OPM Heavyweights Join 3rd WMA Panel of Judges: Arnel Pineda, Kuh Ledesma, Aiza Seguerra and More

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Taking pride in its most diverse list of nominees to date, the 3rd Wish 107.5 Music Awards promises to truly showcase the country’s wide spectrum of talents.

While 15 percent of a nominee’s total score is given to the accumulated online votes sent in by the Wishers, the more taxing task to determine the winners of the major categories is handed to a select panel of judges. Their cumulative votes will comprise the remaining 85 percent.

For the third edition of the biggest FM radio-hosted music awards show in the country, the panel will include three of the finest OPM veterans in the country, Kuh Ledesma, Noel Cabangon and Gino Padilla, who have all performed on the Wish 107.5 Bus.

Ledesma boasts an impressive 35-year music career highlighted by numerous accolades, over a thousand concert performances and 20 albums including the internationally-released “Precious.”

Meanwhile, Noel Cabangon is an esteemed figure in the folk scene. Apart from his deft guitar-playing skill, the Filipino troubadour is best remembered for the heartwarming piece, “Kanlungan.” He first served as a WMA judge last year.

Padilla, on the other hand, is one of the most prominent names from the 80’s music scene. His catalog is loaded with timeless hits such as “Gusto Kita,” “Let The Love Begin,” and “Closer You And I.”

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“I feel honored and excited at the same time to be one of the judges,” Padilla shared as he also lauded the station’s efforts to enliven the local music industry. “Your efforts to continue promoting Filipino music will always have a positive note in the hearts of the Filipinos.”

Jett Pangan, the frontman of the legendary rock troupe and new wave pioneer in the country The Dawn, will also grace the roster of judges. Acknowledging that “Wish is a force needed in today’s music landscape,” he said it is his pleasure to help pick the winners of the 3rd WMA.

He will be joined by bandmate Francis Reyes, who also took on the role of a WMA judge in 2017. The guitarist/music writer’s association with the FM band 107.5 can be traced back in the years of NU Rock, where he served as the station’s chief radio announcer and musical director.

“This is my second time [judging for the WMA], and I really enjoyed doing it last year,” he revealed.

According to him, a nominated song or performance is considered Wish award-worthy if it has “a balance of technical prowess and emotional impact,” further explaining that “ultimately, there has to be both as one serves the other.”

Another returning judge is Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors President, Isah Red. The prolific writer has been judging for the said music awards since its first year.

Aiza Seguerra and Arnel Pineda are also welcome additions to the diversified roster of judges. Seguerra, the incumbent chairperson of the National Youth Commission, is recognized as one of the most respected acoustic singer-songwriters in the country. He is best known for the hit song, “Pagdating Ng Panahon.”

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Meanwhile, Pineda currently fronts the international rock icon, Journey. Besides touring with the band, he continues to create original, homegrown tracks. During the last WMA, he won the “Best Wishclusive Collaboration” award with belter Morissette for their duet of “I Finally Found Someone.”

Completing the panel of 3rd WMA judges are the jocks of Wish 107.5 -- DJ Ray Holiday of “The Morning Wish,” DJ Alice of “Wonderland,” DJ Kim of “Wishlist,” DJ Robin and DJ Faye of “Roadshow,” DJ Laura of “Wishpers of Love,” and DJ Adam of “Moonlight Wishes.”  One slot will be given to accommodate their cumulative votes.

The 3rd Wish 107.5 Music Awards is slated on January 15, 2018 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.