Grammy Voting Member Voted For SB19’s ‘Gento’ To Be Nominated At Grammys 2024

P-Pop sensation SB19 is currently vying for a chance to be nominated at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. Despite the fierce competition, the group was able to capture the heart of a member of The Recording Academy’s voting committee.

Jhett Tolentino — a Filipino film and theater producer who won his first-ever Grammy Award in 2017 and is a three-time Tony Award recipient — revealed on his Instagram account that he voted for the Pino pop boy band’s entries to the highly anticipated music awards. He voted for “Crimzone” and “Gento,” two tracks that were released as part of SB19’s “PAGTATAG!” EP.

“Just voted for ‘Crimzone’ and ‘Gento.’ Best of luck @officialsb19!” the veteran producer wrote in his story.

Following his revelation, the 46-year-old Iloilo native urged his fellow Grammy voters via Facebook and Instagram to consider SB19’s entries under Category N.8, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Among 209 submissions, it was revealed that only five will earn a coveted nomination.

Tolentino gained recognition in the entertainment industry as the second Philippine-born winner of the Tony Award and the first-ever Filipino citizen to win two of the coveted EGOT Awards. He is best known for the movie “Asian Persuasion” and his documentary, “Life Is What You Make It.” He has also been a voting member of the Grammys since 2016.

On Friday, Sony Music Philippines confirmed that SB19’s hit track “Gento” was eligible for a nomination at the annual music awards. The music company took to Twitter to share the news, alongside a “For Your Grammy Consideration” poster highlighting some of the top publication’s positive critics about “Gento.”

“A’TIN!!!! [Make some noise] @SB19Official’s GENTO is an approved entry to the Grammys. Share until it gets to the voting members of the Recording Academy before Oct 20,” Sony Music wrote in the caption of its post.

“Gento” has been making waves on social media, becoming a popular dance trend on TikTok that caught the attention of millions of users worldwide, including several K-Pop stars. The track also peaked at No. 8 on Billboard’s World Digital Songs Sales chart in June.

The first round of voting for the Grammys will run from Oct. 11 to 20. The voting members are composed of “vetted and venerable” performers, songwriters, producers and instrumentalists, among others, who are actively working in the recording industry. Nominees are expected to be announced on Nov. 10.