No awards night for Katha - SOUNDS FAMILIAR by Baby A. Gil

There was no 6th Katha Awards presentation last year. The members of the organization went through the tedious process of selecting the nominees from the releases of 1999 and then voting on the winners. But for an undisclosed reason these were not presented in the usual ceremonies. Many artists up for the awards and their fans were, of course, disappointed.

It is easy to deduce that this unfortunate turn of events must be because of the difficult times we live in. Awards nights cost plenty and require a lot of sponsorship to push through. At a time when even big business is counting centavos, it is not likely that any of them would want to shell out something for an awards night even if it is in honor of exceptional accomplishments in the field of music.

I hope that this piece of news does not mean that we have seen the last of the Katha. While we do not always agree on who should win, there is always a feel-good atmosphere at the sight of winners fondling their trophies and thanking everyone from here to kingdom come. Let us all hope for better times in the near future and that there will still be a 7th, 8th, 9th and many more Katha Awards.

Let us not forget though that the winners for the 6th Katha Awards have been chosen and it is only right that the public be informed of these choices. I know that this announcement comes late but no matter. Blast out the fanfare. Bring out the trophies. And here they are, Katha’s best for 1999.

• Record of the Year - Puwede Ba by Viktoria/Artist/Songwriter/Producer, Marc Lopez/Arranger

• Album of the Year - Atas by Pinik-pikan, Bob Aves and Sammy Asuncion, Producers

• Song of the Year - Sana Bukas Na Lang ang Kahapon by Jungee Marcelo/Songwriter, Lloyd Umali/Artist Clara’s Eyes by Joey Benin/Songwriter, Side A/Artist

• Producer of the Year - Jungee Marcelo

• Best New Artist - Michael Chan

• Best Pop Song - Sana Bukas Na Lang ang Kahapon by Jungee Marcelo/Songwriter/Arranger/Producer, Lloyd Umali/Artist

• Best Pop Female Vocal Performance - Lani Misalucha Can’t Stop Loving You

• Best Pop Male Vocal Performance - Lloyd Umali Sana Bukas Na Lang ang Kahapon

• Best Pop Group Vocal Performance - Side A Clara’s Eyes

• Best Pop Collaboration Vocal - Lloyd Umali, Zebedee Zuñiga and Judith Banal Isa’t Isa at Isa

• Best Rock Song - Pop Machine by Ely Buendia/Songwriter, Eraserheads/Arranger, Robin Rivera and Eraserheads/Producer, Eraserheads/Artist

• Best Rock Performance - Eraserheads Pop Machine

• Best Alternative Song - Goodnyt by Barbie Almalbis, Barbie’s Cradle/Artist/Arranger, Barbie’s Cradle and Mon Espia/Producer

• Best Alternative Performance - Another Day by Mojofly Lampungan by Brown Beat All-Stars

• Best R&B Song - We Thang by Jungee Marcelo/Songwriter/Producer, Mon Faustino/Arranger, Jaya/Artist

• Best R&B Performance - We Thang by Jaya

• Best Rap Performance - FrancisM Watawat

• Best Contemporary Jazz Song - Time Will Tell by Michael Chan/Songwriter/Arranger/Producer

• Best Contemporary Jazz Performance - Michael Chan Time Will Tell

• Best Gospel Song - Sa Piling Mo by Gary Granada/Songwriter, Henry Garcia/Arranger, Jungee Marcelo/Producer, Terry Javier/Artist

• Best Gospel Performance - Jaya Gaya ng Dati

• Best Comedic Song - Sungit Queen by Da Pulis / Songwriter/Arranger/Producer

• Best Comedic Performance - Da Pulis Sungit Queen

• Best World Song - Kalipay by Pinikpikan, Sammy Asuncion/Arranger, Sammy Asuncion and Bob Aves/Producers

• Best World Performance - Pinikpikan Kalipay

• Best World Album - Atas by Pinik-pikan, Bob Aves and Sammy Asuncion/Producers

• Best Ska Song - Ask for More by Boom Dayupay Songwriter/Arranger/Producer

• Best Ska Performance - Kulay Ask for More

• Best Instrumental Composition - Patricia’s Lullaby by Louie Ocampo/Artist/Composer/Producer

• Best Instrumental Performance - Pinikpikan Singkilan

• Best Instrumental Arrangement - Louie Ocampo Patricia’s Lullaby

• Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals - Jungee Marcelo Rampa

• Best Engineered Recording - Get Down by Kulay, Eric Apuyan, Mixing Engineer

• Best Musical Cast Recording - Rama at Sita (The Musical) Willy Munji, Producer

• Best Album Package - Barbie’s Cradle by Barbie Almalbis and Yvette Co of Limin Applied Arts and Interactive Media

To all the winners of the 6th Katha Awards, congratulations.

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Meanwhile, the list of nominees for the Golden Globes has been released and here are those nominated in the Best Original Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show category plus the artists who performed them:

I’ve Seen It All by Bjork from Dancer in the Dark; My Funny Friend and Me by Sting from The Emperor’s New Groove; One in a Million by Bosson from Miss Congeniality; Things Have Changed by Bob Dylan from Wonder Boys; When You Come Back to Me by Garth Brooks from Frequency.