Awra Briguela

"Awra" redirects here. For other uses, see Awra (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Aura.

Awra Briguela
Born (2004-03-26) March 26, 2004[1]
Las Piñas, Metro Manila, Philippines
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • singer
  • dancer
Years active2016–present
Agent(s)PowerCasting Artist Management[2]
Star Magic (2016–present)
Known for
Musical career

Awra Briguela (born March 26, 2004) (Tagalog: [ˈaʊɾa brɪˈgela]), is a Filipino actor and comedian who gained recognition after starring in FPJ's Ang Probinsyano (2016–2019), personally chosen for the role by the show's lead actor Coco Martin. Briguela's life was featured in a titular episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya in 2016. In 2017, Awra was declared champion in the first season of the Filipino version of Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids.[3]

Early life

She studied junior high school at Las Piñas National High School Almanza in 2016.[3][4] She was moved to Manila at Uno High School.[5] She finished junior high school in 2020.[6] She studied senior high school under Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand at University of the East Manila from 2024 to her graduation in 2025.[7][8][9]

Career

Briguela started her career off as an internet celebrity.[10] Briguela became known to her parents for impersonating actresses like Sarah Geronimo and Sarah Lahbati. She was discovered by actor Coco Martin, who saw her potential in the primetime television series FPJ's Ang Probinsyano (2016–2019),[11] a remake of the 1997 film of the same title and name. Briguela gained widespread for her role as "MakMak" and the series was produced by Dreamscape Entertainment Television, who created many successful pictures such as Doble Kara, Ina, Kapatid, Anak, and Till I Met You. Briguela starred in the series opposite Coco Martin, Susan Roces, Maja Salvador, Bela Padilla, Albert Martinez, Arjo Atayde, Eddie Garcia, Agot Isidro, Jaime Fabregas, and Simon "Onyok" Pineda, who played the role of Onyok.[12][13][14] Briguela won a 3rd Aral Parangal Awards for Best Child Performer, which she won twice, for the primetime series.

Her life was featured in an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya, playing as herself alongside Aleck Bovick and Janus del Prado who played her mother and father respectively. She made her feature film debut in the Super Parental Guardians (2016) where she portrayed the role of Megan Gaspar alongside fellow Ang Probinsyano actors Coco Martin, Onyok Pineda and Vice Ganda.[15][16][17] Briguela later participated as a contestant in Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids (season 1).

Personal life

Briguela is fond of impersonating Filipina actresses like Sarah Geronimo, Sarah Lahbati, and her idol Maja Salvador, who was one of her co-casts in FPJ's Ang Probinsyano. She popularized her screen name "Awra" upon achieving mainstream recognition as an actor and comedian.

Raised as a boy, her parents said that she has already shown signs of "being gay" since she was three years old for expressing preference for Barbie, Hello Kitty and skirts.[3] However by 2023, she reportedly identifies as a trans woman.[18]

Briguela financially supported her father Oneal Brian Briguela's graduate education after having completed college in 2019. Brian earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Philippine Christian University in 2024.[19][20]

In 2025, Briguela was the subject of online misgendering when several people left comments on her Instagram posts referring to her as "sir" and comparing her to basketball player Bronny James.[21] After her senior high school graduation in July 2025, content creator and disability advocate Jack Argota quipped that media coverage referred to Briguela with she/her pronouns, prompting Argota to call Briguela a "bro" in a Facebook post. In response, an admin of Briguela's Facebook page criticized Argota by referring to him as "the real trans" due to his cleft palate.[22]

On June 29, 2023, Briguela was arrested for inflicting physical injury following an altercation at The Bolthole Bar in Poblacion, Makati. According to witnesses and CCTV footage, Awra took exception when a male guest refused to take off his shirt.[23][24] Awra was later released on July 1 after posting bail.[25]

Discography

Singles

Year Track Album Details Ref.
2017 "Clap Clap Clap Awra" —
[26]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Ref.
2025 Mudrasta: Ang Beking Ina!
2023 Here Comes the Groom Whitney
2021 Big Night! Galema
2020 James & Pat & Dave Susan "Sasha" Reyes
2019 Familia Blondina Mondesto
2017 Ang Panday Diego
2016 The Super Parental Guardians Melvin "Megan" Nabati [27][10]

Drama series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2023 Comedy Island Philippines Awra - The Influence Main role
2022 Suntok sa Buwan Orange Supporting cast
2022 Lyric and Beat Unique Main role [28]
2019 Mga Batang Poz Chuchay Main protagonist
2019 "Past, Present, Perfect?" Bembem Main role
2017 Wansapanataym: Amazing Ving Ving Cristobal Season 7, Episodes 364–373, Main protagonist
2016 Maalaala Mo Kaya: Fifty Pesos Herself Biographical film, Season 24: Episode 47 [10]
2016–2019 Ang Probinsyano Macario "Mak Mak" Samonte, Jr. Supporting, recurring role / Protagonist [27][10]

TV shows

Year Title Notes Ref.
2023 Emojination Herself/Host
2022 All-Out Sundays Guest Performer
2020 Yes Yes Yow! Host/Performer
2017 Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids (season 1) Contestant, Grand Winner [27][10][29]
2016 ASAP 2016–present, recurring guest and performer
2016–2020 Gandang Gabi, Vice! Recurring Guest
2016 It's Showtime 2016–present, recurring guest and performer

