MyDSL artists win Urban music awards

MANILA, Philippines - Featured artists in the groundbreaking PLDT MyDSL’s Watchpad portal won big in the first local Urban Music Awards led by Wave 89.1. Urban Music Awards is a hip-hop, R&B, dance and soul music awards ceremony launched in 2003 and held in six countries annually including the US.

Southborder’s Jay Durias won the Most Influential R&B Icon title while celebrity couple Marcus and Amber Davis took home the Best Male and Female R&B Awards, respectively. Both are headliners in the myMusic show under the myView channel of PLDT MyDSL Watchpad, an on-line-TV which showcases carefully picked and exclusively-created shows, videos, movies, among other entertaining and informative programs.

It was all glitter, camaraderie, no-nonsense entertainment and triumph at the first Urban Music Awards held at the Eastwood Mall fountain area last Jan. 22. The event gathered top R&B and hip-hop acts led by Jay-R, Gloc 9 and Young JV. “This is about paying homage to the artists doing urban music. We hope to do this as a yearly occasion,” says DJ Tayshaun, the brainchild of the event which emphasizes the growing following urban music is getting in the country.

 Urban is basically the scene created by R&B and hip-hop performers. About 20 awards were up for grabs, including Urban Band of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Album, Best Original Song, and Best Collaboration. Jay-R and Kyla won the Best Collaboration trophy for their tandem in Back In Time. They displayed their prize on GMA 7’s S.O.P.  two days after winning.

Marcus and Amber performed an engaging number highlighting Watchpad music. They did their groovy act before they were named winners in separate categories.

PLDT MyDSL senior product manager Myla Villanueva said, “The PLDT MyDSL Watchpad gives exclusive videos from some stellar artists in the urban music scene and we’re expecting that the line-up will even increase. There are a lot of trendy events that MyDSL is offering for the year ahead, just like the new Speedster Bus that we’ll unveil pretty soon.” 

Other winners were Best New Artist, Young JV; Urban Band of the Year, K24/7; Best Male Hip-Hop, Gloc 9; Hypeman of the Year, MC Pao; DJ of the Year, Ace Ramos; Urban Club of the Year, Dolce; Best Urban Group, LDP; Best Style Icon Male and Female, Billy Crawford and Kat Agarrado; Best Remake, Thor with Amber, Spend My Life With You; Best Original Song, Taas Noo, Amber Davis feat. Gloc 9; Best Album, Renditions of the Soul Nina; and Best Video, Mainit, Kenjohns and Knowah Lazarus.

In the finale number, South Border introduced its new vocalist, Kris Lawrence.  

Past winners of the Urban Music Awards in the US include Danity Kane, Jay-Z, Grandmasterflash, Sean Paul, Beyoncé Knowles, Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco and Mary Mary.