Historical drama “Quezon” emerged as the biggest winner at the 9th Eddys on Sunday, taking home Best Picture along with Best Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Director for director Jerrold Tarog, and Best Actor for Jericho Rosales.

The awards ceremony, organized by the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd), honored the year’s outstanding achievements in Filipino filmmaking during a star-studded event at the Ceremonial Hall of the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport World Resorts.

Accepting his Best Actor award, Rosales dedicated the honor to the people behind the acclaimed historical epic, saying the recognition belonged to the entire team that brought the story of President Manuel L. Quezon to life.

Tarog, who also accepted the Best Director trophy, emphasized that filmmaking is a collaborative effort.

“Basically, my job on set is to say yes or no to the decisions of other talented people. So my job is to pick the best collaborators. I share this award with everyone on my team because they’re all great,” he said. 

He added that he hopes more historical films will be produced “so that we can get to know ourselves through history.”

Maris Racal was named Best Actress for her performance in “Sunshine,” which also won Best Editing.

In an emotional acceptance speech, Racal reflected on the challenges of portraying a young woman confronting an unwanted pregnancy, saying she immediately recognized the responsibility that came with the role.

“Talking about abortion in this country is not going to be easy. But all of my fears and doubts faded away because I know that I have a lot of companions and a lot of people with me in telling this story,” she said.

She dedicated the award to director Antoinette Jadaone, the film’s cast and crew, and women who continue to pursue their dreams despite adversity.

“This award is for all of the Sunshines in this world, to all the women and to our right to choose our own bodies. If it’s noisy, drown out the noise and remember who you are,” Racal said.

The Best Supporting Actor category resulted in a tie, with Will Ashley winning for “Bar Boy: After School” and Rico Blanco sharing the honor for “Manila’s Finest.” Rochelle Pangilinan was named Best Supporting Actress for “Child No. 82.”

Among the technical awards, “Salvageland” won Best Cinematography, while “Manila’s Finest” collected three trophies for Best Sound, Best Musical Score, and Best Theme Song. “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins” received the award for Best Visual Effects.

Beyond the competitive categories, SPEEd presented several special honors recognizing excellence and lasting contributions to Philippine cinema.

Named this year’s Eddys Movie Icons were John Arcilla, Edgar “Bobot” Mortiz, Rio Locsin and Janice de Belen for their enduring impact on the local film industry.

The Isah V. Red Award was presented to Chaye Cabal Revilla and Donny Pangilinan, while director Joven Tan received the Joe Quirino Award. Veteran entertainment journalist Lhar Santiago was honored with the Manny Pichel Award.

The ceremony also recognized this year’s Box Office Heroes: Vice Ganda for “Call Me Mother,” Maricel Soriano and Joshua Garcia for “Meet, Greet & Bye,” Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino for “My Love Will Make You Disappear,” and Richard Gutierrez for “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins.”

Now in its ninth year, the Eddys continues to celebrate artistic and technical excellence in Philippine cinema, with winners selected by members of SPEEd, an organization composed of entertainment editors from leading print and online publications.