The singer during her Billboard interview with pre-event hosts Rania Aniftos and Lilly Singh.
Nathalie Tomada - The Philippine Star
March 12, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — This Women’s Month, Sarah Geronimo brought pride to the country after becoming one of Billboard’s 2024 Global Force honorees.
Chosen alongside Sarah G by Billboard outlets around the world as Global Forces were Sherine Abdel-Wahab (Egypt), Annalisa (Italy), Maria Becerra (Argentina), Nini Nutsubidze (Georgia), Tia Ray (China) and Luísa Sonza (Brazil).
Billboard described the awardees as “visionaries” who are making groundbreaking contributions to the music industry as singers, songwriters, instrumentalists and producers.
Sarah flew to the US to personally accept her award last March 7 (March 8, Philippine time) during the “Women in Music” ceremony, hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross at the YouTube Theatre in Los Angeles.
In her acceptance speech, the OPM queen, also known as Popstar Royalty to fans, said, “Thank you, Billboard, for celebrating women in music and of course, for giving our country this meaningful recognition. Maraming, maraming salamat to Billboard Philippines for your commitment to bring our music, the Filipino music, and more Filipino artists to a global audience.
“I humbly accept this award for every amazing and excellent Filipina and Filipino artist back home and all over the world.
“Allow me to also take this moment to thank God, Lord Jesus, for the gift of music. Hindi ko po inisip na mararating ko po yung ganito, that I’ll be able to deliver a speech in front of an international audience.”
The 35-year-old, who started in the entertainment scene as a teen vocal champion, also profusely expressed her gratitude to her parents.
“Thank you to my parents, to my Nanay and Tatay, maraming maraming salamat for your unconditional love, and for believing in me and for supporting me.”
The singer went to give credit to her manager, Viva big boss Vic del Rosario, and her management team Viva Artists Agency, and of course, her fans also called Popsters. She then gave a shout out to her husband, actor-host Matteo Guidicelli, “for always pushing me to be a better version of myself every day.”
Sarah pointed out that the recognition symbolized courage and hope for her.
“Courage to accept and embrace oneself. Courage to break boundaries and defy standards. Courage to rise above all the setbacks and challenges that one artist or one person has to face. And I hope one day, this recognition will bridge the Philippines and other nations to create change and positivity in the world through the power of music.”
In a separate statement sent to The Philippine STAR, Anne Bernisca, COO of MMGI and publisher of Billboard Philippines, shared the process for selecting Sarah for the award.
“Billboard Philippines nominated Sarah Geronimo to be the first homegrown and full-blooded Filipina to be recognized on stage to receive the Billboard Women in Music Global Force Award due to her incomparable influence and impact in the Filipino music industry. She is an all-around performer with consistently sold-out shows. She has entered the Billboard global charts and her songs have reached 110 on-demand million streams in 2023 alone,” she stressed.
“Sarah is known for her electrifying stage performances and her wide range of vocal versatility. She is a multi-talented artist who is able to successfully cross both the music and movie industries having starred in top-grossing movies and popular television shows all the while maintaining a stellar music career.
“She also serves as an inspiration to many aspiring young artists and actively participates in helping shape the next generation of Filipino talents by being a coach at ‘The Voice.’ Sarah’s contributions to the music industry and unwavering commitment to effect positive change through her music make her an exemplary choice as Billboard Philippines’ Global Force Awardee.”
She also noted that Billboard Philippines’ participation in this year’s Women In Music Awards is in keeping with “our mission to bridge Filipino music and the world.”
The award, Bernisca further noted, was not only a recognition of Sarah’s achievements but also a celebration of Filipino music.
Meanwhile, in a brief exchange of online messages with Sarah G, through her team at G Productions, Sarah exclusively shared with The STAR some of her highlights from the event.
To be recognized on a global stage, what was your first reaction?
Sarah gets to interact with international artists such as (from left) Victoria Monet, Luisa Sonza and Thuy at the awards event.
“A pleasant surprise! The first time they told me about it, I could not believe it. I am thankful to Billboard Philippines for giving me the honor to represent our country and our music.
“I see it as an important milestone not just for my career, but most importantly for our music industry.
“May this recognition serve as fuel and give us OPM artists more motivation and inspiration to continue loving and creating original Filipino music.”
What does this latest award mean to you as an artist? How special is this?
“It has given me a brand-new perspective of hope and inspiration. It came at a time when I was feeling low and doubting myself as an artist. This has motivated me to just keep going and keep my passion for music burning (heart and fire emojis).”
Lastly, what were your highlights from the awards event and to whom do you dedicate this award?
“Some of my highlights that night were seeing some of my favorite female artists, actors and performers… I saw Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding… Kylie Minogue, Kat Graham from the TV series, ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ Bailee Madison from the ‘Good Witch,’ Victoria Monet!!! She is an amazing artist! I love and admire her artistry! And she was also very nice that we got to share a quick chat! (Smiley).”
“I also met Thuy from Vietnam and Annalisa from Italy!!! They were both beautiful and nice! And of course, I got to meet Tracee Ellis Ross. I wanted to tell her that I enjoyed watching her movie ‘The High Note’ but was not able to because I was so nervous and overwhelmed.
“The recognition is dedicated to all the dreamers out there, to all my loved ones, to everyone who has been part of my journey as an artist, and of course, to the whole Filipino music industry.”
