For audiences who grew up with channels like MTV, it can be nostalgic to remember when TV and music-focused programs were where people anticipated the week’s top songs countdown and what was taking over the conversation. For KC Montero, he doesn’t have to imagine it, though, because he lived it, and lived it proudly.
While today’s generation may know him more as a host and actor, millennials and the oldest of Gen Z remember him as one of MTV Philippines’ faces. After becoming an MTV VJ in 1999 after winning the MTV VJ Hunt, Montero became synonymous with discovering what was next. He helped introduce OPM to a generation, particularly through that era’s music videos that shaped the culture.
From hosting programs to award shows like MTV Philippines’ version of the VMAs, Montero was immersed in it. He would go on to parlay his time on the platform to host other shows, such as the Sunday variety show SOP, as well as becoming a radio personality.
It’s this knowledge and understanding of how OPM has changed that he brings as a host of this year’s Filipino Music Awards. Montero may no longer be premiering music videos on TV, but he sure is ready to get back to celebrating the best of Filipino artistry.
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From MTV to the FMAs
These days, you can catch KC Montero on TV in his acting roles. But for those who grew up in the late ‘90s and 2000s, Montero was a familiar presence on TV and radio for an entirely different reason. For years, he served as a bridge between audiences and Filipino music and artists. Now, he steps back into that world as one of the three MCs of this year’s FMAs.
“I’m super happy. I missed it last year, so it feels really good to be back on stage talking about music, giving awards for music,” he tells MEGA. While no stranger to hosting events and award shows, the FMAs are on a different level for Montero as it’s his return to doing what gave him so many opportunities two decades ago, and a life he still holds close to his heart.
“It was a dream come true,” he fondly recalls. “Imagine, back in the day, when music was only discoverable on TV and radio. You’re glued to your TVs; you’re waiting for certain shows to come up so that you could see the video of a new Britney Spears song, or that’s where you also discovered fashion a lot of times, for the younger generation.”
It’s an era that remains nostalgic for many. But being at the center of it all for Montero was an experience he’ll never forget. “My job was literally to travel and interview singers, songwriters, and bands, listen to music, and party with them. It’s the best job of my life, and to this day, I wish I could still do it.”
As he returns to the music awards show stage, that celebratory spirit is still there, but at a time when music, in how it’s received and discovered, has undeniably changed. It can be argued that Montero was one of the original influencers who helped shape music culture. But now, music can be found all over, and for him, that’s a good thing. “I think nowadays, people are more open to listening to lots of different kinds of music because it’s so easily found. It’s definitely become easier for people to discover and find music that they maybe would not have discovered before.”
If before, listeners had to go to a record store to buy a CD or vinyl, the latter of which has seen a resurgence in popularity over the last decade, or watch programs like MTV to know what’s popular, now, a simple search on social media will do the trick. But this accessibility doesn’t always translate to success. Having spent years introducing Filipinos to the new, now, and next of OPM, Montero sees it as artists who can break through the noise and stand the test of time.
“You have to be able to connect. That’s the biggest thing.” This goes beyond the viral hits on social media or the smash singles that top the charts. If the B-sides and deep cuts can hit just as hard as the No.1 tracks, then Montero sees it as a recipe for success. “Of course, I love the popular songs that they have, but it’s the obscure, the songs that will never play on the radio, the songs that will never be a trending TikTok song. Those are the songs that, if you can fall in love with those songs, you can be a great artist.”
From waiting for a favorite music video to premiere on television to discovering artists instantly through streaming and the internet, he has seen how audiences consume music transform completely. But even with all that, one thing remains the same: a great song still finds its way to people.
KC Montero Is Ready to Champion OPM for the Next Generation
KC Montero spent the early to mid 2000s not just introducing musicians, but also pushing them into the wider conversation and helping shape the pop culture zeitgeist. Connection has always been a constant in Montero’s life, and it’s in connection that he thinks OPM shines. The genre has never been as big as it is today, with Filipino songs taking over not just the charts, but also making waves internationally. And even if the language is different, the songs are rooted in stories that people can connect with regardless of where they are from.
“We’ve been through a lot as a country. It comes out in our music,” says Montero. “Maybe if they don’t understand the language, it’s fine. We all have the same messages sometimes.” Music, after all, is universal, and as he sees it, OPM has so much more room to grow as a genre of stories, feelings, and emotions. “I’m just hoping that we can be seen on that platform. More artists can be seen on that platform. Music is so much more discoverable and so easy to find. I’m hoping that they can discover more of our great OPM talents now.”
Speaking of OPM talents, Montero says Zack Tabudlo and Arthur Nery are some of his favorite artists of today’s roster. “I’m really excited for this new generation of OPM. I like that type of music. I love the way that they also embrace the language and play with some of the words that people don’t use anymore. It’s really romantic, the way that they write music. It’s really cool.” While hip-hop will always be one of his first loves, Montero has been appreciating the talent and creativity to be found in modern OPM.
He began his career at a time when social media and streaming were just an idea rather than a way of life. But with all these changes comes the belief that Filipino music, talent, and artistry know no bounds. Filipino music no longer needs permission to take up space and can only go up from here. “To be loved worldwide,” says Montero on the kind of admiration he hopes Filipino artists experience.
Just as people watching music videos on TV were what introduced and fostered connections between fans and artists, Montero sees how today’s OPM can resonate and travel beyond borders with themes not limited to the country’s islands. “A 17-year-old in Tacloban can be going through the same thing that a 17-year-old in Chicago can be going through. I’m hoping that, regardless of language, they can listen to the message and feel something and connect to that song and that person, that artist, and essentially connect to the Filipinos, connect to us, and be more drawn to the Philippines.”
Now gearing up to take the stage on October 6 for the FMAs, KC Montero has his sights set on doing what he does best.
The 2nd Filipino Music Awards will be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on October 6.
Photographed by DOC MARLON. Creative Direction by PATRICK TY. Art Direction by BRIE VENTURA. Produced by THESSMAR LECTURA. Multimedia Artist RAKI LUCAS. Grooming by JESSIE JUNTEREAL of NIX INSTITUTE OF BEAUTY. Styled by JONES PALTENG. Assisted by JOMA BERNARDO.
Frequently Asked Questions
KC Montero became an MTV Philippines VJ in 1999 after winning the MTV VJ Hunt, going on to host programs and award shows, including MTV Philippines’ version of the VMAs.
No. Montero previously missed hosting the FMAs last year and is returning this year as one of the three MCs for the 2nd Filipino Music Awards on October 6.
KC Montero named Zack Tabudlo and Arthur Nery as some of his favorite current OPM artists, praising how they embrace the Filipino language in romantic, creative ways.
Montero believes connection matters most, saying artists who create songs that resonate beyond viral hits or chart-toppers, including obscure deep cuts, are the ones who can stand the test of time.
Beyond MTV, KC Montero hosted the Sunday variety show SOP and worked as a radio personality before transitioning into acting and other hosting roles.
