Tambayan OPM Awards honors Francis M.

MANILA, Philippines - Rico Blanco and Gloc 9 took home the major awards in the recent Tambayan OPM Awards where the most popular names in the music industry rocked the jam-packed SM City North EDSA’s SkyDome before hundreds of fans.

Rico bagged the Album of the Year award for his first solo album Your Universe and the Male Artist of the Year award.

Gloc 9 also clinched the night’s other top plum Song of the Year for hit single Upuan, a song that indirectly talks about corruption in the country.

Sugarfree bested 6CycleMind, Spongecola, Hale, Itchyworms and Rocksteddy by winning Band of the Year award while Yeng Constantino won Female Artist of the Year trophy where she competed with Charice and Sarah Geronimo.

An event that honored Pinoy originality and creativity in the music industry, the Tambayan OPM Awards rowdy mood was suddenly replaced with a solemn feel as music fans reminisce the late master rapper Francis M. and recognized his works and contributions in the music industry with the first Tambayani Award. Stickfiggas, who rendered a tribute to Francis accepted the award that honors Pinoy artists which contributions have greatly improved or moved forward original Pinoy music.

Other winners were Vhong Navarro who won Best Novelty Song of the Year for his single Pata-Pata-Pon and Close-Up which won over other brands for the Kantamercial of the Year award.

Bands Callalily, 6CycleMind, Paraluman, Rocksteddy and Imago; and Piolo Pascual, Jericho Rosales, Toni Gonzaga, Sam Concepcion, Kyla, Faith Cuneta, OJ Mariano, Laarni Lozada, Ronnie Liang, Miguel Mendoza, Liezl Garcia, Cris Pastor and Michael Josh Santana also graced the event and pumped up the crowd with their numbers.

Winners for the Tambayan OPM Awards were chosen based on results of text and on-line voting as well as scores from the program committee and panel of judges composed of Tambayan 101.9 station manager Eli Bruce Capuyan, Pinoy Dream Academy mentor Monette Silvestre and former ABS-CBN president Freddie Garcia.