony Awards or the West End's Olivier Awards.

It's the first-ever theater industry awards for professional theater companies and recognizes both individual and group achievements in various artistic and technical aspects of play, musical, and dance production.

To be considered for the Gawad Buhay Awards, your production must be mounted by member companies of the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group Inc. (Philstage). Current members of Philstage include 9 Works Theatrical, Actors Actors Inc., Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, Ballet Manila, Barefoot Theatre Collaborative, Culturtain Musicat Productions, Fire and Ice, Full House Theater Company, Necessary Theatre, Philippine Educational Theater Association, Philippine Opera Company, Repertory Philippines, The Sandbox Collective, Stages Productions Specialists, Inc., TP, Theatre Titas, and Trumpets Inc.

The awards cover an entire theater season, so in this case, the awardees are from the roster of shows in 2025. The winners are chosen by an independent jury of journalists, critics, theater insiders, and academics who weigh in on everything from citations to final votes. These jurors have to watch all productions from Philstage member-companies to provide citations each quarter.

For more information, visit Philstage's Facebook page.

Also read:
Your Ultimate Guide To Theater Shows in the Philippines in 2026
The Art of Many: Behind the Collaborative Magic of Philippine Theater