On January 11, Bigo Philippines Country Manager Ian G emphasized the social media platform’s focus on families and talents rather than influencers.
At the Bigo Philippines Awards Gala 2023, which LionhearTV attended, Ian G cited how the users of Bigo Live Philippines forged online and offline connections through their communities.
“We don’t like to use the word influencers because we are celebrating [also]–some of them [the] top families. So what are families? No other apps have the concept of families– families are– there’s a family leader who organizes, they have like 2000 members, how you organize games together, online events together, how you organize offline events together, how you gain those points. The more points you earn, the more rank you do well.”
He also highlighted how their app showcases Filipino talents, which they brought to the Bigo Live Awards Gala 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada, this January 16, 2023.
“We are also celebrating a lot of talents. [The] Philippines have a lot of great singers–and some of them this Sunday. [The] Philippines has the most overseas members from Bigo that we’ll send to the US, Las Vegas, because of the talents.
“Because they can sing, they can dance, they can perform. So we have the most people to showcase. So first, we are celebrating talents and creators as well. Talents can sing, and we have a lot of uses as audiences all around the world that appreciate talents as well.”
Aside from honoring their content creators, Ian G noted how they celebrated the agencies that helped their users and communities within Bigo Live.
“So we’re giving awards for agencies, agencies are our business partners basically ensuring that we oversee the host, guest, grooming them, train them, you know maybe, better lighting, better camera, better mic, maybe new phone, eventually they work their way up, and get better equipment. So we have over 20 awards we’re giving away tonight.”
Finally, he also affirmed how they recognize patrons who support content creators on their platform.
“So it’s not just influencers. It’s really celebrating community. We also celebrate our audiences because our audiences support our creators and hosts, so we also want to acknowledge them. They’re our patrons in our platform that supports talents in the Philippines.”
The Bigo Philippines Awards Gala 2023 awardees include the following:
Top 1 Agency – Prime Agency
The Top Three Families – The Daniels, Prime Family, and Satire PH
Super Sponsor of the Year – Rose Van Ginkel
Super Giver of the Year – James Daniel
Top Three PUCG Almight Agencies – PH-Phoenx2, PH-MBTalents2, and PH-Amore 2.
PUGC Pioneer Host of the Year – Charles William Salonga
Most Popular New Host of the Year – Rhyzagale
Most Popular Livehouse Star of the Year – Erika Gervacio
PK Guinness Record Breaker of the Year – NinjaJannine
Livehouse Star – Erika Gervacio
PK Star & Ranking Star – NinjaJannine
PUGC Rising Agency – PH-Highness2
Best DIY Offline Event Family – Prime Family
Best DIY Online Event Family – The Daniels
Powerhouse Agency of the Year – PH-PTA2
Rockstar Rookie of the Year – PH-Clover2
Trailblazer Agency of the Year – PH-Exquisite2
As for the awards night itself, The Bigo Philippines Awards Gala 2023 featured a Golden Age of Hollywood-themed red carpet showcasing glamour and style, with many Bigo users and content creators appearing in Old Hollywood-inspired attires.
