15 Filipino Actors Who Have Won International Awards

We’ll never get tired of recognizing Filipino artistry, and today, we're highlighting the achievements of our world class actors and actresses who’ve put Filipino talent on the map. From Iza Calzado to Eugene Domingo, and so much more, we’ve listed down 15 personalities who have already been honored by international award-giving bodies for their acting performances.

15 Filipino Actors Who Have Won International Awards:

1. Iza Calzado

Bliss, one of Iza Calzado’s most notable films, won the actress her first international award in 2017. She was handed the Yakushi Pearl Award for Best Performer at the 12th Osaka Asian Film Festival. Iza’s performance in the film was also recognized locally at the 49th Box Office Entertainment Awards and the 34th PMPC Star Awards for Movies, both of which named her Movie Actress of the Year.

2. Lovi Poe

Lovi Poe’s name had already gone international even before she landed her first Hollywood role in 2021. She was named Best Actress at the 10th International Film Festival Manhattan for her work on the indie film Latay, a drama about an abusive wife and her battered husband. Just a year later, Lovi was cast in the English biopic The Chelsea Cowboy, which also stars Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike, I Am Number Four), Poppy Delevingne (Kingsman: The Golden Circle), and Charlie Creed-Miles (Peaky Blinders).

3. Janine Gutierrez

Janine Gutierrez is turning out to be quite the promising movie star. After the success of her crime thriller film Babae at Baril, she went on to top-bill the romantic drama Dito at Doon, which earned her the Rising Star Award at the New York Asian Film Festival in 2021. Her film, Ngayon Kaya, follows the story of two individuals who reunite a few years after graduating college to settle the romantic score between them.

4. Jaclyn Jose

Who could forget the late Jaclyn Jose’s history-making win at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival? In 2016, the seasoned thespian made the country proud when she won Best Actress for the Brillante Mendoza film Ma’ Rosa, which was also nominated for the festival’s highest prize, the Palme d'Or, that year. FYI, Jaclyn became the first Southeast Asian actress to win the accolade.

5. Eugene Domingo

With her prolific repertoire, it’s no surprise that Eugene Domingo has earned herself not just one, but three international acting awards! She won the first two in 2012 for her role in Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank—the PAU International Film Festival named Eugene Best Actress, while the 6th Asian Film Awards gave her the People's Choice Award for Best Actress. Her next international recognition came just a year later at the Tokyo International Film Festival where she once again won Best Actress for the historical drama Mga Kuwentong Barbero. 

6. John Lloyd Cruz

Thanks to his unforgettable performance in Honor thy Father, John Lloyd Cruz became the first Southeast Asian actor to win the Star Asia award at the 2016 New York Asian Film Festival. He shared the honor with Our Blues actor Lee Byung Hun and singer-actress Miriam Yeung from Hong Kong.

7. Cherie Gil

The late Cherie Gil won big at the Madrid International Film Festival in 2015 when she was named Best Actress for the family drama Mana. The movie, which also won Best Feature Film at the same event, was an important project for Cherie since it marked her last appearance alongside her brother, Mark Gil, before he passed away in September of 2014.

8. Rachelle Ann Go

Filipino songstress Rachelle Ann Go owns a slew of international awards earned from her successful Broadway career. She’s been particularly lauded for her portrayal of Eliza in the hit musical Hamilton. The role landed her the Best Actress in a New Production of a Musical honor at the BroadwayWorld UK Awards and Best Supporting Performance in a Musical at the Take 5 Entertainment Theatre Awards. Rachelle has also received accolades for starring in Miss Saigon and Les Misérables.

9. Paolo Ballesteros

2016 Metro Manila Film Festival entry Die Beautiful was both a critical and box office success. It also triumphed in the local awards circuit, while its lead actor, Paolo Ballesteros, garnered three awards in Japan and India. Where the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival presented Paolo with a Best Actor and an Audience Choice Award, the 21st International Film Festival of Kerala, on the other hand, gave him the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Performance.

10. John Arcilla

John Arcilla made headlines just last year after he won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the  78th Venice International Film Festival. The accolade was given for his performance in the Erik Matti-directed crime thriller On the Job: The Missing 8, where he played Sisoy Salas, a pro-government journalist who’s forced to reevaluate his views after a his colleagues start to disappear.

11. Barbie Forteza

Years before she stepped foot in the universe of Maria Clara at Ibarra, Barbie Forteza was already making waves as an award-winning teen star, and even all the way to Portugal. The then-18-year-old bagged the Best Actress award at the 36th Fantasporto International Film for her performance in the 2016 film Laut.

12. Kylie Verzosa

Kylie Verzosa's shelf of accolades isn't limited to her beauty queen titles! The Miss International 2016 titleholder earned another label as Best Actress at the 2022 Distinctive International Arab Festivals Awards (DIAFA) in Dubai for her remarkable performance in the movie The Housemaid. The film, a Filipino adaptation of the 2010 South Korean thriller, delves into a maid's relationship with the patriarch of a wealthy family.

13. Jodi Sta. Maria

Marking a first for a Filipina, Jodi Sta. Maria bagged the Best Lead Actress title at the 2022 Asian Academy Creative Awards for her role in The Broken Marriage Vow, where she played the scorned wife Dr. Jill Victorino. The show, which is an adaptation of the British series Dr. Foster, also received a nod by winning Best Adaptation of an Existing Format.

14. Coleen Garcia

Coleen Garcia received an accolade down south in Venezuela for her work in the horror flick Kaluskos. The actress bagged the much-deserved Best Actress award at the El Grito International Fantastic Film Festival for her work in the 2022 film, which was her first suspense movie!

15. Dolly de Leon

Of course, this list wouldn't be complete without the history-making Dolly de Leon! The Filipina actress took international cinema by storm with her role in the 2023 film Triangle of Sadness, in which she won the Best Supporting Performance award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association alongside Key Huy Quan. Among several nominations included the prestigious British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) and the Golden Globe Awards, another first for a Filipino.

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