The show premiered on January 2, 2016, and saw success for the next seven regular seasons, two kids editions, one celebrity edition, one all-star edition, and one duets edition. There have been twelve winners to date: Noven Belleza,[3] Jhon Clyd Talili,[4]Janine Berdin,[5]Elaine Duran,[6]Ethel Booba,[7] Mark Michael Garcia,[8]JM Yosures,[9] Reiven Umali,[10]Lyka Estrella,[11] Marielle Montellano & JM Dela Cerna of Sidlak Bisdak,[12] Rea Gen Villareal,[13] and Kim Hewitt.[14]
History
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.
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.
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]
Format
From 1987 to 1989 and since 2016, Daily contenders perform in front of a live audience and are scored by a panel of judges (or hurados) composed of a Head Judge (called as Punong Hurado) and four regular judges. For the first two regular seasons, and first kids season, the judging criteria were as follows:
Tone quality (40%)
Voice projection (30%)
Stage impact (20%)
Intonation (10%)
Starting in Year 3 to Ikapitong Taon, the judging criteria were modified:
Voice quality (50%)
Overall performance (50%)
The second kids season used the first iteration of the judging criteria.
The first criterion includes intonation, enunciation, voice projection and technique. The second criterion comprises timing, mastery of lyrics, stage presence and audience impact.
If the contender goes out-of-tune, the Punong Hurado has the option to signal a gong master positioned on the right hand side of the stage to hit the gong three times. The Punong Hurado can signal when the gong master should hit the gong by raising his/her hand, and the moments leading up to the ringing of the gong are indicated by a finger warning signal, thereby stopping the performance and eliminating the contender, à la-Major Bowes Amateur Hour. The gong is removed on the Kids seasons; this mechanic was omitted presumably to prevent the judges from upsetting young contenders, instead relying solely on the judges' verdict and overall score to determine the winner.[22]
Daily rounds
Over the course of the show's history, the gong concept is adopted (except for the kids' seasons) but varies in its format. All regular seasons are divided into phases known as quarters.
Face-off Format
Adopted in Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, Celebrity Champions and Kids Season 1, the Face-Off features three to four contenders from Metro Manila (until season 6), Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao perform every day with a song selected by themselves. The daily contender with the highest score moves on to the face-off round to challenge the defending champion and attempt to steal the golden microphone. The contender who scores higher is declared as the champion of the day and may defend their position up to ten times (reduced to 8 in season 6). If all of the daily contenders are gonged (as seen in February 14, 2018, episode),[23] no daily winner is declared, and the defending champion performs and advances by default. In the face-off round, the gong is not used, and the decision is solely based on the judges' scores. If a contender achieves a five-day winning streak, the contender qualifies for the semifinals (reduced to four in Season 4). The contender at that point may opt out or continue performing until they are dethroned or achieves a ten-day streak. A contender that achieves a 10-day streak is entered to the hall of fame and receives an additional prize (e.g., cash prize, recording of a single, or an advantage in the next rounds). So far, only Elaine Duran and John Mark Saga (both from Season 3) achieved this streak. The defending champion receives ₱25,000 for each win.[24]
There are modified versions of the face-off format:
Gong Removal: The gong was only removed on the Kids edition; this mechanic was omitted presumably to prevent the judges from upsetting young contenders, instead relying solely on the judges' verdict and overall score to determine the winner.[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 celebrities from four different regions compete for a spot on the grand finals.
The Power of Four: Adopted in the fourth season, the Power of Four is a twist where the four regular judges are given the power to gong a contender if they all press their buzzers.
Battle of Versions: Adopted in the sixth season, the Battle of Versions is a similar concept to The Voice's Battle Rounds, in which two (or three) contestants perform a single song, with a duet part and solo parts of varying arrangements for each contender. This round does not have a gong. The contender with the highest score (or, in the case of a tie, both contenders) advances to the face-off round to challenge the defending champion. If no champion is found, the two contenders with the highest scores will face off in the next round. The gong returns in the face-off round (the exact opposite of the previous format). Each contender performs solo, competing for the golden microphone. The competitor with the highest score is declared the winner of the day and may defend their position up to eight times. They will advance to the quarterfinals if they maintain a five-day streak. If they achieve an eight-day steak, they will be guaranteed a spot in the semifinals and a bye in the quarterfinals. For the first time, a champion can be gonged in this point, ending their streak immediately. Ties can also occur during the face-off round. In the event of a tie, the tied contenders will face off again for a rematch until one of them exits the competition (either by losing or achieving an 8-day streak). No daily contender will compete in these instances. In rare cases, the battle of versions is skipped in favor of a three-way sing-off of different songs (as seen on the January 4, 17, 27, and December 20, 24, 2022 episodes). This format replaces the first round of elimination.
