With just a few days to go, excitement is reaching a fever pitch as the 10th Wish Music Awards gears up to recognize the best songs, Wishclusives, and artists of the past year.

Happening on January 19 at the Araneta Coliseum, the 10th edition of the WMAs will feature performances from Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, TJ Monterde, KZ Tandingan, Moira, Jay R, justin, Maki, Dionela, TONEEJAY, Rob Deniel, dwta, and G22. As with the previous year, Spotify, the WMAs’ official music partner, will have a special Spotify KALYE X stage; this time, it will feature hip-hop act Hev Abi.

Additionally, there will be a special tribute to this year’s KDR Icon of Music Excellence. This accolade recognizes an icon’s outstanding contribution to the Philippine music industry. Last year, Cup of Joe’s mashup of “You Are My Song” and “Be My Lady” proved to be a hit among the crowd.

Taking over the WMA stage

Nominated in three categories, Dionela had a remarkable 2024. His song “Hoodie” peaked at no. 28 on Billboard Philippines Top 100; “Marilag” at no. 2. He also received a PMPC Star Award for Music as New Male Recording Artist of the Year for "Oksihina."

Both him and the Philippines’ King of R&B, Jay R, earned a WMA nomination for their single “Sining.” The LSS-inducing hit topped the Billboard Philippines Top 100 for seven weeks and was a Top 3 song in the Philippines for 2024, according to Spotify. Jay R is also nominated in two other categories, including one alongside Asia’s Songbird, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid.

Regine, who was a previous KDR Icon of Musical Excellence awardee, continued to make significant strides in her career, which spans nearly 40 years. In 2024, she was honored as the first-ever recipient of the Powerhouse Award by Billboard Philippines, recognizing her enduring influence on the Philippine music scene and her trailblazing inspiration for newer generations of artists. She also launched her “Regine Rocks” concert series last year, showcasing her passion for rock music and demonstrating her versatility as an artist and willingness to explore other sonic territories.

Fellow WMA nominee Moira Dela Torre has also been recognized for her musical achievements, including being named the “Hitmaker” at the inaugural Billboard Philippines Women in Music event in March last year. She became the first Filipino soloist to hit two billion streams on Spotify, solidifying her status as one of the most-streamed solo artists on the platform.

As of December last year, Rob Deniel has already amassed 24 million monthly listeners on Spotify. He has released several hit tracks, including "Miss, Miss," the WMA-nominated "Rom Com," and "Ang Pagibig." “Distansya,” his WMA nominated song collaboration with Janine Teñoso, was his first track release of 2024.

Another singer-songwriter making a name for himself in the scene is Maki. Taking over the airwaves and digital platforms, he is known for hits like “Dilaw,” which topped both Spotify and Billboard charts locally. The song even reached the global Spotify charts, becoming only the third OPM song to achieve this milestone. He also released another track, “Namumula” and performed it as a guest at a Philippine concert by the American pop-rock group LANY in October. He also had his first solo concert, which took place at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City in November.

Throughout 2024, the female alphas of P-pop, G22, also made mark on their own. They released their now WMA-nominated track “One Sided Love” in April, marking their comeback under a new genre.  

The year 2024 also proved to be big for Justin, one-fifth of the P-pop giant SB19. “Surreal” marked his debut as a solo artist. The said release is followed by his WMA-nominated song “Kaibigan.” Going beyond music-making, he also appeared as an actor in the music video for TJ Monterde's “Sariling Mundo,” which is also contending under the same category: Wish Pop Song of the Year.

Wish Artist of the Year nominee TJ Monterde held several gigs and concerts in 2024. Last year, he surpassed five million listeners on Spotify, a significant milestone for the singer-songwriter. Ahead of his anticapted show at the Big Dome in February, he will first lend his musical chops at the 10th WMAs on Sunday.

Asia's Soul Supreme KZ Tandingan made her exciting comeback in 2024 with the release of her latest original single, "Toyo." This song explores the complexities of moving on from a former flame, depicting a person struggling with confusion and irrationality when their ex attempts to re-enter their life. The WMA-winning act previously graced the WMA stage with top-caliber performances, including "Upuan" with Gloc-9.

Bicolana singer-songwriter dwta is one of those artists worth including on any OPM fan’s radar. The Breakthrough Artist of the Year nominee has many fresh hits under her belt, most notably “Padaba Taka,” which surpassed 11 million streams on Spotify. Using music for a greater cause, she also performed at a fundraising event for typhoon victims, as mentioned in her Roadshow Interview.

“711” hitmaker TONEEJAY will also hit the stage on Sunday. He is vying for three categories, including Wish Artist of the Year. Releasing his no-skip album, “Aurora,” and becoming a father — the muse of his song “Pramis” — are among his milestones in 2024.

As stated, Spotify’s showcase of the best of Kalye hip-hop returns this year, with Hev Abi performing at the KALYE X Stage in the upcoming 10th WMAs.

Hev Abi released his debut album, “Kung Alam Mo Lang,” in 2023, which received critical acclaim. He was also part of notable collaborations last year, including the WMA-nominated tracks "Burgis” (with Flow G) and “Makasarili Malambing” (with Kristina Dawn). 

A decade of music and charity

Looking back, the WMA stage has been home to memorable performances from musicians both locally and internationally. These numbers are among the highlights of the WMAs, alongside the unveiling of the winners. 

The public votes will account for 30% of the total nominees’ score, while 70% will come from a panel of judges. Winners will win Php25,000, while their chosen beneficiary will take home Php100,000.

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This year, the roster of possible beneficiaries includes Center for Excellence in Special Education (Stepping Stone) Foundation, Inc; Enhancing Nurturing Disciplining Empowering Restoring Daycare, Inc.; Leukemic Indigents Fund Endowment (L.I.F.E.), Inc.; Manila Water Foundation, Inc.; Move.Org Foundation, Inc.; Philippine Foodbank Foundation, Inc.; PGH Medical Foundation Inc.; Tondo Community Initiative for Development Foundation, Inc.; Wipe Every Tear, Inc.; and World Surgical Foundation Phils, Inc.

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Meanwhile, the KDR Icon of Musical Excellence will have a cash prize of Php100,000. The KDR Icon of Music and Philanthropy, on the other hand, will receive Php70,000.

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The 10th WMAs is presented by Sun Life, "Your Partner for Life - Sun Life," Acer Philippines "Breaking barriers between people and technology," The Hyundai Stargazer X, "Exceed expectations," and Spotify, the WMAs’ official music partner, and co-presented by Puregold, "Always Panalo," and Medical Depot, "Your One Stop Medical Shop" together with major sponsors Aqua Planet, "Watermazing Experience," Yakult, "Yakult everyday, everyday ok! Panalo ka tiyan," Cebu Pacific, "Discover Juan by Juan, book now at cebupacificair.com," BDO, and Excecutive Optical, "For expert eye care come to EO-EXECUTIVE OPTICAL, Love your eyes," and minor sponsor Dowell, "Bring Goodness To Life," VXI, and partners Studio Lumiere, a portrait booth, and CSquare Telecom.

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