Jessica Soho, Atom Araullo specials win again at New York festival

MANILA, Philippines, May 27 ------ Six (6) television projects and one movie from the Philippines came away with wins at the recently-concluded 2026 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.

Two (2) of the Filipino TV specials were Bronze Tower winners in their respective sub-categories under Documentaries. GMA Public Affairs' Special Documentary "Broken Roads, Broken Promises" was honored under Human Concerns, while "The Atom Araullo Specials: Gintong Puno" was recognized under Environment & Ecology.

In "Broken Roads, Broken Promises," Dingdong Dantes joined in exposing the devastating human cost of corruption across the Philippines amid multi-billion-peso flood control project anomalies. The "Gintong Puno" episode, meanwhile, probed the high-stakes illegal trade of Agarwood or Lapnisan, considered to be one of the world's most expensive natural raw materials. The rest of the Filipino entries all received Finalist Diplomas, including another "The Atom Araullo Specials" episode, "Baby Makers," under the the Social Issues category.

Two (2) entries from "I Witness" and "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" were recognized — the former's "Embalsamador de Motor" and "Basura Divers" under Community Portraits and Heroes, respectively, and the latter's "Stolen Coastline" and "Unbound" under Environment & Ecology and Health/Medical Information. "Reporter's Notebook: Asia's Scam Cities" was honored in the National Affairs category, while the movie "Green Bones" starring Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid was recognized under Feature Films.

The only other awardee not produced under GMA was ABS-CBN News Documentaries' "Lubog Sa Katiwalian" under the Current Affairs category. Since 1957, New York Festivals celebrates exceptional advertising, television and radio programming globally "to award creativity that both respects and defies history" and is "unafraid to leap off history's shoulders to innovate in new creative spaces."

Last year, an episode of "The Atom Araullo Specials" won a Gold Tower, an episode of "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" won a Bronze Tower, and the film "Firefly" won a Silver Tower. Another Bronze Tower went to Manila-based German journalist Carsten Stormer for his "Wings of Courage: The Eagle Huntress of Mongolia," as three other Filipino projects were recognized with Finalist Diplomas.

Source: philstar.com