Modified Face-Off: In the seventh season, a format similar to the Kids edition, the regional format returned with contenders from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao participating to determine the initial defending champion. The next day, the daily contender with the highest score moves on to the face-off round to challenge the defending champion and attempt to steal the golden microphone. The defending champion advances to the semi-finals if he or she defends their title for five consecutive days. In some instances, two contenders from the same region had a head to head battle during the face-off round (as seen in July 7, 2023 episode). Additionally, there are rare cases that no daily rounds are held in favor of the face-off round (as seen in December 14, 2023 and January 6, 2024 episodes).
Three-Way Face-Off: This happened in the seventh season, when a tie occurs during the face-off round, and both contenders are declared defending champions and will compete to defend their respective titles the following day. If the two defending champions are from different regions, two contenders from the remaining region with no defending champion will compete to become that day's daily winner and have a chance to steal the golden microphone from the two defending champions. If the defending champions tie the next day, the tie will be broken until one of the defending champions is defeated, gonged, or either advances to the semi-finals. This occurred on September 14–15, 2023, when RG Mia and Judy Lou Benitez tied during the face-off round on September 14 and battled against daily winner Jaica Cardino, who tied again on September 15. Benitez advanced to the semi-finals, while Mia's streak continued until he reached the semi-finals four days later.[25][26] This occurred again for the second time on September 26, 2023 when Rgin Deripas and Kenneth Garingo tied during the face-off round on September 26 but only Garingo won on the next day against Deripas and daily winner JB Pallarca and eventually advanced to the Semifinals few days later.[27] This occurred again for the last time in the season when Kline Perez and Aeron Guanco tied during the face-off round on December 13 but only Guanco won on the next day against Perez and eventually advanced to the Semifinals.[28]
Weekly Format
Adopted in New Normal, Duets, Kids Season 2, and The School Showdown, the Weekly Format features contenders performing in front of the stage for two rounds without a live audience. The contender with the highest and lowest combined scores is advanced to the next round, and if the two contenders receive the same highest combined scores will advance again to the next round, and the contender will pick the songs and then perform again. The higher scoring contender of both rounds advances to the Weekly Finals.
In New Normal, the daily contenders will forward to the Weekly Finals and determine the one or two contenders moving on to the Quarter Finals, but it is the same criteria for judging in two rounds. The weekly finalists will choose the songs and test their singing by the mentor judge at home, and perform in front of the stage. After the first round, the two weekly finalists will pick songs and then perform again. The two weekly finalists with the highest combined scores advances to the second round, while the other finalists receive a consolation prize of ₱5,000, and the winning weekly finalist receives ₱25,000 and advances to the Quarter Finals and received various prizes, while the other finalist receives a consolation prize of ₱10,000.
In Duets, two pairs will be selected each day to compete, with the first pair being selected by the hosts, and the second pair being chosen by the first pair. The winning pair of the day advances to the Weekly Finals. For the weekly finals, all five pairs will perform their songs, and the highest scoring pair directly advances to the Grand Finals.
In Kids 2, three contenders are competing head to head for a slot in the weekly finals. The weekly winner advances to the Semifinals.
In The School Showdown, it follows the second kids season format, except there are only two contenders facing-off.
Hybrid Format
Adopted in the fifth season, the Hybrid Format uses mechanics similar to both the face-off and weekly formats. Every Monday, four daily contenders competed for two "spotlight" spots to advance to the next day. Two new daily contenders are introduced on Tuesdays through Fridays to compete in the first round. In a three-way battle, the winning daily contender advances to the second round and takes on the two spotlight holders. At the end of Friday's episode, the two remaining spotlight holders competed in two rounds of the weekly finals to be crowned the weekly winner and advance to the quarterfinals.
