The 42nd PMPC Star Awards for Movies ended in a best actress tie, the third of Racal’s season. I’mPerfect won Movie of the Year, and Jericho Rosales won for Quezon.

Maris Racal has won a best actress prize three times in three weeks for Sunshine, Antoinette Jadaone’s drama about a teenage gymnast who learns she is pregnant days before national team tryouts. Each time she has shared it. At the 49th Gawad Urian on October 8 she tied with Odette Khan. At the 28th Gawad PASADO on October 22 she tied with Charo Santos-Concio. At the 42nd PMPC Star Awards for Movies on October 25, held at the Winford Resort and Casino Manila, she tied with Maricel Soriano.

The Star Awards are given by the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC), a group of entertainment journalists, and the club’s members vote on the winners. ElysPlanet has explained how that compares with the country’s other film awards. The FAMAS Awards, where Soriano and Racal are again nominated for Best Actress, follow on October 27.

Soriano’s Three Ties

Soriano, the Diamond Star, won for Meet, Greet & Bye, Cathy Sampana’s drama in which she plays a mother of four adult children, with Piolo Pascual as her eldest. It is her third Movie Actress trophy from the PMPC, and all three were shared. In 1995 she tied with Dawn Zulueta for Separada. In 2024 she shared the prize with Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos for In His Mother’s Eyes.

Racal accepted three trophies before her own. She took Indie Movie of the Year for Sunshine and Indie Movie Director for the absent Jadaone, and one of the sponsor’s special awards. In her speech she talked about the work behind the role:

“Alam nating lahat, bilang isang artista, hindi madali yung journey. You will even deal with a lot of rejections, redirections, opinions. Many, many things that will make you doubt yourself. But lahat ng iyon, nagpapalakas lang ng loob natin.”

She thanked the gymnastics coach she trained with for a year. Racal is set to play the same role on stage in 2027.

The First Hall of Fame

The PMPC opened a Hall of Fame this year for the first time, as previewed in the nominees piece. Vilma Santos-Recto entered it for Movie Actress after more than ten wins. National Artist Ricky Lee entered it for screenwriting with eleven wins, and sound engineer Albert Michael Idioma for sound with sixteen. Edgar “Bobot” Mortiz and Tirso Cruz III sang to Santos-Recto during her tribute, the longest segment of the night.

Sharon Cuneta and Rez Cortez, president of the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund), received the Nora Aunor Ulirang Artista Lifetime Achievement Award. Cuneta did not attend. Her daughter Kakie sang “Mr. DJ” and “Bituing Walang Ningning” in her place.

Rosales Wins From Work

Jericho Rosales won Movie Actor of the Year for playing Manuel L. Quezon in Quezon. He was working and could not attend, so producer Daphne Chiu-Soon accepted alongside director Jerrold Tarog. It is his third PMPC Best Actor win, after Pacquiao: The Movie in 2007 and Baler in 2009.

I’mPerfect, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s film from Nathan Studios, was named Movie of the Year. It also won Screenwriter for Bernardo, New Movie Actress for Krystel Go and Editor for Marya Ignacio. Movie Director went to Lester Pimentel Ong for The Delivery Rider, the film’s only win.

Richard Quan won Movie Supporting Actor for How To Get Away From My Toxic Family, 32 years after the PMPC named him New Movie Actor. “Thirty-two years ang pagitan pero it’s worth the wait,” he said. Sylvia Sanchez won Movie Supporting Actress for I’mPerfect, her fourth acting award from the club.

Many of the night’s winners, including Vice Ganda and Nadine Lustre, named Takilya King and Queen for Call Me Mother, sent no one to the stage. The ceremony, hosted by Emma Tiglao, Tony Labrusca, Jameson Blake and Beauty Gonzalez, still ran past midnight.

Complete List of Winners, 42nd PMPC Star Awards for Movies

• Movie of the Year: I’mPerfect
• Movie Director of the Year: Lester Pimentel Ong, The Delivery Rider
• Movie Actress of the Year (tie): Maricel Soriano, Meet, Greet & Bye; Maris Racal, Sunshine
• Movie Actor of the Year: Jericho Rosales, Quezon
• Movie Supporting Actress of the Year: Sylvia Sanchez, I’mPerfect
• Movie Supporting Actor of the Year: Richard Quan, How To Get Away From My Toxic Family
• New Movie Actress of the Year: Krystel Go, I’mPerfect
• New Movie Actor of the Year: JM Ibarra, Child No. 82: Anak ni Boy Kana
• Movie Child Performer of the Year: Lucas Andalio, Call Me Mother
• Movie Ensemble Acting of the Year: Meet, Greet & Bye
• Indie Movie of the Year: Sunshine
• Indie Movie Director of the Year: Antoinette Jadaone, Sunshine
• Indie Movie Ensemble Acting of the Year: Lasting Moments
• Movie Screenwriter of the Year: Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, I’mPerfect
• Indie Movie Screenwriter of the Year: Dustin Celestino, Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan
• Movie Cinematographer of the Year (tie): Pong Ignacio, Quezon; Raymond Red, Manila’s Finest
• Indie Movie Cinematographer of the Year: Pong Ignacio, Song of the Fireflies
• Movie Editor of the Year: Marya Ignacio, I’mPerfect
• Indie Movie Editor of the Year: Benjamin Tolentino, Sunshine
• Movie Production Designer of the Year: Monica Sebial, Quezon
• Indie Movie Production Designer of the Year: Lav Diaz, Magellan
• Movie Musical Scorer of the Year: Paolo Protacio, 100 Awit para kay Stella
• Indie Movie Musical Scorer of the Year: Rico Blanco, Sunshine
• Movie Sound Engineer of the Year: Fatima Nerikka Salim and Immanuel Verona, Quezon
• Indie Movie Sound Engineer of the Year: Lamberto Casas Jr. and Kevin Padilla, Journeyman
• Movie Theme Song of the Year: “Sandalan,” Manila’s Finest
• Indie Movie Theme Song of the Year: “Alitaptap,” Song of the Fireflies
• Documentary Movie of the Year: Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea
• Short Movie of the Year: City’s Laundry and Taxes
• Short Movie Director of the Year: Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero, Agapito
• Hall of Fame: Vilma Santos-Recto (Movie Actress), Ricky Lee (Movie Screenwriter), Albert Michael Idioma (Movie Sound Engineer)
• Nora Aunor Ulirang Artista Lifetime Achievement Award: Sharon Cuneta, Rez Cortez
• Ulirang Alagad ng Pelikula sa Likod ng Kamera Lifetime Achievement Award: Alex Muhlach
• Takilya King and Queen: Vice Ganda and Nadine Lustre, Call Me Mother
• Movie Love Team of the Year: JM Ibarra and Fyang Smith, Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins