Sarah Geronimo, BINI, SB19’s Stell, Mimiyuuuh, And More Come Together To Celebrate Empowerment At The First Billboard Philippines Women In Music

The first-ever Billboard Philippines Women in Music was a night that celebrated the immense strides that women have made in the country’s music industry. From P-Pop groups to some of the biggest names in OPM, the industry came together to celebrate the talent, determination, and leadership that Filipina artists have shown throughout the years.

With that came some of the most heartwarming encounters between the industry’s rising stars and household names. While on the other hand, you also had completely unexpected crossovers that you never thought would happen before, like Zild and Ogie Alcasid or SB19’s Stell and Mimiyuuuh — talk about breaking the internet, right?

For many artists, this was their first time personally meeting each other, especially those who were able to meet the very people who inspired them to pursue music in the first place.

As Hitmaker awardee Moira dela Torre said in a post-event Instagram caption, “[I]t was when [I] started replaying everything [I] could’ve done better that it was robbing me the chance to just enjoy. A huge chunk of the night felt that way until Ate [Sarah Geronimo] showed up and gave us such an amazing performance. but what caught me off guard was her speech after when she started apologizing for mistakes we didn’t even notice. Later that night, after the event, she even messaged me personally and encouraged me. She told me not to be too hard on myself.”

“[A]te [S]arah taught me to celebrate not just the things that [I] did right but every single thing [I] could have done better and even the things that are out of my control. [S]he taught me to celebrate myself just for doing my best even when the outcome isn’t what [I] had hoped. [S]he reminded me that trying alone was enough.”

Another heartwarming moment was between Sarah Geronimo and her “lookalike” BINI Sheena. BINI Sheena has been very open about her admiration for the Woman of the Year, even recounting the night by saying, “If you would tell 7-year-old Sheena that she would get the chance to watch Ms. Sarah G perform live and have a conversation with her, she would not believe you.”

The night signaled an important change in how the Filipino music industry can better uplift the voices of women and their stories; giving them recognition where recognition is due. With every year that goes by, we see the beautiful tapestry of women who continue to inspire women, passing the torch to the next generation of fierce Filipina artists.

Check out these exclusive pictures of Sarah Geronimo with Armi Millare, SB19’s Stell and social media icon Mimiyuuuh, rising rock artist Zild and songwriting legend Ogie Alcasid, and more.

Sarah Geronimo, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Pilita Corrales, Moira dela Torre, BINI, and Ena Mori are featured in Billboard Philippines’ special print issue for Women in Music. Copies are now available via SariSari Shopping.