Last Man Standing Format
Only adopted on All-Star Grand Resbak, the Last Man Standing format features two stages: the Team Battle and Four-way Battle.
Team Battle: All competitors are divided into teams. Every day, one member of each team performs two songs. The participant with the lowest score is eliminated. The two remaining competitors advance and take control of the competition. They can choose who will perform next from their own team. This is repeated for three weeks. The winning team receives a cash bonus prize.
Four-way Battle: Two contenders for the Seat of Power will face off against two more contenders, regardless of team affiliation. The competition is controlled by the two competitors with the highest scores. This is repeated until only four contenders remain for the Grand Finals.
Resbakers
Resbak, a slang term for revenge, is a concept used for returning contenders. All regular seasons feature a resbak concept where contenders that failed to advance in the next rounds of competition may return. Their previous competition history has no bearing with their return. A contender may return multiple times in a season (ex. Mariane Osabel in season 3) or in different seasons (ex. John Mark Saga in seasons 2 and 3). A contender who is gonged in later rounds must return as a daily contender (ex. Lalainne Clarisse Araña who was a semifinalist was gonged in the first quarter semifinal returned for the third quarter and qualified again for the semifinals). Contenders can return as they please and eventually can qualify for later rounds and even win the competition (ex. Lyka Estrella who won Season 6 was a contender in Seasons 1, 2, and 4, and Rea Gen Villareal who won Season 7 was a contender in Seasons 2, 4
and 6, ultimately winning on their fourth attempts respectively).
Pre-Final Rounds
Quarterfinals
All weekly winners of the fourth and fifth season advanced to the quarterfinals. In the fourth season of the New Normal, the Quarter Finalists will compete and perform a song based on a theme for each week but it is the same criteria for judging. The two (or three) Quarter Finalists with the highest combined scores at the end of the six days (per week) move on to the semifinals and receive ₱50,000, while the other finalists for the consolation prize of ₱10,000. The judges may still gong a contender in this round. In the fifth season introduced the new mechanics, "Instant Spotlight", the quarter finalists who obtained the highest combined scores on Mondays and Wednesdays and will be safe from eliminations on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
In the sixth season, defending champions with five-day winning streaks advances to the quarterfinals, instead of the semifinals.
Semifinals
All defending champions with five-day winning streaks (four in the fourth season) advances to the semifinals. The semifinalists perform a song based on a theme for each day. The semifinalists perform a song based on a theme for each day. Competitors are scored through text voting (50%) and by the judges (50%). The judges may still use the gong on a contender in this round. The two semifinalists (three in the fourth season) with the highest combined score from the judges, and the public at the end of the six days move on to the grand finals (known as Ang Huling Tapatan) and receive ₱150,000 and a gold medal. The losing semifinalists receive a consolation prize of ₱25,000, and gets a chance to return as wildcard contenders in the Ultimate Resbak.
In the second season, in addition to the four semifinals, an additional semifinal is held for overseas contenders. The semifinalists compete for additional two spots in the grand finals. It was slated to return for the fourth season but was eventually dropped.
In the fourth and sixth seasons, there is no voting component. Only the judges' verdict and score mattered in the results. In the fifth season, the semifinals were axed, and all semifinalists advanced to the Grand Finals.
In the sixth season, the semifinals adopted the featurette, a similar concept used for the grand finals of the first three seasons. For the first four days, the twelve semifinalists are divided into four groups. Each day, a group of three contenders performs a three-way battle performance, followed by a solo performance. The contender garnering the highest average score of the day advances directly to the Grand Finals. Additionally, the judges can vote on a contender that will be saved from elimination. The four hurado's save shall advance on the Friday round.
Wildcard Rounds
Contenders who lost in the previous rounds can still reenter the competition through the wildcard rounds.
Judges' Wildcard
The third season featured the Instant Resbak. Every judge is given the power to save one losing defending champion in the face-off round. An Instant Resbak is indicated when a judge waves a flag bearing his/her name and the word Instant Resbak. The saved contender advances to compete in the Instant Resbak for a chance to re-enter the competition as a grand finalist. The judges may still use the gong on a contender in this round.
In the fourth season, the Hurado's Pick Resbak was adopted, using a last man standing format (see Resbakbakan).
