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Tawag ng Tanghalan
Philippine television series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Tawag ng Tanghalan (lit. 'call of the stage', abbreviated TNT) is a Philippine television reality competition broadcast by ABS-CBN. Originally hosted by Jaime dela Rosa, Patsy and Lopito, it aired as a reality competition from 1954 to September 1972 and from March 8, 1987 to November 26, 1989, and was replaced by Sa Linggo nAPO Sila. The show returned as a segment of It's Showtime on January 2, 2016. Vhong Navarro, Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, Amy Perez, Karylle, Ogie Alcasid, Kim Chiu and Darren Espanto currently serve as the hosts. Dubbed as "Your All-Time Favorite Search for Outstanding Amateur Talents", the competition is open to Filipino contestants from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and overseas.
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The segment premiered on January 2, 2016, and saw success for the next eight regular seasons, two kids editions, one celebrity edition, two all-star editions, and one duets edition. There have been fourteen winners to date: Noven Belleza,[1] Jhon Clyd Talili,[2] Janine Berdin,[3] Elaine Duran,[4] Ethel Booba,[5] Mark Michael Garcia,[6] JM Yosures,[7] Reiven Umali,[8] Lyka Estrella,[9] Marielle Montellano & JM Dela Cerna of Sidlak Bisdak,[10] Rea Gen Villareal,[11] Kim Hewitt,[12] Carmelle Collado,[13] and Marko Rudio.[14]
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History
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First and second iterations (1954–1972, 1987–1989)
Tawag ng Tanghalan (originally known as Purico Amateur Hour) debuted as a radio talent search program on RBS' (now GMA Network) DZBB-AM in 1954 with Jaime dela Rosa, Patsy and Lopito as the original hosts.[citation needed]
The show was sponsored by the Philippine Manufacturing Corporation (PMC) and later aired on television under DZAQ-TV (now DWWX-TV) from 1958 until 1972. It was produced and managed by ABS-CBN from 1969 until 1972.[citation needed]
The second incarnation was originally hosted by Frankie Evangelista, Danny Javier and Nanette Inventor, and aired on ABS-CBN, with dance and acting contest portions that ably supported the main talent amateur singing competition from March 8, 1987, to November 26, 1989, The Season 1 from March 8, 1987, to January 17, 1988, The Season 2 from February 14 to December 25, 1988, and the Season 3 from January 15 to November 26, 1989.[15][16]
Noted OPM artists like Armand Panlilio, Nora Aunor, Novo Bono Jr., Pepe Pimentel, Edgar Mortiz and Diomedes Maturan[17] were among the winners[18] of the original program.[19] Caloy Alde, who would later on made a name in Philippine showbiz as a comedian, joined the second incarnation of Tawag ng Tanghalan in the show's acting contest.
Third iteration (2016–present)
In 2016, Tawag ng Tanghalan returned as a daily segment on ABS-CBN's noontime variety program It's Showtime.[20][21]
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Format
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Since 1987–1989 and again from 2016 onwards, contenders in Tawag ng Tanghalan perform before a live audience and are scored by a panel of judges, including a Punong Hurado (Head Judge) and three to four regular judges.
In the first two regular seasons and the Kids edition, the judging criteria consisted of:
- tone quality (40%),
- voice projection (30%),
- stage impact (20%), and
- intonation (10%).
From Season 3 to Season 8 (The School Showdown), the criteria were revised:
- voice quality (50%), encompassing intonation, enunciation, projection, and technique, and
- overall performance (50%), covering timing, lyrics mastery, stage presence, and audience impact.
In the second season of All-Star Grand Resbak and later on Season 9, the judging criteria were modified to combine elements from both previous formats. The new criteria were as follows:
- tone quality (40%),
- voice projection and technique (30%), and
- intonation and enunciation (30%).
In adult seasons, the head judge may eliminate a contender mid-performance via a hand signal to a gong master, who strikes the gong three times, thus ending the performance. This gong mechanic is excluded from the Kids edition to avoid discouraging young performers, with decisions instead based solely on the judges' scores and verdicts.[22]
Daily rounds
Throughout the history of Tawag ng Tanghalan, the gong concept has been a central feature in most seasons, though it is excluded from the Kids' editions. The gong's format has evolved over time, with variations depending on the season's structure.
The regular seasons are divided into phases known as quarters, during which the gong may be used to eliminate a contender mid-performance.
This concept has undergone adjustments in its application, such as in the face-off rounds, where the gong can be activated if the head judge signals it, ending the performance immediately. However, in the Kids' seasons, the gong was removed to avoid upsetting young contestants, relying instead on judges' scores and decisions to determine outcomes.
Face-off Format
Adopted in Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, Celebrity Champions and Kids 1, the Face-Off format features three to four contenders representing Metro Manila (except season 7), Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Each contender performs a self-selected song daily. The contender with the highest score advances to the Face-Off round to challenge the defending champion and attempt to win the golden microphone. The contender with the higher score becomes the new defending champion and may defend the title for up to ten consecutive days (reduced to eight in Season 6). In the Face-Off round, the gong is not used; decisions are based solely on judges' scores.
If all daily contenders are gonged, as seen in the February 14, 2018 episode,[23] no daily winner is declared, and the defending champion automatically performs and advances by default.
