margauxlicious Music | I won an Aliw Award! For real!

*Warning: a LOT of pictures of myself below! Allow me to indulge - I'd never won an award like this before!! 

I had never attended an awards night before so I was just too happy to be present. I just wanted to see Sarah Geronimo (jeje me thought Sarah Geronimo was present at every music awards show LOL) who sadly wasn't there.

It was the shock of my life to be nominated and an even bigger shocker to have won (Best Female Performer in a Hotel, Lounge or Bar - for the Tap Room/Manila Hotel). Best Male was no other than The Voice's Mitoy for Bar 360 at Resorts World.

Other nominees from the Tap Room were Angela Vera and last year's Aliw Awardee Pat Castillo (plus jazz superstar Jacqui Magno) so I realize this win - a huge honor - was purely by divine intervention!

Lifetime Achievement Awardees including Nora Aunor, Tito Vic and Joey, Nestor Torres

Fellow nominees (left) Jacqui Magno and Pat Castillo (last year's winner). And Aliw Chairman Cecile Guidote-Alvarez and Bimbo Cerrudo (right).

Best Female (moi!) and Best Male Performer in a Hotel, Bar or Lounge Mitoy (of The Voice).

Complete list of awardees:

• Best Child Performer: Ryzza Mae Dizon (Jowa/ Araneta Coliseum)
• Best New Artist (Solo): Abra
• Best New Artist (Group): West End Mamas
• Best Dance Company: Ballet Manila
• Best Cultural Group: Tanghalang SLU (Baguio City)
• Best Choral Group: SDS Chorale Group (Surigao Del Sur)
• Best Instrumentalist: Lourdes De Leon-Gregorio (Harp)
• Best Emcee (Female): Toni Gonzaga
• Best Emcee (Male): Luis Manzano
• Best Stand-Up Comedian: Beverly Salviejo (Library)
• Best Classical Performer (Male): Andrew Fernando
• Best Classical Performer (Female): Clarissa Ocampo
• Best Crossover/Broadway Performer: Fame Flores
• Best Production For Children: Hansel And Gretel (Kids Acts Philippines)
• Best Non-Musical Production: Penitensya Ni Tiyo Renato (Tanghalang SLU)
• Best Musical Production: Katy (Spotlight Artist Centre)
• Best Stage Director (Non-Musical): Bart Guingona (Red/TNT)
• Best Stage Director (Musical): Jaime Del Mundo (Rivalry: Ateneo-La Salle/4th Wall Theater Company)
• Best Actor (Non-Musical): Bart Guingona (Red/TNT)
• Best Actress (Non-Musical): Sherry Lara (Kapit/Virgin Labfest 9)
• Best Actor (Musical): Roeder Camanag (Stageshow/Tanghalang Pilipino)
• Best Actress (Musical): Isay Alvarez (Katy/Spotlight Artists Centre)
• Best Actress In A Featured Role: Dulce (Katy/Spotlight Artists Centre)
• Best Actor In A Featured Role: Tirso Cruz Iii (Katy/Spotlight Artists Centre)
• Best Concert/Special Concept Director: Anton Juan (Best Of Opera/Resorts World)
• Best Musical Director: Ed Gatchalian (Rivalry: La Salle-Ateneo/4th Wall Theater Company)
• Best Performance In Hotels, Music Lounges, Bars (Female): Margaux Salcedo (Tap Room/Manila Hotel)
• Best Performer In Hotels, Music Lounges, Bars (Male): Michael Yonting (Bar 360, Resorts World)
• Best Performer In Hotels, Music Lounges And Bars (Group): Draybers (Bar 360, Resorts World)
• Best Performance In A Concert (Male): Ely Buendia (Greatest Hits Live/Music Museum)
• Best Performance In A Concert (Female): Dulce (Bar 360/Resorts World)
• Best Performance In A Concert (Group): The Minstrels/Circus Band (All For Love/Music Museum)
• Best Collaboration In A Concert: Jon Santos/Company/Bo Cerrudo (I Heart Manila / Music Museum)
• Best Major Concert: Bamboo (Resorts World)

The Wall. With the prettiest girls in the world: Baby and Goldee Salcedo.

We had a night cap where the magic happened: at the Manila Hotel's Tap Room. THANK YOU to Sandra Viray who invited me and pushed me to sing! (And Neal Cruz who always mentioned my secret singing life in his column.)

Where it all happened: The Tap Room. With Mang Mike, my fave bartender.

Then Goldee and Nico had a bit of fun playing with the award.

 Now it has its place on top of the piano. :)

Thank you God!

PS The Manila Hotel's new management has decided to take out jazz from the Tap Room. Boo! They now play 70s and 80s music. Of course we think it's a big mistake. But we wish them luck on this experiment. In the meantime, I'll keep people posted on where to find jazz via social media! Follow Facebook.com/MargauxSalcedo and Twitter @margauxsalcedo.

Cheers!