Resbak and Resbakbakan
First introduced in the Kids edition, the resbak round features daily contenders who lost in the daily rounds but was invited back for a slot in the semifinals.
In the fourth season, three weeks of wildcard rounds were introduced. Quarter Finalists (Week 1), Weekly Finalists and one defending champion from Quarter 1 saved by the judges (Week 2), and Semi Finalists (Week 3) competed for a slot in the Grand Finals. There is only one Seat of Power for each week. On the first day, the contender that will sit on the Seat of Power will be determined by draw lots. The resbaker will pick two contenders for a three-way battle. On the next episodes, the Seat of Power holder has an option to pass and pick two contenders who will perform against the Top 2 contender on the previous episode or to continue and pick only one contender for a three-way battle. The judges may still use the gong on a contender in this round. If a resbaker wins for three consecutive days, they will have an additional ₱15,000. The last Seat of Power holder will proceed to the Grand Finals and received an additional ₱100,000.
In the sixth season, the mechanics are changed. Each quarter features twelve resbakers. The Top 3 or 4 Resbakers will get the chance to advance in the final round to get the Top 2 spots for the Ultimate Resbak Round.
Ultimate Resbak
Semifinalists who failed to advance to the grand finals advance to the Ultimate Resbak round for a chance to re-enter the competition as a grand finalist. The judges may still use the gong on a contender in this round.
In the first season, the semifinalists are grouped into four and must compete in two rounds. In the first round, a group performs with individual songs. The semifinalists with the highest combined scores from the judges, and the public for each group will advance to the second round. In the second round, the four remaining semifinalists perform again with individual songs. The two contenders garnering the highest combined scores from the judges and the public advance to the grand finals.
In the second and third seasons, the Ultimate Resbak round follows a last man standing format. Two semifinalists who are in the Seat of Power choose two semifinalists. These chosen semifinalists battle it out for a chance to challenge and dethrone the sitting semifinalists. If the challenger wins, the semifinalist in the Seat of Power is dethroned. If the semifinalist in the Seat of Power wins, they remain in their seat. This continues until there are only two semifinalists left.
In the sixth season, the Resbakers will perform their redemption songs for two rounds. The Top 2 Resbakers will advance to the final round to get the chance to advance to the Semifinals.
Final Resbak
In the third season, Tawag ng Tanghalan introduced the Final Resbak. This round allows finalists who lose from the Instant and Ultimate Resbak rounds to compete for the final spot in the Grand Finals. The judges may still use the gong on a contender in this round.
Grand Finals
The finalists compete in the week-long grand finals, dubbed as The Final Face-off (or Ang Huling Tapatan), through a series of rounds. Adopted for the first four regular seasons, the finalist (or finalists) with the highest combined scores from the judges, and the public for each round advances to the live finale. In the second to fourth seasons, the finalist (or finalists) with the lowest score for each round is also eliminated.
For the Kids, fifth, sixth and Duets seasons, there is only one day. The Celebrity Champions featured a resbak round for the grand finalists.
In the first and second seasons, the judges still used the gong on a contender in this round. This rule was discontinued in the third season.
In the Saturday finale, the competition is divided into two parts. The finalists sing their journey song in the first part. Then, the three finalists with the highest combined scores from the judges, and the public will move on to the second part, wherein they will sing a medley song by their chosen artist (except for the Kids, Celebrity Champions and Duets editions). The finalist with the highest score will be named the grand champion.
The weekday rounds are held in ABS-CBN Studio 3, while the live finales are held in a large venue, during years held before the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. The finals would be held instead in ABS-CBN Studio 10, in seasons during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Judges and hosts
Judges
The judging panel is composed of a Head Judge (called as Punong Hurado) and four regular judges which was reduced to two regular judges since New Normal up to the Duets season, in which it was reverted to the original pre-pandemic policy starting with the 7th season. Currently, the panel consists of two regular judges and one head judge.
The kids season saw Constantino serving as the head judge. Valera and Puno did not serve as judges during the kids season. Jed Madela and Jolina Magdangal were added as new judges.
The second season saw the introduction of Gary Valenciano as a new judge, serving as fill-in for Valera. Sitti Navarro served as a guest judge at daily rounds of the second quarter.