A contender who wins for five consecutive days qualifies for the semifinals (later reduced to four in Season 4 and three in Season 9). At that point, the contender may choose to opt out or continue until they are dethroned or achieve a ten-day winning streak. A contender who reaches ten consecutive wins enters the Hall of Fame and receives additional rewards, such as a cash prize, a recorded single, or an advantage in subsequent rounds. To date, only Elaine Duran and John Mark Saga, both from Season 3, have achieved this milestone. Each defending champion receives ₱25,000 per win.[24]
Several modified versions of the Face-Off format have been introduced throughout the seasons:
- Gong Removal: Exclusive to the Kids edition, the gong was removed to avoid disheartening young contenders. Instead, judging relied solely on scores and the judges' verdicts. In the first seventeen episodes, all three contenders could challenge the defending champion. Eventually, the original rule was reinstated, limiting contenders to a five-day defense of the golden microphone.[22] In its first seventeen episodes, all three contenders can challenge the defending champion, until it returned to the original format. Contenders can only defend the golden microphone for five days.
- Instant Finalist: In Celebrity Champions, four celebrity contenders representing different regions competed for an automatic slot in the Grand Finals.
- The Power of Four: Introduced in Season 4, this twist gave all four regular judges the authority to gong a contender if all pressed their buzzers.
- Battle of Versions: Debuting in Season 6, this format resembles The Voice's Battle Rounds.
- Two or three contenders perform different arrangements of a single song, including duet and solo parts. The gong is not used in this round. The contender with the highest score—or both in case of a tie— advances to the Face-Off round to challenge the defending champion. If there is no champion, the two top scorers proceed to a face-off the next day.
- The gong returns in the Face-Off round. Each contender performs solo, and the highest scorer becomes the defending champion. A five-day winning streak leads to the Quarter Finals, while an eight-day streak secures a Semifinal spot. Notably, a defending champion can now be gonged, ending their streak immediately. In case of a tie, a rematch occurs until one contender advances or reaches the 8-day mark. Occasionally, the Battle of Versions is skipped in favor of a three-way sing-off of different songs, as seen on episodes aired January 4, 17, 27, and December 20 and 24, 2022. This format replaced the initial elimination round.
- Modified Face-Off: In the Season 7, a Kids-edition-inspired version brought back the regional format, with contenders from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao competing to determine the first defending champion. Daily, the top-scoring contender advances to the Face-Off to challenge the champion. Defending champions who win five consecutive times advance to the Semifinals. On rare occasions, two contenders from the same region faced off (e.g., July 7, 2023), or daily rounds were skipped entirely in favor of a Face-Off (e.g., December 14, 2023 and January 6, 2024).
- Three-Way Face-Off: This occurred in Season 7, when a tie resulted in both contenders being declared defending champions. The next day, a contender from the remaining region competed to challenge both champions. If another tie occurred, the defending champions continued competing until one was defeated, gonged, or advanced to the Semifinals. This happened on multiple occasions:
- September 14–15, 2023: RG Mia and Judy Lou Benitez tied; both battled Jaica Cardino the next day. Benitez advanced, while Mia later qualified for the Semifinals.[25][26]
- September 26–27, 2023: Rgin Deripas and Kenneth Garingo tied; Garingo won the next day and later advanced to the Semifinals.[27]
- December 13–14, 2023: Kline Perez and Aeron Guanco tied; Guanco prevailed the next day and reached the Semifinals.[28]
Weekly Format
Adopted in New Normal, Duets, Kids Season 2, and The School Showdown, the Weekly Format features contenders performing onstage for two rounds without a live audience. The contender with the highest combined score advances to the next round, while the contender with the lowest score is eliminated. In case of a tie for the highest score, both contenders perform again, and the one with the higher score proceeds to the Weekly Finals.
- In New Normal, daily winners proceed to the Weekly Finals, where one or two contenders are selected to advance to the Quarter Finals using the same judging criteria across both rounds. Weekly finalists select their songs, rehearse with a mentor judge from home, and then perform onstage. After the first round, the top two finalists perform again in the second round. The weekly finalist with the highest combined score wins ₱25,000 and advances to the Quarter Finals, while the runner-up receives ₱10,000. Other finalists each receive a consolation prize of ₱5,000.
- In Duets, two pairs compete daily, with the first selected by the hosts and the second chosen by the first pair. The winning pair advances to the Weekly Finals, where five pairs perform. The pair with the highest score advances directly to the Grand Finals.
- In Kids 2, three contenders compete for a slot in the Weekly Finals. The weekly winner then advances to the Semi-Finals. This format was also applied in The School Showdown, but with only two contenders competing for a spot in the Weekly Finals.
Hybrid Format
Adopted exclusively in the fifth season, the Hybrid Format combined elements from both the Face-Off and Weekly formats. Every Monday, four daily contenders competed for two “spotlight” spots to advance to the next day. From Tuesday to Friday, two new contenders were introduced daily to compete in the first round. In a three-way battle, the winning contender advanced to the second round to challenge the two spotlight holders. On Friday, the two remaining spotlight holders competed in two rounds during the Weekly Finals, with the winner advancing to the Quarter Finals.
Last Man Standing Format
The All-Star Grand Resbak series introduced the Last Man Standing format, where groups of contenders compete to remain as the last standing group throughout the competition.
For the first season, the following mechanics were applied:
- Team Battle: Competitors are divided into teams. Each day, one member from each team performs two songs. The participant with the lowest score is eliminated, while the remaining two advance, taking control of the competition. They decide who from their team will perform next. This process repeats for three weeks. The winning team receives a cash bonus prize.
- Four-way Battle: The two contenders competing for the Seat of Power face off against two others, regardless of team affiliation. The two highest-scoring competitors control the competition, and this format continues until only four contenders remain for the Grand Finals.
Meanwhile, for the second season, the mechanics were modified and are as follows:
- Four-Way and Three-Way Face-Off: Each group selects a representative to compete against representatives from other groups. The team with the most points after each round advances. The winner of each round earns a point for their team. If two or more teams are tied, a tie-breaker round is used.
- Resbak Battle: In each round, two competitors from the same group compete for a spot in the finals.
