There are many institutions, academies and fellowships in the Philippines that hands out awards, citations and recognitions to outstanding film achievements for a certain calendar year.
In 1975, the first Metropolitan Film Festival was held in commemoration of the third anniversary of the continuation of Martial Law.
The Gawad Urian gave a Philippine equivalent to the New York Film Critics Circle Awards.
During the commercialist era of movies in the 1980s, more award-giving bodies have sprung up to honor film achievements.
The moniker was first earned by actress Vilma Santos in 1983 when she won the FAMAS, Gawad Urian, CMMA and FAP Awards for her performance in the Ishmael Bernal film Relasyon.