OPM Legends Dulce, Randy Santiago and Zsa Zsa Padilla were added to the panel of judges on the third season. Dulce also serves as the head judge in some episodes. This is Puno's final season as judge as he died on October 30, 2018.[29] Crawford did not serve as judge for the third season until the final month of the competition. Dingdong Avanzado, Jamie Rivera, and Claire dela Fuente served as guest mentors during the Instant Resbak week, in replacement of Alcasid, Padilla, and Valera, respectively.
Pilita Corrales was added to the panel of judges for the fourth season.[30] Crawford exited the panel but would serve as an occasional host. Upon the commencement of the New Normal, Dulce and Corrales did not return as judges. Santiago would later serve as punong hurado. Valera and Valenciano would later return on the final months of the competition. Angeline Quinto served as a guest judge for the January 19–23, 2021 episodes.
Angeline Quinto, who was originally a guest judge in the previous season, became a regular judge after a successful guesting stint as a TNT Hurado.[31]K Brosas, Rey Valera and Randy Santiago did not return as Hurados due to their commitments to the revival of Sing Galing!.[32] On June 28, 2021, Klarisse de Guzman joined the judging panel.[33] On July 3, 2021, Jaya announced her departure as a judge as a result of her decision to migrate to the United States.[34] With the exit of Valera as hurado, Louie Ocampo would go on and serve as the punong hurado. This season saw the elevation of Madela and Volante as head judges, filling in for Ocampo and Alcasid.
The sixth season saw the addition of Marco Sison, Darren Espanto, and Jona Viray as judges, who joined the judging panel on November 1, 2022,[35] February 21, 2023[36] and April 17, 2023[37] respectively. Past judges Karla Estrada and Mitoy Yonting also did not return. However, Gary Valenciano, reprised his role for the grand finale. Constantino and Magdangal returned as judges for this season. During this season, Santos would serve as punong hurado as a fill-in for Ocampo and Alcasid.
Mark Bautista and Christian Bautista served as guest judges for the finale of the Duets edition, which coincided with the airing of Tawag ng Tanghalan and Its Showtime on GTV.[38][39]
The second kids season saw the judging panel reduced again to three members, with none of the judges from the previous edition returning. 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 were introduced as judges while Christian Bautista returned as a judge after being a guest judge in the TNT Duets finale, with Nava, Bautista, Frenchie Dy, Hidalgo, Caringal, Quintos and Rivera alternately serving as the head judge or punong hurado. Additionally, John Rex Baculfo and Rita Daniela served as guest judges for this season.
The School Showdown saw the judging panel continue to three members (five for the semi-finals), with none of the judges from the previous edition returning. This season saw the return of the judges from the seventh season. Additionally, Martin Nievera served as a guest judge for this season.
After more than a year, Noven Belleza of Visayas emerged as the grand champion. Belleza won a musical instrument package from JB Music, family vacation trip, recording contract from Star Music, business package, a house and lot from Camella, a trophy and ₱2,000,000.[46][3]Sam Mangubat was declared as runner-up, while Froilan Canlas finished at third place.
Tawag ng Tanghalan Kids is a special edition for contenders ages 7 to 13. Auditions were held on December 4, 2016.[47] The season premiered on March 13, 2017, with the additions of Jed Madela and Jolina Magdangal to the judging panel. Yeng Constantino served as the Head Judge for this season. The season concluded on June 10, 2017, at ABS-CBN Studio 3.
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.[4] Keifer Sanchez of Mindanao was declared second placer, while Mackie Empuerto of Luzon finished at third place.
The second season premiered on June 12, 2017.[48] For this season, the competition was also opened for global Filipino contenders from different parts of the world.[49]Rey Valera returned as Head Judge, while Gary Valenciano was added to the judging panel. The season concluded on June 2, 2018, at Aliw Theater in Pasay.
Janine Berdin from Visayas emerged as the second grand champion, taking home an ultimate vacation package from 2GO Travel, music gadget package from JB Music, business package from Siomai House, premium television sets from HKTV, talent management contract, a brand new house and lot from Camella, a trophy and ₱2,000,000 from Nescafé Creamy White.[5] Ato Arman of Mindanao was declared as second placer, while Steven Paysu of North America finished at third place.