Resbakers
Resbak, a colloquial term for "revenge," refers to the mechanism allowing previously eliminated contenders to return to the competition.
All regular (including Kids) seasons of Tawag ng Tanghalan include a resbak phase, where contenders who failed to advance in earlier rounds may return regardless of their previous performance. Some contenders return multiple times within the same season (e.g., Mariane Osabel in Season 3) or across different seasons (e.g., John Mark Saga in Seasons 2 and 3). If a contender is eliminated in advanced rounds, they must re-qualify by re-entering as a daily contender. For instance, Lalainne Clarisse Araña, initially eliminated in the first quarter of the semifinals, returned in the third quarter and qualified again for the semifinals.
Contenders may return as often they please and still progress through the competition, with some even winning the title. Notable examples include Lyka Estrella, who won Season 6 after joining Seasons 1, 2, and 4, and Rea Gen Villareal, who won Season 7 after participating in Seasons 2, 4, and 6—both achieving victory on their fourth attempt.
Pre-Final Rounds
Quarterfinals
All weekly winners from the fourth and fifth seasons advanced to the Quarter Finals, where judges retained the authority to gong a contender.
- In the New Normal format, Quarter Finalists performed songs based on a weekly theme, with judging criteria remaining consistent. At the end of the six-day competition week, the two or three contenders with the highest combined scores advanced to the Semifinals and received ₱50,000, while the remaining participants were awarded ₱10,000 as a consolation prize.
- Season 5 introduced a new mechanic called "Instant Spotlight," which granted safety to the Quarter Finalists with the highest combined scores on Mondays and Wednesdays, protecting them from elimination on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- In Season 6, defending champions who achieved five-day winning streaks advanced to the Quarter Finals instead of directly proceeding to the Semifinals.
Semifinals
All defending champions with five-day winning streaks (or four in the fourth season and three in the ninth season) advance to the Semifinals.
In this round, semifinalists perform daily songs based on specific themes. They are scored through a combination of public text voting (50%) and judges' scores (50%). The gong may still be used at this stage. At the end of the six-day competition, the top two semifinalists (or three in the fourth season) with the highest combined scores advance to the Grand Finals, known as Ang Huling Tapatan, and receive ₱150,000 and a gold medal. Those who do not advance receive a consolation prize of ₱25,000 and may return as wildcard contenders in the Ultimate Resbak.
- In Season 2, a special global semifinal round was introduced for overseas contestants (Global Tawag ng Tanghalan), offering two additional spots in the Grand Finals. Though planned to return in Season 4, it was ultimately cancelled.
- Seasons 4 and 6 removed the public voting component, relying solely on judges' scores and verdicts. In contrast, Season 5 eliminated the semifinals entirely for unknown reasons, allowing all qualified semifinalists to proceed directly to the Grand Finals.
- In Season 6, the semifinals adopted the featurette format, inspired by the Grand Finals structure of earlier seasons. Over the first four days, twelve semifinalists were divided into four groups. Each day featured a three-way battle followed by solo performances. The contender with the highest average score each day advanced to the Grand Finals. Additionally, judges were given the power to save eliminated contenders, allowing them to participate in the final day of the semifinals (Friday round).
Wildcard Rounds
Wildcard rounds allow previously eliminated contenders to re-enter the competition through various formats, often determined by judges or competition structure.
Judges' Wildcard
In Season 3, the Instant Resbak was introduced, where each judge could save one losing defending champion from the face-off round by waving a flag with their name and "Instant Resbak" written on it. The saved contender advanced to a separate competition phase for a chance to reach the Grand Finals. The gong remained in use during this round. In Season 4, the Hurados' Pick Resbak was adopted, following a "last man standing" format similar to Resbakbakan.
Resbak and Resbakbakan
First seen in the Kids edition, the Resbak format allowed previously eliminated daily contenders to return and compete for a slot in the semifinals. In Season 4, a three-week Resbakbakan wildcard phase was introduced:
- Week 1: Quarterfinalists
- Week 2: Weekly finalists and one saved defending champion
- Week 3: Semifinalists
Each week had one Seat of Power. The initial seat holder was determined by drawing lots, and in the following days, the seat holder either continued or passed the battle selection. A three-day win streak awarded ₱15,000. The final seat holder advanced to the Grand Finals and received ₱100,000. In Season 6, each quarter had twelve resbakers competing for the Top 2 Ultimate Resbak slots.
Ultimate Resbak
This round is for semifinalists who failed to enter the Grand Finals.
- Season 1: Semifinalists were grouped into four and competed in two rounds. The top scorers advanced through both rounds to reach the Grand Finals.
- Seasons 2–3: Adopted a last man standing format where contenders on the Seat of Power defended their position in head-to-head battles until only two remained.
- Season 6: Resbakers performed redemption songs in two rounds, and the top two advanced to the semifinals.
- All-Star Grand Resbak 2025: In the second All-Star Grand Resbak, dubbed as "The Final Comeback", the format combined both judges' choice and public voting, selecting four contenders through each method. Unlike previous formats limited to semifinalists, all eliminated contenders were eligible to return. A total of eight were chosen—four by the judges and four by the public—to re-compete for the four available slots in the Grand Finals.
Final Resbak
Introduced in Season 3, the Final Resbak allowed those eliminated in Instant and Ultimate Resbak to compete for the last slot in the Grand Finals. The gong was still used in this round.
Grand Finals
The Grand Finals, also called The Final Face-off or Ang Huling Tapatan, feature finalists competing in a series of rounds throughout a week. In the first four regular seasons to the seventh and eighth, including All-Star Grand Resbak, finalists with the highest combined judges' and public scores per round advanced, while those with the lowest scores were eliminated in succeeding rounds. For the Kids, Duets, and Seasons 5 and 6, the finals were conducted in a single day. The Celebrity Champions edition included a special resbak round for grand finalists.
