On Wish 107.5, Both Artists and Fans are in the Spotlight

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Months shy of its second anniversary, Wish 107.5 has launched two flagship projects that aim to rally support for the local music industry. Going out beyond the conventional and proving that it is the freshest thing in the FM radio broadcasting arena, the station successfully staged the first Wish 107.5 Music Awards (WMA) and Ultimate Fandom Challenge (UFC).

The winners of the inaugural edition of WMA were awarded on January 26 while the two months-long UFC culminated on June 28. Both events were held at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The coolest musical experience

Touted as the coolest musical experience, the first WMA honored the most promising Filipino talents in the country. Big winner Darren Espanto bagged six awards including titles from four major categories namely Best WISHclusive Performance by a Young Artist for “Chandelier”, Wish Ballad Song of the Year for “I Believe In Me”, Wish Original Song of the Year for “Stuck”, and Wish Young Artist of the Year.

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Other winners and scene stealers of the evening were Sponge Cola, Wish Male Artist of the Year Jason Dy and Wish Female Artist of the Year Morissette.

The event also celebrated the contribution of the Wish 107.5 Bus in making the music of local talents more popular among the public — here in the country and abroad. Special categories were made to pay homage to the best and most popular WISHclusive performances rendered on the roaming music hub.

The WMA further featured spectacular and jaw-dropping numbers from the nominees and other guest artists. The intermissions performed in between the announcement of winners showcased the musicality of OPM talents like Nyoy Volante, Daryl Ong, Sassa Dagdag, JK Labajo, Marlo Mortel, Paolo Onesa and Leah Patricio, among others.

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The awards night was made more meaningful by the wish granting aspect of the occasion. Winners of the major categories were given the opportunity to donate part of their cash prize to their chosen beneficiaries.

The second WMA culmination night is slated in early 2017.

The fandoms’ time to shine

The UFC, a one-of-a-kind contest highlighting the vital role played by the fandoms (an act’s group of avid fans), has earned praises from various local artists and industry executives.
The competition, composed of different challenges that ultimately tested the fandoms’ unity and cooperation, shelled out a total cash prize worth Php 2.3 million to its top seven participants, to their artists and respective charitable groups as well.

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The series of battles originally participated in by 12 fandoms included an extreme adventure race and a show-of-force during the online voting, Twitter trending and music video power viewing rounds.

The Dyfenders (Jason Dy’s official fans club) emerged victorious during the grand finals night, followed by Darren Espanto’s Darrenatics, Morissette’s Mowienatics and The Juans’ Juanistas.

From the participants’ perspective, the event not only carved out a new means for our homegrown music to prosper, it also served as great and unique bonding experience for the fans and their idols.

Johan Fernandez of the UFC champs shared that every single moment of the challenge was memorable because through it, the group “learned how to communicate and how to strategize.”

“We had to mingle and bond more, and that made us a stronger fandom,” the Dyfenders administrator added.

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The culminating program of the competition rocked the Big Dome as the fandoms and their artists staged stellar performances displaying their talent and teamwork.

Two years and beyond

With these pioneering projects, Wish 107.5 eyes to continue playing its role as a local music ambassador, always ready to bring innovations that put OPM artists and fans on the spotlight.

Listeners and followers can only expect bigger and cooler ideas as Wish 107.5 has only turned two last August 10.

The upscale FM station is currently celebrating its month-long anniversary through granting wishes and staging epic music shows live on the Wish 107.5 Bus. The revelry is set to end with an all-day on-air concert on August 31.