Elaine Duran of Mindanao, the first TNT record holder, emerged as the third grand champion, receiving an ultimate family vacation package to Bali, Indonesia from Gingerbon, custom in-ear monitors from FlipEars, business franchise from Potato Giant, talent management contract from ABS-CBN and TNTV, recording contract from TNT Records, a brand new house and lot from Camella, a trophy and ₱2,000,000.[6] 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.
Tawag ng Tanghalan: Celebrity Champions is a celebrity edition aired on October 7, 2019, as part of the month-long celebration of It's Showtime's 10th anniversary.[54] The season concluded on November 9, 2019, at ABS-CBN Studio 3.
Ethel Booba of Mindanao emerged as the grand champion, receiving a recording contract from TNT Records, custom in-ear monitors from FlipEars, a trophy and ₱300,000.[7] Jason Fernandez and Roxanne Barcelo finished second and third place, respectively.
TNT All-Star Grand Resbak is a special edition for contenders from past seasons who failed to advance to the grand finals. It premiered on November 11, 2019[55] and concluded on December 21, 2019, at ABS-CBN Studio 3.
Mark Michael Garcia from Metro Manila was hailed as the grand champion, taking home a business franchise from Potato Giant, recording contract from TNT Records, management contract from ABS-CBN, a trophy and ₱300,000.[8] Jex De Castro of Metro Manila, Sofronio Vasquez III of Mindanao and Julius Cawaling of Luzon finished at second, third and fourth place, respectively.
The fourth season premiered on January 4, 2020.[56]Pilita Corrales was added to the panel of judges this season.[57] On March 15, 2020, the season was put on hiatus due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines[58] and ABS-CBN's shutdown on May 5, 2020.[59] The season was resumed on June 13, 2020, after 3 months since the lockdown in Luzon started and ABS-CBN's shutdown on May 5, 2020.[59] This season was halted twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic: on July 15, 2020, the season was halted due to the 14-day quarantine caused by one of the staff testing positive for the coronavirus and returned on August 1, 2020, and on August 5, 2020, the season was halted again due to the 2-week modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) and returned again on August 15, 2020. The season concluded on February 6, 2021, at ABS-CBN Studio 10 (ASAP Studio) in Quezon City.
JM Yosures of Metro Manila became the grand champion of the season.[9] His prizes include ₱1,000,000, management contract from Star Magic, recording contract from Star Music, trophy made by Toym Imao, and a brand new house and lot from Lessandra. Rachell Laylo of Luzon and Ayegee Paredes of Mindanao placed second and third respectively.
The fifth season premiered on February 8, 2021.[60] On March 16, 2021, Vice Ganda announced that the show will move to a new studio at ABS-CBN Soundstage at San Jose del Monte, Bulacan soon.[61] From March 18 to April 10, 2021, the season was halted because 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 was resumed on April 12, 2021. Angeline Quinto, who was originally a guest judge in the previous season, became a regular judge after a successful guesting stint as a TNT Hurado.[31] On June 28, 2021, Klarisse de Guzman joined the judging panel.[33] The season concluded on September 18, 2021, at the It's Showtime Studio.
Reiven Umali of Luzon became the grand champion of the season that spanned for seven months.[10] His prizes include ₱1,000,000, management contract from Star Magic, recording contract from Star Music, a trophy made by Toym Imao, and a brand new house and lot from Camella. Adrian Manibale and Anthony Castillo who was both from Metro Manila placed second and third respectively.
The sixth season premiered on November 22, 2021.[64] From January 6 to 15, 2022, the season was halted because they decided to temporarily stop of daily live productions due to the surge of COVID-19. The season resumed on January 17, 2022.[65]Marco Sison,[35]Darren Espanto[36] and Jona Viray[37] joined the judging panel for this season. The season concluded on May 6, 2023, at ABS-CBN Studio 10.
Lyka Estrella of Mindanao became the grand champion of the season that spanned for a year and six months.[11] Her prizes include ₱1,000,000, management contract under Polaris of Star Magic, recording contract from Star Music, a trophy made by Toym Imao, and a brand new house and lot from Camella. Nowi Alpuerto and Jezza Quiogue who was both from Luzon placed second and third respectively.
