Veteran hitmaker Jonathan Manalo has received nominations across 22 categories in this year’s Awit Awards. This marks the fifth time that he became the award-giving body’s most-nominated musician.
The songwriter-producer achieved the feat in the 2016 (16 nods), 2018 (21 nods), 2019 (22 nods), and 2020 (26 nods) editions of the Awit Awards.
ABS-CBN
For the upcoming 36th Awit Awards on November 9, Manalo as a producer scored nominations in the following categories: twice for Album of the Year, twice for Record of the Year, Best Pop Recording, Best Rock Metal Recording, Best Alternative Recording, Best Christmas Recording, Best Traditional Recording, thrice for Best Original Soundtrack Recording, Best Inspirational Recording, and Best Remix.
“It’s an overflow of gratitude in my heart, because you don’t really plan things like this — a milestone or your success. You just work and work, give your best, put in the hard work, and then when it happens, thank you, Lord. You put your hard work into it, but the recognition, accolades, and success is all by the grace of God. My ultimate source really comes from the Creator, so I just give back the glory and honor to him. I’m just so filled with gratitude really,” Manalo tells Billboard Philippines.
ABS-CBN
As a songwriter, he received nods for Best Alternative Recording, Best Christmas Recording, Best Inspirational Recording, and twice for Best Original Soundtrack Recording.
Lastly, Manalo is also a contender in the Best Collaboration, Best Original Soundtrack Recording, and Best Alternative Recording categories as an artist.
The ABS-CBN Music creative director produced under Star Music the Album of the Year bets Angela Ken’s self-titled album and BGYO’s Be Us album. He also produced Record of the Year contenders BINI’s “Lagi” and Morissette’s “Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw.”
Manalo likewise produced 10 of the singles nominated across different categories.
The multihyphenate is a National Commission for Culture & the Arts SUDI awardee (2011-2020) who has produced and commercially released over 200 albums. These include 75 multiplatinum and 100 Gold PARI Certifications.
Known as “Mr. Music,” Manalo is the most streamed Filipino songwriter and record producer of all time with over 1.5 billion streams off his songs on Spotify alone.