In Seasons 1 and 2, judges retained the power to gong contenders, but this was discontinued starting Season 3. The Saturday finale is split into two parts: first, each finalist performs a journey song; then, the top three scorers proceed to perform a medley of songs by a chosen artist (except in Kids, Duets, and Celebrity Champions). The finalist with the highest overall score becomes the Grand Champion.
Final rounds during weekdays are held in ABS-CBN Studio 3. Pre-pandemic live finales took place in large venues, while post-pandemic finals are held in ABS-CBN Studio 10.
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Judges and hosts
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Judges
The judging panel of Tawag ng Tanghalan traditionally consists of a Head Judge (Punong Hurado) and four regular judges. However, during the pandemic (New Normal period), it was reduced to two regular judges. This format lasted until the Duets edition, after which the original five-member format was restored in Season 7. Currently, the panel includes one head judge and two regular judges.
In the inaugural season (2016), the original judging panel included Rey Valera as head judge, along with Yeng Constantino, Billy Crawford, Karylle, Karla Estrada, K Brosas, Nyoy Volante, Mitoy Yonting, Rico J. Puno, and Bobot Mortiz. Louie Ocampo, Kyla, and Erik Santos joined on June 11, 2016, followed by Jaya in July and Ogie Alcasid at the start of Quarter 4. During Valera's absences, Constantino and Mortiz served as head judges. Mortiz left his judging duties early in the season. Ocampo, Jaya, and Alcasid also acted as substitute head judges during Valera's absences.
The first kids season featured Yeng Constantino as head judge, with the absence of Rey Valera and Rico J. Puno. New judges introduced in this edition were Jed Madela and Jolina Magdangal.
In Season 2, Gary Valenciano joined the panel as a substitute judge for Valera. Sitti Navarro served as a guest judge during the daily rounds in Quarter 2.
Season 3 introduced OPM icons Dulce, Randy Santiago, and Zsa Zsa Padilla as judges, with Dulce occasionally serving as head judge. This was also the final season of Rico J. Puno, who died on October 30, 2018.[29] Billy Crawford returned to the panel during the final month. Guest mentors for the Instant Resbak week included Dingdong Avanzado, Jamie Rivera, and Claire dela Fuente, who filled in for Alcasid, Padilla, and Valera respectively.
Celebrity Champions featured returning judges Jaya, Dulce, Ogie Alcasid, Yeng Constantino, and Louie Ocampo as rotating head judges. Regular judges for this edition included Zsa Zsa Padilla, Karylle, Karla Estrada, K Brosas, Nyoy Volante, Erik Santos, Kyla, Jed Madela, and Randy Santiago.
For the first all-star season, Louie Ocampo served as head judge, with Jaya and Gary Valenciano as alternate head judges. Regular judges included Yeng Constantino, Ogie Alcasid, Dulce, and Zsa Zsa Padilla. Other returning judges were Karylle, Karla Estrada, K Brosas, Nyoy Volante, Mitoy Yonting, Erik Santos, Kyla, Jed Madela, Randy Santiago, and Jolina Magdangal.
Season 4 saw the addition of Pilita Corrales to the panel.[30] Billy Crawford exited as a judge but occasionally hosted the show. During the New Normal, Dulce and Corrales did not return. Randy Santiago later served as head judge, while Rey Valera and Gary Valenciano returned toward the season's end. Angeline Quinto appeared as a guest judge from January 19–23, 2021.
In Season 5, Angeline Quinto became a regular judge following a successful guest appearance.[31] K Brosas, Rey Valera, and Randy Santiago did not return due to commitments with Sing Galing!.[32] Klarisse de Guzman joined on June 28, 2021.[33] Jaya announced her departure on July 3, 2021, due to her migration to the United States.[34] With Valera's exit, Louie Ocampo assumed the role of head judge, with Ogie Alcasid as substitute. Jed Madela and Nyoy Volante also served as temporary head judges.
Season 6 introduced Marco Sison (November 1, 2022),[35] Darren Espanto (February 21, 2023),[36] and Jona Viray (April 17, 2023)[37] as new judges. Karla Estrada and Mitoy Yonting did not return. Gary Valenciano reprised his role during the finale, while Yeng Constantino and Jolina Magdangal returned. Erik Santos filled in as head judge during Ocampo and Alcasid's absences.
In the Duets edition finale, Mark Bautista and Christian Bautista served as guest judges. This edition also marked the airing of Tawag ng Tanghalan and It's Showtime on GTV.[38][39]
Season 7 marked the return of the five-member judging panel for daily rounds. Nonoy Zuñiga (July 5),[40] Dingdong Avanzado (July 6),[41] Kean Cipriano (July 7),[42] and Bituin Escalante (July 8)[43] joined the panel. Julie Anne San Jose and Mark Bautista appeared as guest judges. Zsa Zsa Padilla, Jolina Magdangal, and Marco Sison served as substitute head judges.
In the second Kids season, the judging panel was again reduced to three members. None of the previous season's judges returned. New judges included Roselle Nava, Jason Dy, Elha Nympha, Annie Quintos, Frenchie Dy, JL Toreliza, Katrina Velarde, Maloi Ricalde, Jamie Rivera, Sheena Belarmino, Jeffrey Hidalgo, and Tutti Caringal. Christian Bautista returned to the panel. Several judges alternated as head judge, including Nava, Bautista, Frenchie Dy, Hidalgo, Caringal, Quintos, and Rivera. John Rex Baculfo and Rita Daniela appeared as guest judges.
In The School Showdown, which served as the eighth season, continued with a three-member panel (expanded to five during semi-finals). Most of the Season 7 judges returned after a one-season break. New guest judges included Martin Nievera, Teddy Corpuz—marking the first time a gongman became a guest judge—and Sofronio Vasquez.