Duets (also known as TNT Duets) is a special season or spin-off for this special edition where contenders from first to sixth seasons who failed to advance to the grand finals, it premiered on May 8, 2023, just two days after sixth season's finale, this was similar to TNT All-Star Grand Resbak.[66][67] Originally to run for four weeks as an interim segment before the seventh season, the Duets edition was extended to eight weeks. This is the last season to air on TV5 while the first season to air on GTV. Mark Bautista and Christian Bautista served as guest judges for the finale of the Duets editions.[38][39] The season concluded on July 1, 2023, at ABS-CBN Studio 10.
The Sidlak Bisdak duo of Marielle Montellano & JM Dela Cerna is declared as the winner of the competition.[12] Their prizes include ₱500,000 and a trophy made by Toym Imao. John Mark Saga & Kim Nemenzo of The Incredi-voice placed second while Anton Antenorcruz & Eumee Capile of The OG's placed third respectively.
The seventh season premiered on July 3, 2023.[68] This season marked the return of the original design of the TNT stage after being absent for two seasons (Ikalimang taon and Ika-anim na taon) with its design being improved just like the first four regular seasons and the five judges format during the Daily Rounds. Nonoy Zuñiga,[40]Dingdong Avanzado,[41]Kean Cipriano,[42] and Bituin Escalante[43] were added to the panel of judges this season. This season also made the return of the 3 daily contenders representing their hometown in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao respectively. From October 14 to 27, 2023, the season was halted because ABS-CBN decided to temporarily stop of daily live productions due to temporarily suspension of the show for 12-airing days, which was released by ruling decision of Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.[69] The season resumed on October 30, 2023.[70] The season concluded on January 27, 2024, at ABS-CBN Studio 10.
Rea Gen Villareal of Luzon became the grand champion of the season that spanned for six months.[13] Her prizes include ₱1,000,000 from SCD Essentials, management contract under Polaris of Star Magic, recording contract from Star Music, and a trophy made by Toym Imao. Eunice Encarnada of Mindanao and Vensor Domasig of Visayas placed second and third respectively.
Kim Hewitt of Visayas became the grand champion of the season that spanned for three months.[14] His prizes include ₱500,000, ₱300,000 from Abenson, management contract under ABS-CBN Music Management Group, and a trophy made by Toym Imao. Dylan Genicera and Aliyah Quijoy who was both from Luzon placed second and third respectively.
Tawag ng Tanghalan: The School Showdown is a special edition where student representatives from different universities in the Philippines compete to become the seasons' grand champion. Preliminary auditions for the special season were held simultaneously with the eighth season starting April 15, 2024.[72]
Ikawalong Taon (Upcoming season)
The eighth season will air sometime on 2025. Preliminary auditions started on February 3, 2024.[73]
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.[74][75][76]
Karla Estrada's qualification as a judge has also been questioned by some viewers.[77]
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[78] 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.[79] 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.
On May 22, 2018, in the Ultimate Resbak rounds, after the first round of songs between Ato Arman and Aila Santos, Ato 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 Aila Santos.[80]
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.[81][82][83]
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."[84] Later, after her public apology, it was deleted and deactivated her Twitter account for good.[85]
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.[86]
On September 14, 2019, Hurado Dulce spoke out on the controversial result, which aired on September 11, 2019.[87][88]
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.[89]
Revenue and commercial venues
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.[96][97]
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.[98]
Accolades
Year
Award
Category
Recipient
Result
Ref.
2018
Best Choice Awards 2018
Most Successful Singing Talent Competition in Philippine Television
^Following the cease-and-desist order against ABS-CBN's free to air assets, the show resumed air on Kapamilya Channel, with simulcasts on other local networks and live streams, Jeepney TV (June 11, 2018 – April 5, 2024), Kapamilya Online Live (August 1, 2020 – present), A2Z (October 10, 2020 – present), TV5 (July 16, 2022 – June 30, 2023), GTV (July 1, 2023 – present), GMA Network (April 6, 2024 – present), Kapuso Stream (April 6, 2024 – present) and All TV (June 17, 2024 – present).
^Finalists only include quarterfinalists, semifinalists, grand finalists, and contenders selected for resbak.
^Grand finalists only include contenders who competed in the last day (except for the All-Star Grand Resbak).
^ abcDespite having no official subtitle for the season, Seasons 1, 2, and 3 are often recalled as Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 respectively. This is often emphasized during the Duets season and some resbakers in Seasons 4 onwards.
