The First Grand Slam Best Actress in the Philippines
The oldest award giving body in the Philippines was the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences simply called FAMAS. It was formed two years after the Maria Clara awards folded in 1951. It was originally called AMPAS but an organization with the same name in America complained and the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences were born. FAMAS created a history of controversies throughout their 58 years in award-giving business mostly due from their questionable sets of winners. In 2006, FAMAS experienced a set back due to their controversial elections results. Two groups claimed to be the elected officers and owners of the rights to hand out FAMAS. As the legal battle settled, the batling group decided to just hand out their own awards, one used the name FAMAS and the other the Maria Clara Awards. The later group eventually folds.
As the sole award giving bodies in the Philippines, FAMAS retained their status as the most prestigious recognition an actor could have in the Philippines that was until a breakaway group came into the picture and handed out their first award in 1976 called the Gawad Urian awards. The newly organized group simply called “Manunuri” or the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (in English, the critics of Philippine cinema), created a name for its credible choices of winners throughout the years. This untainted reputation made the Gawad Urian, the most sought after awards in the Philippines.
Two years after the critics handed out their Gawad Urian, the Catholic Church joined the derby by handing out their own version of movie awards. The Catholic Mass Media Awards came to fruition in 1978 with the late Cardinal Jaime Sin officiating the ceremony. CMMA honour not only films but also television, print, radio, and recently advertisement.
Five years afterwards, came the establishment of the Philippines’ counterpart of OSCAR. Consists of different guilds, the very first academy awards, now called Luna Awards, was handed out in 1983. After 25 years, the Luna Awards cemented a reputation for, “the popularity contest awards,” which means each guild votes for their favourites and not necessarily about merits. They tried very hard to adopt a new set of voting rules including a different nominating group that represented each guild to resolve this issues but like the OSCAR, the results can sometimes questionable. The common consensus was that Luna remained far behind Gawad Urian.
Two years after the creation of Film Academy of the Philippines’ Luna awards, another group joined the award giving business.
The Philippines Movie Press Club or the PMPC handed out their first Star awards in 1985. The Star awards were considered the Philippines’ counterpart of the Golden Globes. And like the Golden Globes, the Star also honours television shows and programs. The only difference is that the Star hands out their film and televisions awards not on the same event or night.
Consists of movie publicists and movie entertainment writers, the Star followed the footsteps of Gawad Urian with very credible choices of winners but just like FAMAS, the PMPC experienced the same fate with breakaway members forming their own version of the same awards. The Entertainment Press Society was created seven years ago with their Golden Screen Awards.
Today, in addition to the Gawad Urian, Famas, Luna, CMMA, Star, and Golden Screen, we also have the Pasado awards from an organization of academics, the Young Critics Circle awards from a group of film students and the Gawad Tanglaw from an organization of film and arts’ instructors.
What is a “Grand Slam?” – Wikipedia described the term “grand slam” in terms of tennis, a singles player or doubles team that wins all four Grand Slam titles in the same year, is said to have achieved the “Grand Slam” or a “Calendar Year Grand Slam.” Just like Steffi Graf, the retired German tennis superstar, winning the Australian, French, Wimbledon and the US tennis open in the same calendar year, 1988.
Meanwhile the American Heritage dictionary described the term “grand slam” as follows:
1. The winning of all the tricks during the play of one hand in bridge and other whist-derived card games.
2. Sports – The winning of all the major or specified events, especially on a professional circuit.
3. Baseball – A home run hit when three runners are on base.
From this set of definitions comes the term “grand slam best actress” which basically winning all the best actress awards from the four major award giving bodies. And in 1983, the four majors were FAMAS, Gawad Urian, CMMA, and the FAP (or Luna now).
The Beginning – The Marcos administration created the Film Academy of the Philippines in 1981 under the guidance of first lady Imelda Marcos and Imee Marcos as Experimental Cinema of the Philippines’ director-general. ECP started to ambitiously produced films to showcase local talents for its inaugural 1982 Manila International Film Festival. ECP produced two memorable films, Peque Gallaga’s period film, “Oro, Plata, Mata” and Ishmael Bernal’s French influenced film, “Himala.”
Come Gawad Urian night, both films received its stiff competitions from three other films, Mike Deleon’s “Batch ’81,” Lino Brocka’s “Cain at Abel” and Marilou Diaz Abaya’s “Moral.”
