MANILA, Philippines – Rappler entertainment columnist Ruben Nepales on Sunday, June 23, took home four prizes at the 66th annual Southern California Journalism Awards presented by the Los Angeles Press Club. 

Nepales bagged first place in the Obituary/In Appreciation for Film/TV Personalities section in the Online/Print category for his February 2023 piece on the late musician Burt Bacharach. 

Titled “I say a little prayer and a lot of thanks to Burt Bacharach for his music,” the piece was published in his weekly Rappler column, Only IN Hollywood. Pieces from US media Los Angeles Times and The Hollywood Reporter placed second and third, respectively, in the category. 

The judges praised Nepales for combining “personal remembrance with classic obituary writing” in the Bacharach piece. “His recollections give readers a chance to dig into their memories for their own but also tell readers facts about Bacharach’s life they may not have known,” they added. 

He also placed third in the Entertainment News or Feature category for Foreign Correspondents for his November 2023 Only IN Hollywood column titled “‘The Color Purple’ Q&A led by Oprah, was as moving as the stunning film.”

Aside from his winning columns, Nepales was also awarded second place in the Online Journalist of the Year and Best Columnist or Critic for Foreign Correspondents categories. 

“I am thrilled in the name of representation, for a journalist from Rappler in the Philippines to win in a competitive field packed by major American media outlets,” he told Rappler about his multiple plums. 

These awards are the latest addition to Nepales’ growing accolades, including winning the first prize in the Film Feature on Actors (Online) category in the 2023 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards and receiving the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism at the Outstanding Filipinos in America (TOFA) Awards 2022. 

A native of Calasiao, Pangasinan, and alumnus of the University of Sto. Tomas, Nepales immigrated to the United States in the 1980s. He became the first Filipino to be elected to membership in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the same association that presents the Golden Globe Awards.

His column Only IN Hollywood ran in the Philippine Daily Inquirer for 15 years, before transferring to Rappler in 2020. He has also published two award-winning books: My Filipino Connection: The Philippines in Hollywood, and the coffee table book Through a Writer’s Lens.

Nepales also co-founded the Manila International Film Festival, the overseas edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival. He currently serves on the boards of the Asian World Film Festival and the SOHO International Film Festival. – Rappler.com