GRACE NONO, CYNTHIA ALEXANDER, AND KULAY SWEEP KATHA AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Alternative female artists Grace Nono and Cynthia Alexander dominated this year's Katha Music Awards nominations for the work on their albums, while Boom Dayupay's hiphop/funk unit Kulay trailed closely for "Vibestation".

The writing/production team of Grace Nono and Bob Aves (married to each other in real life) amassed a total of 21 nominations for Nono's ethnic-inspired "Isang Buhay, Isang Life". Cynthia Alexander's alt-folk "Insomnia and Other Lullabyes" followed, garnering a total of 16 nominations, while Boom Dayupay and Kulay's "Vibestation" collected 12 nominations.

Nominations in 55 categories were announced by the songwriter-based group Katha, chaired by composer/arranger Danny Tan. These categories included pop, traditional pop, rock, alternative music, R&B, rap, country, jazz, gospel, reggae, Latin/tropical, soul, blues, folk, world music, comedic, arranging, package, production, indigenous, movie soundtrack, and classical. In addition to these genres, an overall record of the year, album of the year, song of the year, and best new artist are selected.

In a country overflowing with music awards bodies, the Katha awards, are generally considered to have more credibility than others, since the judging is done by musicians, engineers and songwriters who vote for their peers. By contrast, the Awit awards is set up by the PARI - the local association of record companies. Between the two, Katha is known to place greater emphasis on artistic merit rather than commercial impact. For this reason, albums which are critical and artistic successes are usually tapped as winners or nominees, while commercial hits are looked at more objectively.

This year's awards will be held on November 4 at the AFP Theater. We'll post the winners here as soon as these are announced, so stay tuned for that.

The 1998 Katha Award Nominees are:

Record of the Year:
* Hello Baby - Cynthia Alexander
* Forever Blue - Cacai Velasquez
* You Lift Me Up - Jaya

Album of the Year:
* Insomnia and Other Lullabyes - Cynthia Alexander (Dypro Records)
* Isang Buhay One Life - Grace Nono (BMG Records)
* Vibestation - Kulay (Sony Music)
* In the Raw - Jaya (Viva Records)
* The Vibe - The Vibe (BMG Records)

Song of the Year:
* "If I Could" - Lloyd Umali
* "You Lift Me Up" - Jaya
* "Huwag Kang Mangako ng Kailanpaman"

Best New Artist:
* Vibe
* Parliament Syndicate
* Indio I
* P.O.T.
* Cynthia Alexander
* Cacai Velasquez

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance:
* You Lift Me Up - Jaya
* Forever Blue - Cacai Velasquez

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance:
* If I Could - Llyod Umali
* Paano -Gary Valenciano
* What's on the Other Side - Martin Nievera

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal:
* Do You - Vanna Vanna
* Can't Take This - Vibe
* I'm So Sorry - Channels
* Wala Nang Iba - Side A

Best Pop Song:
* You Lift Me Up - Daniel Tan and Elzar Dodjie Simon
* If I Could - Elzar Dodjie Simon
* Forever Blue - Jingle Sayson
* Huwag Kang Mangako ng Kailanpaman - Gary Granada

Best Pop Album:
* In the Raw - Jaya
* Parliament Syndicate - Parliament Syndicate
* The Vibe - Vibe
* Judith Banal (Solo) - Judith Banal

Best Pinoy Traditional Pop Vocal Performance:
* Ikaw Lang ang Paglilingkuran - Imelda Papin

Best Pinoy Traditional Pop Song:
* Esperanza - Vehnee Saturno

Best Traditional Vocal Performance:
* Diyos Lamang ang Nakakaalam - Diomedes Maturan

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal:
* Virtual Reality - The Breed
* Rage - The Jerks
* Tambol - The Jerks
* Yugyugan Na - P.O.T.
* Kung Ayaw Mo Huwag Mo - RiverMaya

Best Rock Song:
* Rage - Chicoy Pura of The Jerks
* Virtual Reality - Michael Turner of The Breed
* Payaso - Razorback

Best Rock Album:
* Beggar's Moon - Razorback
* Amusing Ourselves to Death - The Breed
* P.O.T. - P.O.T.

Best Alternative Music Vocal Performance:
* Comfort in Your Strangeness - Cynthia Alexander
* As Still As a Photograph - Cacai Velasquez
* Hello Baby - Cynthia Alexander
* Malaya - Cynthia Alexander
* Slippin' Away - Cynthia Alexander

Best Alternative Music Song:
* Comfort in Your Strangeness - Cynthia Alexander
* As Still As a Photograph - Angelo Villegas
* Hello Baby - Cynthia Alexander
* Slippin' Away - Cynthia Alexander

Best Alternative Music Album:
* Insomnia and Other Lullabyes - Cynthia Alexander

Best R&B Vocal Performance:
* Please Baby, Baby - Vibe
* Crazy - Kulay
* Hooked on You - Vibe
* Waiting - Parliament Syndicate