Online shows

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2021 Your Face Sounds Familiar: KaFamiliar Online Live Herself Substitute host

Accolades

Year Award-giving Body Category Work Result Ref.
2016 30th PMPC Star Awards for Television Best Child Performer FPJ's Ang Probinsyano Won [10]
2017 3rd Aral Parangal Awards Best Child Performer Won [10][29]
3rd Platinum Stallion Media Awards Best Film Child Actor The Super Parental Guardians Won
33rd PMPC Star Awards for Movies New Movie Actor of the Year The Super Parental Guardians Nominated [30]
Child Performer of the Year Nominated [30]
2018 3rd Illumine Innovation Awards for Television Most Innovative TV Child Star — Won

References

  1. ^ "Awra Briguela turns 18 with photo shoot, celebration". Push. ABS-CBN. March 29, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  2. ^ Paglaki ng ulo ni Awra, pinalagan ng mga managers Archived August 6, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (in Tagalog). News Ko. Published on April 16, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "'Awra' knew he was gay at age 3". Philippine Daily Inquirer. December 10, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  4. ^ Llanes, Jonathan; Catajan, Maria Elena; Alimondo, Lauren (July 15, 2016). "Basil: Ang success sa Ang Probinsyano". SunStar. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  5. ^ "Sweet victory! Awra Briguela recounts struggles, congratulates self in graduation message". ABS-CBN. July 5, 2020. Archived from the original on June 29, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  6. ^ Santiago, Ervin (July 6, 2020). "Awra: Sobrang dami kong hirap na pinagdaanan…pero kinaya ko!". Inquirer Bandera. Archived from the original on June 29, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  7. ^ Bravo, Frances Karmel S. (October 21, 2024). "Awra Briguela embraces her senior-high schoolgirl era". PEP. Archived from the original on June 29, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  8. ^ Kang, Kristine (July 15, 2025). "Awra Briguela completes senior high school: Pinili kong lumaban". GMA Network. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  9. ^ Mallorca, Hannah (July 15, 2025). "Awra Briguela graduates from UE senior high school". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g The Amazing Showbiz Journey of Breakout Child Star Awra Briguela Archived August 6, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. ABS-CBN Entertainment. Published on July 21, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  11. ^ Buan-Deveza, Reyma (May 18, 2015). "Coco to star in TV remake of FPJ's 'Ang Probinsiyano'". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on May 22, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  12. ^ "'Ang Probinsyano' ni Coco tatagal pa hanggang 2017 – Bandera" (in Filipino). Bandera. August 22, 2016. Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  13. ^ "Coco Martin, ginawaran ng special citation sa 63rd CIDG Founding Anniversary" [Coco Martin, conferred with a special citation at the 63rd CIDG Founding Anniversary] (in Filipino). ABS-CBN. January 20, 2016. Archived from the original on January 25, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  14. ^ "Record-breaking rating of 'FPJ's Ang Probinsyano'". The Standard Showbitz. February 13, 2016. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  15. ^ Escuadro, Kiko (November 7, 2016). "Vice Ganda shares more about his new movie "Super Parental Guidance"". Push (in Filipino). Archived from the original on November 11, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  16. ^ "Coco Martin, Vice Ganda team up in 'The Super Parental Guardians'". Rappler. November 20, 2016. Archived from the original on November 23, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  17. ^ "Coco, Vice sport new looks for upcoming movie". ABS-CBN News. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  18. ^ "Gender group slams Makati police chief". Philippine Daily Inquirer. July 2, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  19. ^ Purnell, Kristofer (March 14, 2024). "Awra Briguela celebrates father finishing MBA, 5 years after graduating college". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  20. ^ Ramos, Kayla (March 14, 2024). "Awra Briguela's Father Oneal Brian Earns Master's Degree". When In Manila. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  21. ^ Serato, Arniel (February 28, 2025). "Awra Briguela calls out netizen for "Bronny James" comments". PEP.ph. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  22. ^ Serato, Arniel (July 15, 2025). "Awra Briguela calls out netizen for "Bronny James" comments". PEP.ph. Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  23. ^ Batallones, Jeck (June 29, 2023). "Awra Briguela arestado matapos masangkot sa kaguluhan sa Makati". ABS-CBN (in Filipino). Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  24. ^ "Awra Briguela: The events leading to her arrest and legal woes". Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  25. ^ Cerezo, Anna (July 1, 2023). "Awra Briguela nakalabas na ng kulungan". ABS-CBN (in Filipino). Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  26. ^ Awra Briguela - Clap Clap Clap Awra (Official Lyric Video) Archived May 2, 2021, at the Wayback Machine. Star Music on YouTube.
  27. ^ a b c "Get to know Awra Briguela, the 'breakout child star' of his generation". CNN Philippines. May 5, 2017. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  28. ^ "WATCH: Full trailer of 'Lyric and Beat' launched; trends on Twitter". ABS-CBN News. July 13, 2022. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  29. ^ a b Awra wins big on ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar – Kids’ Archived October 12, 2018, at the Wayback Machine. Manila Bulletin. Published on April 10, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  30. ^ a b PMPC names nominees for 33rd Star Awards for movies Archived May 28, 2023, at the Wayback Machine. inquirer.net. Published on July 18, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
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