The Filipino Music Awards (FMA) 2025 celebrated musical talent from different genres and regions of the Philippines, but both the artists and the audiences didn’t let us forget that, beyond the SM Mall of Asia Arena, one of the country’s biggest corruption controversies is still unraveling.
Early into the evening, Mindanaoan boom-bap collective Morobeats called for a free Palestine upon accepting their award for Hip-Hop song of the year and told fellow musicians, “‘Wag kayong matakot na gawin ang makabuluhang musika.” But that wasn’t the last we’d hear political calls at the FMAs.
P-Pop boy group SB19 also took their chance onstage to encourage other artists to amplify calls for accountability. “Ini-encourage po namin ang lahat ng artist na gamitin nang mabuti ang kanilang plataporma para itama natin ang mga mali, para tawagin kung sino dapat ang managot, para mahuli ang dapat mahuli,” said SB19 member Stell.
The group went on to perform “Kapangyarihan” with folk-pop band Ben&Ben. The 2021 song speaks of the citizens’ frustrations with politicians. “Akala niyo ba ang kapangyarihan ay nasa inyo? Sino ba kayo? / Magwawagi ang katotohanan. Ang kadiliman ay ibabagsak,” the chorus goes.
The track, off Ben&Ben’s album Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno, rose to popularity recently with intensified scrutiny and outrage over the government’s anomalous infrastructure projects. Exactly a month before the awards show, on October 21, the band also performed “Kapangyarihan” at the Trillion Peso March in EDSA.
Matching the spirit of these artists, audiences chanted, “Ikulong na ‘yan, mga kurakot!” between segments. By the end of the evening, the FMAs had become more than a celebration of hits and artistry. It was reminder of how music continues to be a mirror of society, reflecting the truths and struggles of ordinary people.
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