AFTER a decade-long hiatus, UST is reviving its media excellence awards this September, expanding the recognition beyond television to practitioners, influencers and programs across digital, social and other emerging media platforms.
The 2026 USTV+ Media Excellence Awards, originally scheduled for Sept. 4, will be held on Sept. 23 after the awards night was postponed due to the suspension of classes and work amid inclement weather.
The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Quadricentennial Pavilion. Thomasians who wish to attend may present their UST ID or alumni card.
Last held in 2016, the awards began as the “USTv Awards” before evolving into USTV+ to reflect Dominican values and changes in the media landscape.
Unlike its earlier iteration, which focused on television, the relaunched USTV+ will recognize practitioners and content in digital, social and other emerging media formats, excluding television content.
UST Secretary General Fr. Louie Coronel, O.P. said the event would carry the theme “Speak Truth in Love” and seek to “recognize media that do more than inform, entertain, or attract attention, but uphold human dignity, inspire responsibility, and serve the common good.”
The relaunched awards adopted a “weighted voting system” for select discipline cluster-based categories, with 70% of the score coming from a panel of experts and 30% from student votes.
USTV+ will have 17 categories divided into nine clusters: humanities and social sciences; medicine and allied sciences; science and technology; accountancy, business and management; music, arts and design; physical education and sports; sacred sciences; law; and entertainment and popular culture.
Nominees for select discipline cluster-based categories were chosen by panels of UST experts in their respective fields.
In the communication, journalism, politics and society category, news programs “24 Oras,” “TV Patrol,” “State of the Nation” and “Dateline Philippines,” along with political podcast “Facts First,” were nominated.
Journalists Atom Araullo, Pia Arcangel, UST journalism alumna Lian Buan, Jeff Canoy, UST journalism faculty member Christian Esguerra and Ed Lingao were listed as individual nominees.
“I-Witness,” “Reporter’s Notebook” and “The Chiefs” were nominated under public affairs, while Karmina Constantino, Kara David, UST alumnus Jove Francisco, John Nery and Howie Severino were named individual nominees.
David was also nominated in the individual education category alongside Kim Atienza, Mona Magno-Veluz and Lyqa Maravilla.
Among the nominees in the psychology categories for awareness and advocacy were Hannah Pangilinan, Janina Vela and Jusdani.
Under the “media influencer” award in health, the nominees were alumna Dr. Vicki Belo, Dr. Aileen De Lara of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Dr. Alvin Francisco, and pharmacist and content creator Ramon “Arshie” Larga.
The nominees under science communication were television programs “Born to be Wild,” “DOSTv Science for the People” and “iWitness,” along with digital platform “EarthShaker.”
Araullo, Nadine Lustre and Chai Fonacier were nominated for the media influencer award in environmental awareness and advocacy.
For the media influencer award in music, the nominees were Alto Momma, Clara Benin, Gabrielle Pangilinan, Justin Taller and Kiana Valenciano.
Under the media influencer award in fine arts and design, Cartoonist Zach, Geloy Concepcion, Hannah Reyes Morales, former Varsitarian chief photographer Jilson Tiu and Shaira Luna were nominated.
Gretchen Ho, Hidilyn Diaz, Ceej Tantengco-Malolos and Enver Florendo were nominated for the media influencer award in physical education and sports.
Under entertainment and popular culture, the nominees were “Dirty Linen,” “Maria Clara at Ibarra” and “Pulang Araw” for drama; “Bubble Gang,” “Dogshow Divas” and SPIT for comedy; “Pinoy Big Brother,” “Rainbow Rumble” and “Running Man Philippines” for game show; “Balota,” “Kontrabida Academy” and “Quezon” for movie; and “Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast,” “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” and “Kuan on One” for talk.
Contenders for the individual award for entertainment and popular culture included writers Suzette Doctolero and Ricky Lee and director Dominic Zapata for drama; Cathy Garcia-Sampana, UST alumnus Jun Robles Lana and Kip Oebanda for movie; and Eugene Domingo, Macoy Dubs and Michael V. for comedy.
Nominated for the digital evangelization media influencer award were Fr. Fidel Roura, Fr. Fiel Pareja, Fr. Jose Francisco Faller, S.J., and Romar Chuca.
Filipino boy group BGYO will perform during the awards night, along with Thomasian performers from the Conservatory of Music, Coro Tomasino, Liturgikon Vocal Ensemble and Salinggawi Dance Troupe.