For the Manunuri, the previous year produced only two stand out films, Mike De Leon’s Kisap Mata and Laurice Guillen’s Salome. A big contradiction this year, as not only they have the tasks of sorting out the best in each categories from the five films mentioned above but also other worthy films.
Famous with their long heated debates, the local critics added the following fims in their list of best films: Nora Aunor’s “Mga Uod at Rosas,” Vilma Santos’ “Relasyon” and Hilda Koronel’s “PX” were cited not ony for the overall production but for the film lead actresses performances. Also cited were, ECP’s delicate horror film, “Haplos” directed by Jose Perez and two Lino Brocka films, the comedy “Palipat-lipat, Papalit-palit” and the drama “In this Corner.”
For Vilma Santos, 1982 was a very successful year. She did six films in total. Out of six films, two were certified record breakers – “Sinasamba Kita (I Idolized You)” and “Gaano Kadalas Ang Minsan (How Many Times is Onced).” Both produced by Viva Films. The other four films were mild hits.
On personal note, Vilma gave birth to her eldest son, Luis “Lucky” Manzano the previous year and was determined to make 1982 a productive one. There were also reports that Vilma and now, ex-husband, Edu Manzano were having some marital problems. But Vilma as trooper as she is was not bothered by the rumour. All of her hard work paid off because as early as January of the following year she was already poised to reap major awards.
Meanwhile for Nora Aunor, 1982 were a mixed bag of mild hits and failed opportunities. “Mga Uod at Rosas,” her collaboration with Lorna Tolentino and director Romy Zusara produced a mixed review from the critics. Her excellent performance did not help as the film were just mild hit with the audience.
Her follow up films, “Annie Sabungera” and “Palenke Queen” both comedies also didn’t do well at the box office making the expectation from her next film higher as she teamed-up with the hottest star of 1982, her closest rival, Vilma Santos in Danny Zialcita’s fast paced film, “T-bird at Ako.”
T-bird’s high expectation wasn’t realized as the film earned just a modest income. By December, all eyes were focused again with Nora’s most ambitious project, Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala,” produced by the Imee Marcos’ Experimental Cinema of the Philippines.
As “Himala” entered the December local film festival, Nora Aunor was again proclaimed the “queen of local festival” as she won her third Metro Manila Film Festival best actress. Nora’s momentum was rising and she was conditioned to make some serious dent in the following year’s award giving seasons.
Critics were all going “gagah” with Aunor’s gigantic performance as Elsa.
Himala won nine out of eleven local festival awards. A sort of repeat of what Vilma’s “Burlesk Queen” achieved in the late 1970s but without the complaints or sourgrapes.
On February of 1983, Himala was entered in Berlin International Film Festival, Aunor’s performance was recognized by a nomination but unfortunately according to Bernal, she lost the race by a mere vote. A similar fate awaits Aunor as the local award giving seasons begins.
By late February, the award-giving season in the country started.
The fight between Nora Aunor’s “goliath” type of performance in “Himala (Miracle)” versus the “davidian” type of performance in Vilma Santos’ “Relasyon (the affair)” begins with the Catholic Mass Media Awards. You might think that the Catholic Church’s award giving body will favoured the religion based story line of “Himala” over the film with a taboo story line of an immoral but sympathetic mistress in “Relasyon” but the Catholic organization can’t resists Vilma’s performance. Vilma won the first bout. Nora left empty-handed.
The first blood has been drawn and Noranians, Nora Aunor’s fanatic fans were furious. The fight didn’t stop at the Catholic Mass Media Awards. The next one was a big one.
April of 1983, the Gawad Urian was set to give out their hardware. It was known by many, that the critics or the Manunuris were pro-Nora Aunor. They gave Aunor their very first best actress award in 1976 for her excellent performance in “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (three years without God)”. They also gave Aunor a second nod in 1980 in her wonderful performance in “Bona.”
Noranians expected a third Urian best actress considering the magnitude of Aunor’s performance in Himala and the positive reviews it received. Positive reviews that were written by the Manunuri critics themselves. They dismissed Vilma’s win at the CMMA and expected that metal sculted trophy was in the bag already.
Vilma was surprised. She finally received the recognition she truly deserved. The critics finally came to their senses and recognized Vilma’s explosive and giant killer performance. By winning the Gawad Urian, Vilma defeated not only Nora but also Lorna Tolentino and Gina Alajar both equally gave a felt performance in the feminist film, “Moral.”