In the second all-star season, Pops Fernandez, Lani Misalucha, and Regine Velasquez joined the judging panel.[44] Stell and Pablo of SB19 served as the first two-in-one guest judges in the history of the show.
Rey Valera officially stepped down in 2021 due to health concerns brought on by the emotional stress of eliminating contestants. In an interview with Bernadette Sembrano, he shared that the guilt and pressure of being the “gong” master (as he was the one in-charge of ringing the gong) caused recurring stomach issues, leading to hospitalizations and two surgeries. Valera expressed that although he had no conflicts with the show or its staff, he chose to prioritize his well-being and pursue lighter roles in the entertainment industry. He emphasized that his decision was not driven by animosity but by a desire for a healthier lifestyle and a more relaxed work environment.[45][46]
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Hosts
For its first revival in 1987, columnist and both radio and TV broadcaster Frankie Evangelista, APO frontman Danny Javier, and comedian Nanette Inventor became the new main hosts of the show. Ely Aligora and journalist Kata Inocencio appeared as substitute hosts. Rico J. Puno served as the primary gong master, while Richard Merck and Lito Legaspi acted as substitutes. Puno later appeared as a judge when the show returned in 2016, serving in this role until his death on October 30, 2018, during the first quarter of the third season.
When the show became a segment of It's Showtime in 2016, its cast members also assumed hosting duties. The main hosts currently include Vice Ganda, Vhong Navarro, Anne Curtis, Karylle, Jhong Hilario, Ogie Alcasid, Amy Perez, Darren Espanto, and Kim Chiu. Ion Perez, Jackie Gonzaga, and the duo MC Muah Calaquian and Lassy Marquez serve as substitute co-hosts. Meanwhile, the gong masters include Ryan Bang, Jhong Hilario, Teddy Corpuz, Jugs Jugueta, and Ion Perez.
Karylle, Ogie Alcasid, and Darren Espanto are the only hosts who have also served on the judging panel. Alcasid, in particular, has alternated roles as a host, regular judge, and head judge depending on the availability of other judges. He debuted as a judge during the fourth quarter of the first season and became a regular cast member in 2021.
Throughout its run on It's Showtime, the segment has also featured numerous guest co-hosts, as listed below.
Main hosts
Occasional hosts
- Ion Perez
- Jackie Gonzaga
- Lassy Marquez
- MC Muah Calaquian
Gong masters and co-hosts
Former main hosts
- Frankie Evangelista (1987–1989)
- Danny Javier (1987–1989)
- Nanette Inventor (1987–1989)
- Ely Aligora (1988–1989; substitute host for Evangelista and Javier)
- Kata Inocencio (1988–1989; substitute host for Inventor)
- Rico J. Puno (1987–1989; Gong Master)
- Richard Merck (1987–1989; substitute for Gong Master)
- Lito Legaspi (1987–1989; substitute for Gong Master)
- Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla (2016–2019)
- James Reid (2017)
- Nadine Lustre (2017)
- Kim Atienza (2016–2020) (backstage host)
- Joey Marquez (2016–2017) (backstage host)
Guest hosts
- Pia Wurtzbach
- Catriona Gray
- Iza Calzado
- Angel Locsin
- Maja Salvador
- Bela Padilla
- Yassi Pressman
- Ethel Booba
- Arci Muñoz
- Luis Manzano
- Alex Gonzaga
- Robi Domingo
- Billy Crawford
- Kyle Echarri
- RK Bagatsing
- Negi
- Petite
- Michelle Dee
- Barbie Forteza
- Shuvee Etrata
- Maymay Entrata
- Bianca Umali
- Divine Tetay
- Ana Ramsey
TNT Band
- Ahmir Sayson – Musical Director, and Piano
- Chuck Joson – Musical Director, Piano, and 1st Keyboard
- Janno Queyquep – Guitar
- Naldy Rodriguez – 2nd Keyboard
- Rommel Dela Cruz – Bass Guitar
- Joseph Marco Concepcion – Drums
- Lindie Ponce Enrile Achacoso – Vocalist 1
- April Concepcion – Vocalist 2
- Anna Achacoso-Garaham – Vocalist 3
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Season summary
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Season 1 (2016–2017)
The first season debuted on January 2, 2016. Rey Valera served as the main head judge for this season, with Louie Ocampo, Jaya, Ogie Alcasid, Yeng Constantino serving as substitute head judges. Billy Crawford, Karylle, Karla Estrada, K Brosas, Nyoy Volante, Mitoy Yonting, Rico J. Puno, Bobot Mortiz, Erik Santos, Kyla were the judges for the series.
The season concluded on March 11, 2017, at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila in Pasay, where Noven Belleza of Visayas emerged as the season's grand champion.[47][1] Sam Mangubat was declared as runner-up, while Froilan Canlas finished at third place.
Kids 1 (2017)
Tawag ng Tanghalan Kids is a special edition for aspiring Filipino children singers aged 7 to 13. Auditions for this season were held starting on December 4, 2016.[48] The season premiered on March 13, 2017. Jed Madela and Jolina Magdangal were added to the judging panel.
The season concluded on June 10, 2017, at ABS-CBN Studio 3, where Jhon Clyd Talili of Mindanao emerged as the grand champion, taking home a business package from Siomai House, a house and lot from Camella, a trophy and ₱1,000,000 from Topps.[2] Keifer Sanchez of Mindanao was declared second placer, while Mackie Empuerto of Luzon finished at third place.
