Marian Rivera has won another award.

This time the best actress trophy from the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

Rivera shared the best actress award with Gabby Padilla,  the first time in the 20-year history of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival that the award was shared by two individuals.

Marian Rivera won the jurors nod for her performance in “Balota” while Gabby Padilla captured the judges nod for “Kono Basho.”

The surprise win brought back memories of Cinemalaya 2012 when the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards were presented instead as Best Ensemble to “Mga Mumunting Lihim” stars Judy Ann Santos, Iza Calzado, Janice de Belen, and Agot Isidro.

During the 2016 edition of Cinemalaya, the Best Supporting Actress award was shared between Lollie Mara for “Ang Bagong Pamilya ni Ponching” and Elizabeth Oropesa for “I America.”

The Best Feature Film award this year went to “Tumandok,” about an Ati community in Iloilo struggling to reclaim their ancestral land, which for years have been under threat of being taken.

“Tumandok” also won four other awards: the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) award, Best Original Score, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Felipe Ganancial, an elder member of the film’s all-Ati non-professional acting ensemble from Sitio Kabarangkalan in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo

Padilla’s win added to the three other awards of “Kono Basho,” namely Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Director for Jaime Pacena II in his feature directorial debut.

Young actor Enzo Osorio won Best Actor for “The Hearing,” visibly in tears when he accepted his Balanghai trophy, while Sue Prado won Best Supporting Actress for “Kantil.”

“An Errand,” starring Sid Lucero, won Best Sound and Best Editing. “Gulay Lang, Manong,” starring Cedrick Juan, won the Audience Choice Award, while the sole competing documentary, “Alipato at Muog,” won the Special Jury Prize.

In the short film categories, “Cross My Heart and Hope to Die” won the top prize and Best Director for filmmaker Sam Manacsa.

The only other short film with multiple awards was Sonny Calvento’s “Primetime Mother,” starring Meryll Soriano, for Best Screenplay and the Audience Choice Award.

The NETPAC award went to “Abogbaybay” and the Special Jury Prize went to “Pamalandong sa Danow (Reflection in the Marsh).”

Dingdong Dantes congratulated his wife Marian Rivera for winning the Best Actress award in Cinemalaya 2024.

On Instagram, the Kapuso Primetime King shared a happy photo of Marian taken shortly after she delivered her acceptance speech for the award. 

“My seatmate, Cinemalaya 2024’s Best Actress,” Dingdong wrote. “Fresh from her acceptance speech.”

“I am so proud of you, my wife,” he added.

On Facebook, the Kapuso Primetime King shared photos of Marian as she accepted her award and said “proud is an understatement.”Marian won the Best Actress award at the Cinemalaya 2024 for her performance as Teacher Emmy in “Balota.” She shared the award with Gabby Padillo for “Kono Basho.” 

Written and directed by Kip Oebanda and co-produced by GMA Pictures and GMA Entertainment Group, “Balota” garnered high praise from viewers left, right, and center, thanks to Marian’s stellar performance.

Marian showcased her versatile acting range as she gave viewers a kind of Marian they’ve never seen before: Unconventional and deglamorized, according to a Philippine Star report. 

“Balota” follows the story of a land-grabbing tycoon and a former male sexy actor locked in a tight race for the mayoral seat of a small town. When violence erupts, she runs into the forest with a ballot box containing the last copy of the election results.