This was Vilma’s second win in the same calendar year. She was half way there. People are now started talking about the possibility of Vilma winning all the best actress awards.
In addition to this surprise Gawad Urian win, Vilma have to run between two events that night, as she was also crowned the “box office queen” by the Guillermo Mendoza Foundation.
The following month, it was the FAMAS turn to give out their trophies. The Manila Film Center was jam packed with not only celebrities but also a boisterous group of Noranians and Vilmanians.
Nora Aunor wasn’t nominated for her gigantic role of Elsa in “Himala” instead, she was nominated for her portrayal of an underdog lover of the late Johnny Delgado in Romy Zusara’s “Mga Uod at Rosas (the worms and roses)”. The competition didn’t stop with Vilma’s “Relasyon,” Noranians were worried about the other nominees too. Hilda Koronel was cited for her solo starrer, “PX” and Alma Moreno was nominated for her daring role as Cristina Gaston in the “Diary of Cristina Gaston.” The list of Nominees were completed with the inclusion of two veterans: Mona Lisa for her supposed to be supporting role in “Cain at Abel” and Liza Lorena for her surprising role in “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” With this list comes the lesser expectation from Noranians as Nora wasn’t nominated for her more intense role as Elsa but this didn’t bother them as they raided the Manila Film Centre with so much fan fare.
Unfortunately, their idol went empty handed again. Vilma claimed her third major best actress of the year. One short of a complete overhaul. The night for Vilmanians didn’t stop from Vilma’s win. Eddie Garcia won the best director award for a Vilma Santos’ blockbuster film, “Sinasamba Kita.”
The award season of 1983 ended with the handing out of the very first Luna Awards, back then, simply called the Film Academy Awards, Philippines’ counterpart of OSCAR. Vilma Santos faces again a stiff resistance from Nora Aunor. In the end, Vilma received her fourth majors from non other than the first lady Imelda Romouldez Marcos.
Noranians were all mad as hell. Paranoia seeped in their brain as they hypothesized the reasons why Nora failed to win any awards. Sabotage according to them was the only reason. The political repercussion of the film being made under the Marcos administration resulted Nora Aunor being ignored by all award-giving bodies! Never mind that Vilma Santos deserved all the wins.
Vilma Santos swept the entire best actress in four major award-giving bodies in one calendar year. The tag line “grand slam” was born.
Vilma Santos made history – In addition to Vilma’s grand slam wins from four major groups, TV’s RPN Channel 9 (a network famously identified with Aunor) television talk show, Let’s Talk Movies, hosted by film producer and singer, Armida Siguion Reyna, film critic, Behn Cervantes and film critic and reporter, Mario Bautista honoured Vilma Santos as their choice of best Actress of 1982 for her body of works.
The first grand slam win of Vilma Santos was repeatedly analyzed over and over again. Mostly to give credit to the loser, Nora Aunor.
Joel David, in his article titled “Performances of the Age” wrote: “…the outstanding performance of the period belongs to that of Nora Aunor in Himala, which was honoured only by the MMFF….In Himala the director and writer seemed to have agreed to a mutual stand-off, thus amplifying the theatrical potential of an expansive locale with a protracted takes; stage-trained talents ensured the competent execution of histrionic stylizations, with the climax set on an open-air platform before a hysterical audience. It was a truly great actress’ opportunity of a lifetime, and Nora Aunor seized it and made it not just her role, but her film as well. Not since Anita Linda in Gerardo de Leon’s Sisa (circa the first Golden Age) had there been such a felicitous exploitation by a performer of ideal filmmaking conditions – and in this instance, Himala has the decided advantage of being major-league and universal….”
Arnel Resma Ramos’ article titled “Himala Revisited” praised Nora’s complex role: “…we believe that Nora Aunor should have swept all the best actress awards for that particular year…Aunor had the more complex role and only an actress of her calibre can pull off the part with much persuasion. It calls for a restrained, self-effacing acting style. And Aunor, the consummate actress that she was…strikes not a false note in her performance. It is, in one word, mesmerizing. And Himala is without a scintilla of a doubt the pinnacle of her cinematic achievements.”
Again, never mind that Vilma Santos gave the most effective performance in the history of local movie screen. The fact is, no matter what they do or say they can’t change history.