Season 2 (2017–2018)
The second season premiered on June 12, 2017.[49] Gary Valenciano was added to the judging panel. This season was the first to feature Global Tawag ng Tanghalan, a special round for Filipino contenders from different countries.[50]
The season concluded on June 2, 2018, at Aliw Theater in Pasay, where Janine Berdin from Visayas emerged as the seasons' grand champion.[3] Ato Arman of Mindanao was declared as second placer, while Steven Paysu of North America finished at third place.
Season 3 (2018–2019)
The third season premiered on June 25, 2018.[51] The competition's 1975 champion Dulce,[52] Randy Santiago[53] and Zsa Zsa Padilla[54] were added to the judging panel.
This season was the first to feature the updated judging criteria that was later used in the next seasons, and was also the first to feature the Instant Resbak, where judges have the authority to bring back a defeated defending champion to the competition through the Instant Resbak week for a chance to gain a slot at the finals.
The season concluded on September 28, 2019, at the Caloocan Sports Complex in Bagumbong, Caloocan, where Elaine Duran of Mindanao, the first TNT record holder, emerged as the seasons' grand champion.[4] John Mark Saga of Luzon, the second TNT record holder, was declared as second placer, while John Michael dela Cerna of Mindanao finished at third place.
Celebrity Champions (2019)
Tawag ng Tanghalan: Celebrity Champions is a special edition that features celebrities competing to become the series' first Celebrity Grand Champion. It aired on October 7, 2019, as part of the month-long celebration of It's Showtime's 10th anniversary.[55]
The season concluded on November 9, 2019, at ABS-CBN Studio 3, where Ethel Booba of Mindanao emerged as the grand champion.[5] Jason Fernandez and Roxanne Barcelo finished second and third place, respectively.
All-Star Grand Resbak (2019)
Tawag ng Tanghalan: All-Star Grand Resbak is an all-star edition where contenders from past seasons who failed to advance to the grand finals of their respective seasons re-compete to become the series' first Grand Resbak Champion. It premiered on November 11, 2019[56] and concluded on December 21, 2019, at ABS-CBN Studio 3, where Mark Michael Garcia from Metro Manila was hailed as the grand champion.[6] Jex De Castro of Metro Manila, Sofronio Vasquez III of Mindanao and Julius Cawaling of Luzon finished at second, third and fourth place, respectively.
Ika-apat na Taon (2020–2021)
The fourth season premiered on January 4, 2020.[57] Pilita Corrales was added to the panel of judges.[58]
The season featured several twists: the number of wins needed by a contender to be named a semi-finalist was reduced to four instead of five, the Power of Four, where the four regular judges have the option to instantly eliminate a contender when all of them press their buttons, and a new format entitled New Normal due to the pandemic. Global Tawag ng Tanghalan was supposed to return for this season, but was cancelled also due to the pandemic.
The season was put on hold four times: first on March 15, 2020, due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines,[59] the second on May 5 due to the network's shutdown.[60] The season then resumed on June 13, 2020, three months since the lockdown in Luzon and the shutdown.[60] This season was put on hold for the third time on July 15, 2020 due to the 14-day quarantine caused by one of the production staff testing positive for the virus and returned on August 1, 2020, and for the fourth and final time on August 5, 2020 due to the two-week modified enhanced community quarantine and returned for the last time on August 15, 2020.
The season concluded on February 6, 2021, at ABS-CBN Studio 10 in Quezon City, where JM Yosures of Metro Manila became the grand champion of the season.[7] Rachell Laylo of Luzon and Ayegee Paredes of Mindanao placed second and third respectively.
Ikalimang Taon (2021)
The fifth season premiered on February 8, 2021.[61] Klarisse de Guzman[33] and Angeline Quinto were added to the judging panel after the latter's appearance as a guest judge during the previous season.
The season featured a new format in which four daily contenders competed for two "spotlight" spots, which they must defend until Saturday against two new contenders who will face them in the coming days; the two remaining spotlight holders at the end of Friday's episode will face off against each other on each Saturday episode, with the weekly winner advancing to the next round.
From March 18 to April 10, 2021, the season was halted as ABS-CBN decided to temporarily stop holding daily live programs due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the Greater Manila Area.[62][63] The season resumed on April 12, 2021.
The season concluded on September 18, 2021 at the ABS-CBN Studio 3, where Reiven Umali of Luzon became the grand champion of the season that spanned for seven months, the shortest in the series.[8] Adrian Manibale and Anthony Castillo who was both from Metro Manila placed second and third respectively.
Ika-anim na Taon (2021–2023)
The sixth season premiered on November 22, 2021.[64] Marco Sison,[35] Darren Espanto,[36] and Jona Viray[37] were added to the judging panel.
The season featured Battle of Versions, in which the two daily contenders sang their own versions of a song, with the winner advancing to face the defending champion. A defending champion needed five wins to advance to the quarterfinals, while a semi-finalist required eight wins.
The season was put on hold from January 6 to 15, 2022, as ABS-CBN temporarily stopped producing daily live productions due to the surge of COVID-19. The season resumed on January 17, 2022.[65]
The season concluded on May 6, 2023, at ABS-CBN Studio 10, where Lyka Estrella of Mindanao became the grand champion of the season that spanned for a year and six months, the longest in the series.[9] Nowi Alpuerto and Jezza Quiogue, who are both from Luzon, placed second and third respectively.
Duets (2023)
Tawag ng Tanghalan: Duets is a special season where returning contenders from the previous seasons re-compete in a duet-style competition. The season premiered on May 8, 2023, two days after the finale of the sixth season.[66][67] Mark Bautista and Christian Bautista were added to the judging panel as guest judges for the finale.
