Alden’s Reality: The Virtual Reality Concert — the first-ever virtual reality concert in the Philippines headlined by Alden Richards — marks another milestone after it earned a finalist slot, its first international nomination, at the prestigious 2021 New York Festivals (NYF) “World’s Best TV and Films” Competition.
The record-setting concert produced by Synergy: A GMA Collaboration and held as part of Alden’s 10th anniversary in the entertainment industry last December has been shortlisted under the Entertainment Special: Special Event category. It is up against entries from the USA, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, and Norway.
The concert combined cutting-edge technology and performances to produce a full-length concert amid the global pandemic. And with physical gatherings and staging of events being discouraged, the virtual reality concert enabled an immersive interaction between Alden and his fans all over the globe.
“I was really happy to hear about the news, and very thankful of course. Shooting in VR was a new experience for all of us. Honestly, it was not easy, but the whole team is just so happy that it gained international recognition,” the multi-awarded Filipino actor and recording artist said.
“First, I would like to congratulate Alden Richards for setting a new record of being the first Filipino artist to stage the first-ever virtual reality concert in the Philippines,” said GMA Network’s First Vice President and Head for Regional TV and Synergy Oliver Victor Amoroso.
“Second, we are honored that we made history in ‘Alden’s Reality’ as it also earned its first international nomination via the NYF under the Entertainment Special: Special Event category. And lastly, on behalf of Synergy, I would like to congratulate all the people who we had the pleasure of working for this project amidst the pandemic. As we remain steadfast, this is only the beginning,” he said.
The finalist slot of Alden’s Reality comes at a very fitting time as GMA Network celebrates its 71st anniversary this June.
With Alden’s Reality, GMA Network gave the Philippines six shortlisted entries—the most number of finalists for the country. The announcement of winners for this year’s NYF is slated for October in Las Vegas.