MANILA, 14 October 2003 — Philippine television network ABS-CBN took home the most trophies at the 17th Star Awards for Television held Saturday night at the UP Theater.
ABS-CBN won 30 trophies in 46 categories, including the highly coveted Best Station plum, besting rival GMA on almost all fronts, in news and current affairs and in entertainment and drama programs. GMA won only 16 awards.
“TV Patrol” was voted Best News Program, while Korina Sanchez and Julius Babao were named Best Female Newscaster and Best Male Newscaster, respectively. It was Korina’s second win in the same category while it was Julius’s first.
“The Correspondents” was named Best Magazine Show and its host Karen Davila was also adjudged as Best Magazine Show Host, beating the likes of Jessica Soho Reports and The Probe Team. It was also the first win for “The Correspondents”.
It was nearly an all-ABS-CBN night, with GMA picking a few awards here and there. After Robert Alejandro won the award as Best Children’s Show Host for “Art is Kool” for GMA (the show also won the award for Best Children’s Show), ABS-CBN won most of the trophies handed out from that point on.
ABS-CBN won the trophies for Best Educational Show and Host (“Knowledge Power” and Ernie Baron), Best Lifestyle Program and Hosts (“F” and Angel Aquino, Cher Calvin and Daphne Ose?a), and Best Horror Fantasy Show (“Wansapanataym”). The streak was broken when “Cheche Lazaro Presents” from GMA won the award as Best Travel Show and the award for Best Travel Show Host.
Kris Aquino was named Best Game Show Host for ABS-CBN’s “Game K N B?” which also won as Best Game Show. She was unable to receive her trophy as she was still caught in a traffic jam. She gave her belated speech when she and Korina won as Best Celebrity Talk Show Hosts for “Morning Girls” with “Kris and Korina,” which was voted Best Celebrity Talk Show.
There were a number of upsets — or should we say “surprises” — since we admit we were surprised by the wins of certain individuals and shows that evening. “Magandang Umaga Bayan” won as Best Morning Show over “Unang Hirit”.
“Debate with Mare at Pare” won as Best Public Affairs Program, with Winnie Monsod and Oscar Orbos winning the award as Best Public Affairs Program Hosts.
The inspiring and heart-warming “Wish Ko Lang,” hosted by Bernadette Sembrano, won the award as Best Public Service Program but Willie Revillame took home the award as Best Public Service Program Host for “Willingly Yours.”
John Estrada won as Best Drama Actor for “Kaytagal Kang Hinintay,” beating Eddie Garcia, who was nominated for “Kung Mawawala Ka” and Christopher de Leon who was nominated for “Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw”.
Snooky Serna was named Best Drama Actress for “Habang Kapiling Ka” and we hope her victory translates into more assignments. “Kaytagal Kang Hinintay” won as Best Drama Series, while “Maalaala Mo Kaya” won as Best Drama Anthology.
Cherry Pie Picache and Sunshine Dizon tied for the award for Best Single Performance by an Actress. Cherry Pie won for her role as a babymaker in the ABS-CBN program “Tanging Yaman, The Series,” while Sunshine won the nod for her work in the “Kakaibang Mukha ng Pag-ibig” episode of “Magpakailanman”.
“Eat Bulaga” on GMA won for the ninth straight year as Best Variety Show.