The season was originally scheduled to run for four weeks as an interim segment before the seventh season, however it was extended to eight weeks. This was the last season to air on TV5, while the first season to air on GTV.[38][39]
The season concluded on July 1, 2023, at ABS-CBN Studio 10, where the Sidlak Bisdak duo of Marielle Montellano & JM Dela Cerna were declared as the winners of the competition.[10] John Mark Saga & Kim Nemenzo of The Incredi-voice placed second, while Anton Antenorcruz & Eumee Capile of The OG's placed third, respectively.
Ikapitong Taon (2023–2024)
The seventh season premiered on July 3, 2023.[68] Nonoy Zuñiga,[40] Dingdong Avanzado,[41] Kean Cipriano,[42] and Bituin Escalante[43] were added to the panel of judges.
This season also made the return of the regional format.
The season was put on hold from October 14 to 27, 2023 as It's Showtime was suspended for 12 airing days by the ruling decision of Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.[69] The season returned on October 30, 2023.[70]
The season concluded on January 27, 2024, at ABS-CBN Studio 10, where Rea Gen Villareal of Luzon became the season's grand champion.[11] Eunice Encarnada of Mindanao and Vensor Domasig of Visayas placed second and third, respectively.
Kids 2 (2024)
The second season of Tawag ng Tanghalan Kids premiered on January 29, 2024, almost seven years after the first Kids season aired.[71] Roselle Nava, Jason Dy, Elha Nympha, Annie Quintos, Frenchie Dy, JL Toreliza of BGYO, Katrina Velarde, Maloi Ricalde of BINI, Jamie Rivera, Sheena Belarmino, Jeffrey Hidalgo, Tutti Caringal, John Rex Baculfo and Rita Daniela were added to the judging panel, while Christian Bautista returned as a regular judge after being a guest judge at the finale of Duets, with Nava, Bautista, Frenchie Dy, Hidalgo, Caringal, Quintos and Rivera alternately serving as the head judge.
The season concluded on April 20, 2024, at ABS-CBN Studio 10, where Kim Hewitt of Visayas became the season's grand champion.[12] Dylan Genicera and Aliyah Quijoy, who were both from Luzon, placed second and third, respectively.
The School Showdown (2024–2025)
The eighth season, titled as Tawag ng Tanghalan: The School Showdown, featured student representatives from different universities in the Philippines compete to become the seasons' grand champion. Preliminary auditions for the eighth season were held simultaneously with the ninth season starting April 15, 2024.[72]
This was the first regular season to feature the format first used during the second Kids season.
The season concluded on January 18, 2025 at ABS-CBN Studio 10, where Carmelle Collado of King Thomas Learning Academy, Inc. was named the season's grand champion. Isay Olarte from City College of Calapan was proclaimed the runner-up, and Arvery Love Lagoring from Claret School of Lamitan came in third.[13]
All-Star Grand Resbak 2025
The second all-star season, titled as Tawag ng Tanghalan: All-Star Grand Resbak 2025, premiered on March 10, 2025, five years after the first all-star season aired.[73] Pops Fernandez, Lani Misalucha, and Regine Velasquez were added to the panel of judges.[74][75] Stell and Pablo of SB19 became the first 2 in 1 guest judges in the history of the show.[76]
The season ended on April 26, 2025, with Marko Rudio of Team Agimat crowned the season's grand champion. Ian Manibale of Team Alab was the runner-up, and Charizze Arnigo of Team Agimat finished in third place.[14]
Ika-9 na Taon (2025)
The ninth season premiered on April 28, 2025, two days after the second all-star season ended. Preliminary auditions for this season started on February 3, 2025.[77]
A new format was implemented: three contenders compete to become the defending champion. The contender with the higher average score on the following days will be the daily winner and later proceed on a head to head battle against the defending champion, who must aim to win three consecutive matches. Upon achieving this, the champion will be assigned to one of three groups for the next round. Each group will consist of six members and will be headed by a celebrity mentor, who will be revealed once all slots are filled.
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Controversies and criticisms
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 | This article may lend undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies. (May 2024) |
Season 1
Rey Valera has often as a judge been criticized by viewers and critics alike for his offensive comments to contestants about their physical appearance. He has received backlash on the internet for repeated incidents of body-shaming several female contestants and failing to focus on the contestants' singing skills.[78][79][80]
Karla Estrada's qualification as a judge has also been questioned by some viewers.[81]
Judges' scores and text voting results are also questioned by many viewers either for lack of transparency, a faulty system that fails to confirm their votes thru SMS, allegations of unfair judging[82] and similar claims that the show is rigged.