Best R&B Song:
* Please Baby, Baby - Mike Luis
* Crazy - Boom Dayupay
* Hooked on You - Jimmy Antiporda and Arnee Hidalgo
* Tatay - Boom Dayupay

Best R&B Album:
* The Vibe - Vibe
* Vibestation - Kulay

Best Rap Performance:
* Back in the Days - Kulay
* Tease Me, Please Me, Squeeze Me - Chill

Best Rap Album:
* Vibestation - Kulay
* Chill - Chill

Best Country Vocal Performance:
* Asin - Gary Granada

Best Country Song:
* Asin - Gary Granada

Best Contemporary Jazz Vocal Performance:
* Manama - Grace Nono
* Sweet Heart - Parliament Syndicate

Best Contemporary Jazz Song:
* Manama - Grace Nono
* Sweet Heart - Mar Dizon and Ronald Tomas

Best Pop Gospel Vocal Performance:
* Pag-ibig Mo - Zebedee Zuniga
* Tuwing Sasapit ang Pasko - Reuben Laurente

Best Pop Gospel Song:
* Pag-ibig Mo - Ronel Rubrica
* Gloria in Excelsis Deo - Jungee Marcelo
* Maligaya Na Sana - Noel Mendez and Mon David

Best Reggae Vocal Performance:
* Noon at Ngayon - Blakdyak
* 'S' on My Chest - Indio I
* Machine Answering - Joey Ayala/Bagong Lumad

Best Reggae Song:
* Noon at Ngayon - Blakdyak
* 'S' on My Chest - Indio I
* Machine Answering - Joey Ayala
* Earth to Man - Indio I

Best Reggae Album:
* Indio I - Indio I

Best Latin Vocal Performance:
* Trabajar - Sabor Latino

Best Latin Song:
* Trabajar - Armand Guevara and Jun Lopez

Best Tropical Vocal Performance:
* Alas Singko Blues - Channels

Best Tropical Song:
* Alas Singko Blues - Eric Banez

Best Contemporary Soul Vocal Performance:
* Burn - Kulay

Best Contemporary Soul Song:
* Burn - Boom Dayupay (Kulay)

Best Contemporary Blues Vocal Performance:
* Kiliti - Maegan Aguilar
* Burst - Maegan Aguilar

Best Folk/Contemporary Folk Vocal Performance:
* Song of the Wind - Jun Oblenida
* Alambre - Boyet Feliciano and Bolet B. Banal
* Pasasalamat - Joey Ayala
* Sugatang Langit - Joey Ayala

Best World Music Vocal Performance:
* Ader - Grace Nono
* Anungan - Grace Nono
* Ay, Leng - Grace Nono
* Ani - Grace Nono
* Isang Buhay - Grace Nono
* Tabi Po - Joey Ayala/Bagong Lumad

Best World Music Song:
* Anungan - Agte Gawid and Hanunuo Mangyan Community, Bob Aves and Grace Nono
* Ader - Labaya Piang and Maguindanaon Community and Grace Nono

Best World Music Album:
* Isang Buhay One Life - Grace Nono
* Lupa't Langit - Joey Ayala/Bagong Lumad

Best Comedic Vocal Performance:
* Utang - Jeff Roxas
* Noon at Ngayong - Blakdyak

Best Comedic Song:
* Utang - Jeff Roxas
* Noon at Ngayon - Blakdyak

Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocals:
* Anungan - Bob Aves
* Manama - Bob Aves
* Hello Baby - Cynthia Alexander
* Ader - Bob Aves
* Insomnia - Cynthia Alexander
* Malaya - Cynthia Alexander

Best Vocal Arrangement:
* Anungan - Grace Nono
* Ader - Grace Nono

Best Album Package:
* Matchbox - Willie A. Monzon
* Ogie Alcasid - Phases Willie A. Monson
* Kulay--Vibestation - Kulay, Dave Yu and Jeannie Oakman
* Color It Red--Fool's Circle - John Joel B. Lopez and Atrocity exhibition
* Cacai Velasquez - Jenny Ong and Oliver de Leon

Best Engineered Recording:
* Anungan - Bob Aves
* Manama - Bob Aves
* Delicious - Boom, Dave Yu, Dennis Cham, Arvin Ramos, Eric Adorable
* Ader - Bob Aves

Best Engineered Album:
* Isang Buhay One Life (Grace Nono) - Bob Aves
* The Vibe - Jimmy Atiporda
* Insomnia and Other Lullabyes (Cynthia Alexander) - Angee Rozul

Producer of the Year:
* Grace Nono and Bob Aves
* Maly Andres and Cynthia Alexander
* Jimmy Antiporda
* Boom Dayupay

Best Indigenous Album:
* Pakaradia-an--Maranao Chants and Instrumental Music by Sindao Banisil - Sindao Banisil

Best Soundtrack Album:
* Anak ng Bulkan - Various Artists

Best Classical Album:
* Francisco F. Feliciano--Misa Mysterium - Francisco F. Feliciano