GMA’S COMEDY SERIES "BECAUSE OF YOU" CONQUERS VIETNAM

GMA’s top-rating romantic comedy series "Because Of You" captured the hearts of Vietnamese audience as it was voted as Vietnam’s Most Favorite Foreign Drama Series in the 7th Face Of The Year Awards. The series’ lead stars, Carla Abellana and Rafael Rosell also won as Most Favorite Foreign Actress and Most Favorite Foreign Actor, respectively.

"Because Of You" proved to be a hit among Vietnamese viewers as it gathered the most number of audience votes in the online and text polls for the awards. It bested other Asian series from Thailand and India. 

For the second time, Carla Abellana bagged the Most Favorite Foreign Actress award for her role as the hopeful romantic fashion designer, Andrea, in the series. She first earned the same recognition in 2017 for her drama series "My Destiny". Meanwhile, one of Carla’s leading men in the series, Rafael Rosell, won in the Most Favorite Foreign Actor category for his role as Oliver, Andrea’s groom who stood her up on their wedding day.  

Due to travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, both Carla and Rafael were unable to attend the awards ceremony held on January 6 at the iconic Saigon Opera House. They both expressed gratitude to their Vietnamese fans via pre-recorded speeches shown during the awards night. Carla said she considers the award as an “important milestone” in her acting career, while Rafael thanked GMA and the people behind the program for entrusting him his character in the series. 

Aside from "Because Of You", two other GMA dramas and their lead actors were also nominated in the foreign awards category, including romantic comedy series "Juan Happy Love Story", and the Network’s adaptation of hit Korean series "My Love From The Star". The GMA dramas were aired by International Media Corp’s TodayTV Television Channel, one of Vietnam’s leading broadcasters. 

The Face of the Year Awards is organized by TodayTV in partnership with World Film Magazine. It aims to “honor the faces of cinema and television who have made outstanding contributions during the year.” It is considered the most prestigious annual film and television awards in Vietnam. GMA actress Marian Rivera was the first Filipino to be recognized by the award-giving body in 2013.