In the 2017 Grand Final, acclaimed actress Nora Aunor, the original Tawag ng Tanghalan Grand Champion in 1968, was scheduled to be the special judge but pulled out at the last minute due to a conflict with Vice Ganda, one of the main hosts of the show.[83] According to reports, Aunor believed Ganda's brand of insult comedy was against her moral beliefs and made her deeply uncomfortable with the idea of being on the show.[citation needed]
Season 2
On May 22, 2018, in the Ultimate Resbak rounds, after the first round of songs between Ato Arman and Aila Santos, Arman advanced to the second round. However, there has been negative criticisms against Hurado Jaya. Vice Ganda defended Jaya, and stated that she was one of the two hurados that voted for Santos.[84]
Season 3
Since 2018, Tawag ng Tanghalan is often mentioned as one of the factors for longer airtime of It's Showtime, which in turn led to subsequent delays for the afternoon and primetime programs of ABS-CBN.[85][86][87]
One of the semifinalists of Quarter 4, Season 3, Shantal Cuizon, made a headline when she made a controversial post in Twitter saying "Composer ka lang" and "Hustisya."[88] Later, after her public apology, it was deleted and deactivated her Twitter account for good.[89]
On the September 11 episode, after the second round of songs between Mariane Osabel and Mariko Ledesma, Mariko took the seat of power, dethroning Mariane. But when the screen appeared where the split scoring was revealed (showing the public and judges scores), the viewers noticed that Mariane's score given by the judges was 16.50%, while Mariko received 50%. Due to the allegedly "rigged" results, netizens used #HustisyaParaKayMariane and it trended on Twitter, citing the expression, rants and sentiments over the score given by the judges.[90]
On September 14, 2019, Hurado Dulce spoke out on the controversial result, which aired on September 11, 2019.[91][92]
With the recent controversy of the alleged results, Mariane withdrew the opportunity to compete for the Final Resbak due to her health problem. Mariko, who was one of the finalists for the Huling Tapatan, also withdrew her slot due to the netizens backlash to her.[93]
All-Star Grand Resbak 2025
On March 26, 2025, Marco Adobas expressed subjective criticism in a Facebook post about the competition, calling it a "cooking show" (a slang term/idiom implying that the winner was predetermined). Before announcing the results, the hosts stated that a tie had occurred, but the judges had to break it since only one winner was allowed per round. After the results were announced, Adobas posted on his Facebook page, stating that his teammate from Team Alon, Ayegee Paredes, should have won that day instead of Marko Rudio from Team Agimat. He later deleted the post. Netizens had mixed reactions to the incident. The following day, the program discussed the possibility of removing Adobas for violating the rules and considered filing a lawsuit against him. At the end of that day's episode, the program announced that he had been disqualified from the competition. Adobas was replaced by Arvery Love Lagoring from the eliminated group, Team Amihan. He later apologized for the incident.[94]
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Revenue and commercial venues
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TNT Versions
In June 2017, Tawag ng Tanghalan debuted TNT Versions or TNTV, a YouTube channel featuring cover videos from its alumni and TNTNow, livestreams featuring OPM icons.[citation needed]
TNT Records
In July 2018, Tawag ng Tanghalan launched its own record label TNT Records under the guidance of ABS-CBN and Star Music to create platforms for its alumni. Its first signed artists were the TNT Boys, Janine Berdin, Ato Arman, Eumee Capile, Froilan Canlas, Anton Antenorcruz, Arabelle Dela Cruz, Reggie Tortugo, Sheena Belarmino and Steven Paysu. Second season finalists JM Bales, Christian Bahaya and Sofronio Vasquez were also launched as COVE, while Lalaine Araña and Pauline Agupitan were introduced as Bukang Liwayway.[citation needed]
TNT Records has released the following singles:
Concerts
Notes:
- ^ a The concert was originally going to be held on April 23, 2019, but was moved due to unforeseen circumstances.
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Drama sa Tanghalan
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| This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2025) |
Drama sa Tanghalan was a parody of a soap opera that is aired live within the "Tawag ng Tanghalan" segment of the Filipino noontime variety show It's Showtime on ABS-CBN in the Philippines and worldwide through The Filipino Channel. The mini-show, focuses on the comedic sketch of Vice Ganda, Vhong Navarro, Anne Curtis and Jhong Hilario. Drama sa Tanghalan has elements of comedy drama, parody, romantic comedy and reality television. The name "Drama sa Tanghalan" was coined by Jhong Hilario, one of the co-hosts of It's Showtime, to refer to the name of the primary segment.
Overview
Drama sa Tanghalan is a recurring segment within the Tawag ng Tanghalan segment of It's Showtime. It is an “improvised soap opera”. The first season of Drama sa Tanghalan premiered in 2016 with Vhong Navarro, Anne Curtis and Vice Ganda as its main cast. This segment also featured guest stars such as Jaya, Awra Briguela and Janice De Belen. The second season premiered in 2023 with the same main cast and the addition of new cast members.
Season 1 (2016)
The show follows the romantic-comedy love story of Romeo and Juliet. But there is a woman who blocks their relationship and her name is Aning. She is a beauty queen who won the title "Mutya ng Bunganga ng Bulkan 2016". The appearance of other characters like the father of Romeo and Juliet make things even more brighter and funnier.
Main Cast:
- Romeo, played by Vhong Navarro
- Romeo is the male protagonist of the series and is the fictionalized version of actor/dancer Vhong Navarro. He is the son of Rey Valera in the series. He is the love interest of Juliet.
- Juliet, played by Vice Ganda
- Juliet is the female protagonist of the series and the love interest of Romeo. In the series, her father is Louie Ocampo.
- Aning, played by Anne Curtis
- Aning is the main female antagonist in the story. She is the barrier on the relationship of the two. She always insisted that she is Romeo's one true love, but Juliet never believed.
- Jhong, played by Jhong Hilario
- Jhong is Juliet's first love. He is always ignored by the three and he joins the skit once or twice a week.
Supporting characters
- Rey Val, played by Rey Valera
- He is the father of Romeo. He died in asthma with hiccup.
- Louie, played by Louie Ocampo
- He is the father of Juliet.
- Ryan, played by Ryan Bang
- He was considered by Romeo as his brother, a friend but later as a traitor and a rival after Ryan's confession of his long-time hidden feelings for Aning which was also Romeo's love interest.
- Pasig Rayver, played by Ronnie Alonte
- He is considered as a former true romantic lover of Juliet. His name is comedically derived from the name of the Pasig River, which made the audience laugh when he first said his name on his first appearance.[102][103]
Season 2 (2023)
The show follows the life of Donya Magnolia Dela Cruz and her daughter Berning Dela Cruz.
Ratings
Drama sa Tanghalan proved to be a success in both broadcast television and social media. Since January 2016, It's Showtime dominated the noontime ratings. From 8%–10% in 2015, it boosted to 16%–20%, surpassing Eat Bulaga!'s 12%–14%. The comedy drama skit added excitement to the show as viewers are starting to love it resulting to good reviews and ratings.[104]
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Accolades
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Notes
References
External links
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