The 16th Philstage Gawad Buhay awards — widely regarded as the Philippines' equivalent of the Tony Awards — honored a diverse range of stage productions on Tuesday evening, with Tanghalang Pilipino's Kisapmata dominating the ceremony with 11 awards. Full House Theater Company's Shrek the Musical followed with six.

Kisapmata secured the night's most prestigious honors, including Outstanding Play – Original or Translation/Adaptation, Outstanding Stage Direction for a Play (Guelan Varela-Luarca), Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Play, and both Male and Female Lead Performance in a Play for Jonathan Tadioan and Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan.

Accepting his award as a first-time Gawad Buhay winner, Mr. Tadioan said: "Ang parangal na ito ay nagpapaalala sa akin na ang ating ginagawa ay may kapangyarihang panatilihing buhay ang mga kuwento, at patuloy na lumaban sa kung ano ang tama at dapat. Ipagpatuloy ang pagkukuwento ng mga kuwentong may saysay at nagbibigay-inspirasyon (This award reminds me that what we do has the power to keep stories alive and allows us to continuously fight for what is right. Let us continue to tell meaningful and inspiring stories)."

Kisapmata is a stage adaptation of Mike De Leon's 1981 film of the same name, which revolves around a possessive patriarch who refuses to release his daughter from his oppressive control over the household. The original film, directed by one of the Philippines' most acclaimed filmmakers, is regarded as a landmark of Philippine cinema and itself drew from a real-life crime story. Tanghalang Pilipino, the resident theater company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, premiered the stage production in March 2025.

Shrek the Musical, produced by Full House Theater Company, was another major winner of the evening, collecting six awards. Its honors included Outstanding Production for Children, Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical (Dexter Santos), and both Male Lead and Male Featured Performance in a Musical for Jamie Wilson and Topper Fabregas, respectively. The comedy-fantasy musical, based on the DreamWorks animated film and the book by William Steig, follows the story of Shrek the ogre.

Unable to accept his directing award in person, Mr. Santos shared his gratitude on Facebook: "May our theater community continue to grow. Not only through directors, actors, and designers, but also through playwrights, composers, choreographers, musicians, producers, stage managers, technicians, critics, scholars, cultural workers, and everyone who quietly keeps this art form alive."

"Most of all, may our audiences continue to find their way to the theater," he added. "We will continue to tell stories with honesty, generosity, and hope, and to celebrate the beautiful mystery and the fleeting power that only live theater can offer."

The ceremony, held on July 28 at the Aliw Theater, was hosted by Reb Atadero. Musical performances were featured from the casts of several nominated productions: Stages' Come From Away, which won two awards including Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Musical; Tanghalang Pilipino's Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical, which earned four awards including Outstanding Musical – Original or Translation/Adaptation; and Side Show, which took home two awards including Female Lead in a Musical for Marynor Madamesila.

Nominees and winners are selected by a panel of judges from eligible shows staged by Philstage member companies. Philstage, a coalition of the country's professional theater groups, established the Gawad Buhay — whose name translates to "award for life" — to recognize excellence across its member organizations' seasons. The current Philstage members are: 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.

— Brontë H. Lacsamana

Full List of Winners

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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)

Outstanding Set Design: Joey Mendoza (Kisapmata)

Outstanding Sound Design: Arvy Dimaculangan (Kisapmata)

Outstanding Lighting Design: D Cortezano (Kisapmata)

Outstanding Costume Design: Carlos Siongco (Side Show)

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

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

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

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

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

Outstanding Choreography: Stephen Viñas (Shrek the Musical)

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

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

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

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

Natatanging Gawad Buhay: Dr. Brenda Fajardo — a distinguished visual artist and cultural educator whose work has significantly shaped Philippine art and arts education.