IF THINGS go right, the Philippines will be represented in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category at the 69th Grammy Awards next year.
Sony Music Entertainment Philippines has announced that it submitted the song “Leaves (Reimagined)” by folk-pop band Ben&Ben for consideration of the 2027 Grammys voters.
According to a statement from the band, bagging a Grammy Award has always been one of their dreams. They are “thankful to be given the chance to take the first step toward this dream.”
For Ben&Ben frontman Paolo Benjamin, writing the song helped him make sense of and overcome past hurts.
“Someone very close to me in the past hurt me in a very unexpected way, and I was faced with the choice to forgive or part ways. I chose to forgive,” he said. “This song will always hold deep meaning for me. It has been God’s way of saving me from my darkest thoughts countless times in the past, until now.”
With the message that “forgiveness is an act that sets ourselves free,” it is part of Ben&Ben’s recent album Nine.
SB19, BINI
Meanwhile, P-pop groups SB19 and BINI have also submitted entries to the prestigious music award. Under the new category Asian Pop Music Performance, SB19 is pushing for “Visa” while BINI is putting forth “Unang Kilig.”
They have each submitted one other song to another category: SB19’s “Lawless” for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and BINI’s “A Parallel World,” which was part of Dreamworks’ animated film Forgotten Island, for Best Song Written for Visual Media.
BINI also aims to get a nomination for Best New Artist.
The 2027 Grammy Awards’ first round of voting runs until Oct. 22. Nominees will be determined after active Recording Academy members review official submissions and cast their ballots. Only music released between Aug. 31, 2025 and Aug. 28, 2026, are eligible for nomination.
The official nominees will be announced on Nov. 16, while the awards ceremony will take place on Feb. 7, 2027. — Brontë H. Lacsamana