INQUIRER EXCLUSIVE
Awards show draws Filipinos, Fil-Ams in Hollywood
By Janet Susan R. Nepales
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:33:00 03/17/2008
LOS ANGELES, California—The ambitious First Visionary Awards project by NuVision Worldwide Media, was held recently at the Kodak Theatre, home of the Oscars. The event was launched with much fanfare, attracting Manila-based and Filipino-American celebrities.
Recipients of what was dubbed “Filipino-American Visionary Awards” included Philippine King of Comedy Dolphy, boxing champ Manny Pacquiao and Grammy winner apl.de.ap of Black Eyed Peas.
Also present—as awardees, presenters, entertainers or invited guests—were Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Brian McKnight, TV actress Nia Peeples (“Fame,” “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “North Shore,” “The Young and the Restless”), Reggie Lee (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”), Anna Maria Perez de Tagle (“Hannah Montana”), “American Idol” finalist, Jasmine Trias and Jennifer Paz (“Miss Saigon”).
Historic
The event was hyped as a “historic celebration of Filipino and Filipino-American performers in the entertainment industry.”
Hosted by singer-actor Fernando “Dingdong” Avanzado and “Kababayan LA” TV host and producer Janelle So, the show was produced by the new production company, NuVision Worldwide Media, LLC headed by Ramil Q. Gonzales as president and CEO.
According to publicist Ted Benito, NuVision aims to make a difference in the entertainment industry by giving recognition to those who have raised awareness of the Filipino’s artistry with their achievements in television, film, music, sports and public service.
On the dot
Four-thirty in the afternoon on the dot, the photographers and cameramen were already lined up outside the Kodak Theatre where a red carpet has been rolled for the celebrities and VIPs.
The two leading Philippine TV networks, GMA-7 and ABS-CBN, were represented, as were several Filipino-American newspapers. Some of the early birds were Jasmine Trias, in a black gown with plunging neckline. Also gracing the red carpet were Rudy Fernandez and Lorna Tolentino, Senator Bong Revilla Jr. and wife Lani Mercado, “Eat Bulaga” hosts Tito, Vic and Joey with their respective spouses, GMA-7’s Mike Enriquez and rapper Francis Magalona.
FrancisM wore a necklace with a silver pendant of three stars and a sun which, he explained as he accepted his award, represented the Philippine flag.
Also among the Fil-Am talents in attendance were actor and martial arts expert Mark Dacascos (“The Crow”), actor Michael Copon (“One Tree Hill”) and Fox 11 news anchors Jean Martinez and Bob de Castro.
Big media hassle
Everything went well, until action on the red carpet ended. Media people were then herded to the press room, where a big screen TV showed the proceedings. Unfortunately, there was no sound for about 30 minutes.
The members of the press had been working since 3 p.m. and were expected to stay until midnight. But there were no food or drinks in the media room, and they were getting hungry, thirsty and annoyed.
Worst, there was no press coordinator in the room, not even to moderate the Q&A session. There was no microphone, either, and so when an awardee walked in from receiving a trophy, he/she was mobbed in a free-for-all. Reporters were screaming out questions and photographers were yelling for the awardees to turn this way and that.
Plus, not all the awardees were brought to the press room, making the media wonder what they were held up in the room for.
It might have helped if press kits had been provided, to explain why this or that honoree was being given this or that award. And certainly, the awards committee, or whoever selected the recipients, should have been identified.
Clearly, the Visionary Awards organizers should have a new vision of how to handle the media, if they expect to mount a repeat ... whenever.
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