Gawad Urian Award


The Gawad Urian Awards are annual film awards in the Philippines held since 1977. It is given by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino and is currently regarded as the counterpart of the United States' New York Film Critics Circle.

Establishment

The MPP was formed by a host of scholars, film writers and other award-winning writers on May 1, 1976 as a critics' voice to rival the then-only award-giving body in the Philippines, which is its Oscars', the FAMAS Awards. Three years earlier, what would be the members of the MPP were included in the judges' roster of the FAMAS after a shocking 1972 Best Actress tie materialized between major star Boots Anson-Roa and then-rising star Vilma Santos. A tie was unheard of at that time, which resulted in accusations of lessening prestige on the part of FAMAS. After a voting stint at the FAMAS, these future MPP members set up the Gawad Urian Awards.

Members

The members of the MPP who judge the annual Gawad Urian are:
The Gawad Urian Awards were established to, in Tagalog, "suriin ang mga pelikulang Pilipino, pasiglahin ang diyalogo ng mga manonood at ng industriya ng pelikula, pag-aralan ang mga tunguhing makapagpapahusay sa pelikula, at linangin ang kaalaman sa tungkulin ng pelikula bilang medyum ng ekspresyon at komunikasyon, ayon sa mga kondisyon ng paggawa ng pelikula sa ating bayan."
The MPP chose the name "Gawad Urian" from Tagalog terms urian and gawad for its awards. It is the only major award-giving body in the Philippines to use the vernacular in awards shows and in the presentation of the awards.
The Gawad Urian is given in twelve categories and have been annually awarded since 1977. In 1988, the awards for the films of 1987 were not held because the MPP deemed that there was a "lack of deserving winners," which was a first in Filipino awards history. The fourteen categories of the awards, named in Tagalog, are the following:
is Gawad Urian's most decorated thespian. She won awards in the Best Actress, Aktress ng Dekada, and Natatanging Gawad Urian categories as well as a producer for 1978's Best Film Pagputi ng Uwak Pag-itim ng Tagak. She won Best Actress three years in a row: Relasyon, Broken Marriage and Sister Stella L..
The Gawad Urian also awards the Natatanging Gawad Urian to a film artisan whose contributions have helped shape the Filipino film industry.
The Mga Natatanging Aktor at Aktres ng Dekada are given every first year of the decade to actor/s and actress/es who had made outstanding works in the past decade. Recipients of the award are:
In 1992, the Gawad Urian gave the Ginintuang Gawad Urian to Mike de Leon. It would be the first and the last time that the MPP would give out the award.

Criteria and quality

The Gawad Urian is one of the most prestigious film award-giving bodies in the Philippines. For the thirty years that the MPP has existed, it has not been tainted with any accusations of vote buying or scandals that tainted most of its counterparts in the Philippines. This distinction made the Gawad Urian a highly coveted award in the Philippine film industry that is only given to the most deserved winners.
The Gawad Urian is also known for its infamous ties. At a time when the Filipino award-giving bodies were adamant about awarding ties after the FAMAS rock-up in 1972, the Gawad Urian has given ties in the Best Film category, Best Screenplay category, Best Actress category and Best Supporting Actress category, a dozen ties all in all.
The Gawad Urian is known for awarding several lesser-known films produced by small independent production companies. In 2004, Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino, a landmark Filipino drama, was awarded Pinakamahusay na Pelikula by Gawad Urian, while it did not receive a single nomination from any award-giving body that year.
In 2006, the Gawad Urian became the first award-giving body in the Philippine to welcome digital films into competition. Its nominees were swamped with achievement from digital films that year, which prompted the other award-giving bodies to include digital films in its roster of nominations the next year.

Best Films of the Decade (Mga Natatanging Pelikula ng Dekada)

DecadeFilmDirector
1970sPagdating sa Dulo Ishmael Bernal
1970sTinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang Lino Brocka
1970s' Lino Brocka
1970sGanito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon Eddie Romero
1970sInsiang Lino Brocka
1970sItim Mike de Leon
1970sNunal sa Tubig Ishmael Bernal
1970sSakada Behn Cervantes
1970sPagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak Celso Ad. Castillo
1970sJaguar Lino Brocka
1980sCity After Dark Ishmael Bernal
1980sKisapmata Mike de Leon
1980sBatch '81 -
1980sHimala Ishmael Bernal
1980sOro, Plata, Mata Peque Gallaga
1980sKarnal Marilou Diaz-Abaya
1980s' Lino Brocka
1980sSister Stella L. Mike de Leon
1980sHinugot sa Langit Ishmael Bernal
1980sOrapronobis Lino Brocka
1990sGumapang Ka Sa Lusak Lino Brocka
1990sThe Fatima Buen Story Mario O'Hara
1990sWating Ishmael Bernal
1990sThe Flor Contemplacion Story Joel Lamangan
1990sMilagros Marilou Diaz-Abaya
1990sBata, Bata... Paano Ka Ginawa? Chito Roño
1990sJose Rizal Marilou Diaz-Abaya
1990sBayaning 3rd World Mike de Leon
1990sPila-balde Jeffrey Jeturian
2000sBatang West Side Lav Diaz
2000sTuhog Jeffrey Jeturian
2000sBabae sa Breakwater Mario O'Hara
2000sMagnifico Maryo J. de los Reyes
2000sEbolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino Lav Diaz
2000sAng Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros Auraeus Solito
2000sKubrador Jeffrey Jeturian
2000sSerbis Brillante Mendoza
2000sKinatay Brillante Mendoza
2000sLola Brillante Mendoza