16th Gawad Buhay! Awards Nominations

The 16th Gawad Buhay! Awards nominations were announced on May 26, with Tanghalang Pilipino’s (TP) “Kisapmata” and The Sandbox Collective’s “Side Show” leading the tally with 14 nods apiece.

“Kisapmata,” a new adaptation of the eponymous 1981 film directed by Mike de Leon, was nominated for every category it was eligible for: all five performance categories, six design categories, direction and production of a play, and original script (penned by Guelan Varela-Luarca with the TP Actors Company).

“Side Show,” the 1997 Broadway musical about a pair of conjoined twins in vaudeville-era America, scored nominations for its four alternating actresses who played the twins, and was the only production recognized in all seven design categories.

Full House Theater Company’s “Shrek the Musical,” the 2008 Broadway adaptation of the acclaimed animated film from 2001, landed 12 nominations, while Barefoot Theatre Collaborative’s “We Aren’t Kids Anymore,” a song cycle by Drew Gasparini, followed with nine.

All 18 eligible Philstage productions that opened between January 1 to December 31, 2025 garnered a nomination. These nominations were drawn from a pool of 155 citations determined through four separate meetings by a 13-person independent jury of theater practitioners, academics, reviewers, and journalists. For the first time since 2015, every competitive category had a recipient for a citation. Among the 78 nominated individuals, 25 (or 32%) are first-time nominees.

The following productions were co-produced with non-Philstage member companies: “Come From Away” (Stages Production Specialists, Inc. with GMG Productions), “Kaliwaan” (Stages Production Specialists, Inc. with MusicArtes, Inc.), “Nobody Is Home” (Philippine Educational Theater Association with Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater), and “Via Dolorosa” (The Necessary Theatre with WHYNot Manila).

The 16th Gawad Buhay! Awards ceremonies will be held on July 28, 2026 at Aliw Theater, Pasay City. 

See below for the complete list of nominations:

Outstanding Original Script

1. Chesie Galvez-Cariño (‘The Foxtrot’)
2. Liza Magtoto, J-mee Katanyag, Nina Gühlstorff, and the cast of ‘Nobody Is Home’ (‘Nobody Is Home’)

Outstanding Translation or Adaptation

1. Guelan Varela-Luarca and the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company (‘Kisapmata’)

Outstanding Book of a Musical

1. Nicanor Tiongson and Eljay Castro Deldoc (‘Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical’)

Outstanding Original Score

1. Nica del Rosario, Matthew Chang, Nicanor Tiongson, and Eljay Castro Deldoc (‘Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical’)
2. Gabriel Ramos and Dexter Lansang (‘Via Dolorosa’)

Outstanding Musical Direction

1. Farley Asuncion and Myke Salomon (‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’)
2. Nica del Rosario and Matthew Chang (‘Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical’)
3. Rony Fortich (‘Come From Away’)
4. Ejay Yatco (‘Shrek the Musical’)
5. Ejay Yatco (‘Side Show’)

Outstanding Choreography

1. JM Cabling (‘Kisapmata’)
2. JM Cabling (‘Side Show’)
3. Jomelle Era (‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’)
4. Paul Alexander Morales (‘The Foxtrot’)
5. Stephen Viñas (‘Delia D.: A Musical Featuring the Songs of Jonathan Manalo’)
6. Stephen Viñas (‘Shrek the Musical’)

Outstanding Costume Design

1. Bonsai Cielo (‘Kisapmata’)
2. Mitoy Sta. Ana (‘Delia D.: A Musical Featuring the Songs of Jonathan Manalo’)
3. Carlos Siongco (‘Side Show’)
4. Hershee Tantiado and Phillip Domingo (‘Alice in Wonderland’)
5. Marco Viaña (‘Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical’)

Outstanding Lighting Design

1. John Batalla (‘Delia D.: A Musical Featuring the Songs of Jonathan Manalo’)
2. D Cortezano (‘Kisapmata’)
3. D Cortezano (‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’)
4. Meliton Roxas Jr. (‘Shrek the Musical’)
5. Gabo Tolentino (‘Side Show’)

Outstanding Sound Design

1. Arvy Dimaculangan (‘Kisapmata’)
2. Aji Manalo (‘Side Show’)
3. Fabian Obispo (‘Art’)
4. Aron Roca (‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’)
5. Luke Swaffield (‘Come From Away’)

Outstanding Set Design

1. Lawyn Cruz (‘Shrek the Musical’)
2. Mark Dalacat (‘Side Show’)
3. Joey Mendoza (‘Kisapmata’)
4. Joey Mendoza (‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’)
5. Mikayla Teodoro (‘Come From Away’)