In recent years, Himala was recognized in many film exhibitions around the world. An internet poll was conducted and Himala came on top as the top filipino film, and Aunor were given the citations its truly deserved but again, despite this, no one can changed what history has clearly recorded.
Vilma Santos was the very first “grand slam” best actress winner.
The history continues – Three years after Vilma Santos registered the very first grand slam win, Philip Salvador replicated the honours by winning all the best actor in 1985 via Lino Brocka’s political drama, ‘Bayan Ko kapit sa Patalim.’ Salvador won five majors as Star Awards were added to the four.
The next year, 1986, Nida Blanca followed suit with a best supporting actress grand slam for her outstanding performance in the film, “Magdusa Ka.”
Then four years after Blanca’s came the most awaited turn for Vilma’s rival.
Noranians were ecstatic as their idol claimed all the best actress hardwares of 1990 for “Andrea Paano Ba Ang Maging Isang Ina.” A deserving consolation as the film bombed at the box office. Nora’s stiffest competition came from Vilma’s two films, Lino Brocka’s “Hahamakin Lahat,” and Laurice Guillen’s “Kapag Langit ang Humatol.”
But the table was turned and Nora claimed almost all of the major awards except from CMMA where she was declared runner up to Gina Alajar.
By 1990, CMMA was relegated into the minor league of award giving bodies replaced by much more popular Star Awards.
Two years after Nora Aunor claimed the honour as grand slam winner, Lorna Tolentino took the crown for her effective performance in 1992′s “Narito Ang Puso Ko.”
Then back to Vilma again.
In 1993, Vilma Santos successfully relived the life of the first PWA in Laurence Guillen’s “Dahil Mahal Kita: Dolzura Cortez Story.” Not only the film recorded the second grand slam win for Vilma as best actress of 1993, the film was also a smashed hit.
The two years intervals prove to be a normal pattern as Vilma’s closest rival took all the trophies again in 1995.
Nora Aunor hit the jackpot via true to life film, the “Flor Contemplacion Story.” And not only did she won the grand slams, she added an international recognition winning the best actress at Cairo International Film Festival.
In addition to the majors, Aunor also received the best performer from YCC and the box office queen title from the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation, Inc. (GMMSFI).
The next years, two actresses claimed the grand slam honours.
Sharon Cuneta as best actress for her effective performance in “Madrasta (the Stepmother)” and the best supporting actress awards for Gina Alajar in “Mulanay, Sa Pusod Ng Paraiso.”
Then back to Vilma Santos again after two years for the third time. Vilma Santos won all the best actress awards for 1998′s “Bata Bata Paano Ka Ginawa (Lea’s Story)”.
Then like Aunor in 1995, she added an international recognition with her grand slam win. Vilma was cited as the best actress at the Brussels International Film Festival. And also received the YCC-Film Desk’s best performer award.
By 1999, the grand slams wins were alive and kicking.
Elizabeth Oropeza won all the best actress hardwares for her very intense performance as a prostitute in 1998′s “Bulaklak Ng Maynila.” The same year, an unknown actress Glydel Mercado, surprised everyone as she won all the best supporting actress awards coincidentally from a Nora Aunor comeback vehicle, “Sidhi.”
Then in 2002, Vilma Santos for the fourth time claimed the grand slam title by winning all the best actress awards for her superb performance in the film, “Dekada 70 (the seventies).”
At the same time, Vilma’s co-star, Piolo Pascual declared his arrival to the big league of fine acting by winning all the best supporting actor awards.
The film also gave Vilma her second international recognition winning the best actress from Cinemanila International Film Festival. In addition, she also received hardwares from PASADO (Pampelikulang Samahan ng mga Dalubguro) and YCC-Film Desk in its annual Circle Citations.
In Conclusion – For Noranians, Nora Aunor should be given the honour as the very first grand slam win in 1976. As Aunor won the best actress from FAMAS and Gawad Urian, the only major award giving bodies back then.
Unfortunately, this wins didn’t create the tag line, “grand slam” it was only when Vilma Santos won four majors in 1983 did the tag line “grand slam” came to it’s birth at least in Philippine award giving film history.
And so, history will record Vilma’s achievements as the very first actress who claimed all four major best actresses in one calendar year as per the true meaning of the word “grand slam.”
She is also the current record holder of the most grand slam wins – 4. – RV, 2007