Outstanding Projection and Video Design

1. GA Fallarme (‘Liwanag sa Dilim’)
2. GA Fallarme and Joyce Garcia (‘Delia D.: A Musical Featuring the Songs of Jonathan Manalo’)
3. GA Fallarme, Justin Santiago, and JM Jimenez (‘Shrek the Musical’)
4. Joey Mendoza, D Cortezano, Justin Santiago, and JM Jimenez (‘Kisapmata’)

Female Lead Performance in a Play

1. Jackie Lou Blanco (‘The Foxtrot’)
2. Meann Espinosa (‘Nobody Is Home’)
3. Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan (‘Kisapmata’)

Male Lead Performance in a Play

1. Ron Capinding (‘Kaliwaan’)
2. Bart Guingona (‘Via Dolorosa’)
3. JC Santos (‘The Foxtrot’)
4. Brian Sy (‘Art’)
5. Jonathan Tadioan (‘Kisapmata’)

Female Featured Performance in a Play

1. Ute Baggeröhr (‘Nobody Is Home’)
2. Toni Go-Yadao (‘Kisapmata’)
3. Ash Nicanor (‘Let’s Do Lunch’)
4. Susi Wirth (‘Nobody Is Home’)

Male Featured Performance in a Play

1. Marco Viaña (‘Kisapmata’)

Female Lead Performance in a Musical

1. Krystal Kane (‘Side Show’)
2. Molly Langley (‘Side Show’)
3. Marynor Madamesila (‘Side Show’)
4. Tanya Manalang (‘Side Show’)
5. Nikki Valdez (‘Next to Normal’)

Male Lead Performance in a Musical

1. Arnel Carrion (‘A Christmas Carol’)
2. Phi Palmos (‘Delia D.: A Musical Featuring the Songs of Jonathan Manalo’)
3. Jamie Wilson (‘Shrek the Musical’)

Female Featured Performance in a Musical

1. Cathy Azanza-Dy (‘Come From Away’)
2. Maronne Cruz (‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’)
3. Sheila Francisco (‘Come From Away’)
4. Sheena Lee Palad (‘The Bodyguard The Musical’)
5. Heart Puyong (‘Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical’)

Male Featured Performance in a Musical

1. Topper Fabregas (‘Shrek the Musical’)
2. John Lapus (‘Delia D.: A Musical Featuring the Songs of Jonathan Manalo’)
3. Vino Mabalot (‘Next to Normal’)
4. Marvin Ong (‘Side Show’)
5. Benedix Ramos (‘Next to Normal’)
6. Alfredo Reyes (‘Shrek the Musical’)

Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Play

1. ’Kisapmata’ (Tanghalang Pilipino)
2. ‘Nobody Is Home’ (Philippine Educational Theater Association)

Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Musical

1. ’Come From Away’ (Stages Production Specialists, Inc.)
2. ‘Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical’ (Tanghalang Pilipino)
3. ‘Shrek The Musical’ (Full House Theater Company)
4. ‘Side Show’ (The Sandbox Collective)
5. ‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’ (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative)

Outstanding Stage Direction for a Play

1. Bart Guingona (‘Via Dolorosa’)
2. Nina Gühlstorff and J-mee Katanyag (‘Nobody Is Home’)
3. Guelan Varela-Luarca (‘Kisapmata’)
4. Paul Alexander Morales (‘The Foxtrot’)

Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical

1. Delphine Buencamino (‘Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical’)
2. Toff de Venecia (‘Side Show’)
3. Dexter Santos (‘Shrek the Musical’)
4. Michael Williams (‘Come From Away’)
5. Rem Zamora (‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’)

Outstanding Play – Original or Translation/Adaptation

1. ’The Foxtrot’ (Theatre Titas)
2. ‘Kisapmata’ (Tanghalang Pilipino)
3. ‘Nobody Is Home’ (Philippine Educational Theater Association)

Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Play

1. ’Via Dolorosa’ (The Necessary Theatre)

Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Musical

1. ’Come From Away’ (Stages Production Specialists, Inc.)
2. ‘Shrek the Musical’ (Full House Theater Company)
3. ‘Side Show’ (The Sandbox Collective) -
4. ‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’ (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative)

Outstanding Musical – Original or Translation/Adaptation

1. ’Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical’) (Tanghalang Pilipino)

Outstanding Production for Children

1. ’A Christmas Carol’ (9 Works Theatrical)
2. ‘Shrek the Musical’ (Full House Theater Company)