Nora Aunor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nora Aunor ONA
Aunor in 2011
Born	Nora Cabaltera Villamayor (1953-05-21)May 21, 1953 Iriga, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Died	April 16, 2025(2025-04-16) (aged 71) Pasig City, Philippines
Other names	Ate Guy
Occupation	Actress recording artist film producer
Years active	1967–2025
Political party	Bicol Saro (2021–2025)
Spouse(s)	Christopher de Leon ​ ​ (m. 1975; annulled 1996)​
Children	5 (including Lotlot, Ian and Matet)
Relatives	Janine Gutierrez (adoptive granddaughter) Diego Gutierrez (adoptive grandson) Jaden Kristoff de Leon (biological grandson) Jordan de Leon (biological grandson)
Awards	Order of National Artists of the Philippines

Nora Cabaltera Villamayor (May 21, 1953 – April 16, 2025), known as Nora Aunor, was a famous Filipino actress, singer, and film producer. People called her the "Superstar" of Philippine cinema. In 2022, she was named a National Artist of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts. The Hollywood Reporter also called her "The Grand Dame of Philippine Cinema."

Nora Aunor started her career as a singer after winning a local talent contest. She quickly became famous as both a singer and an actress. She starred in many acclaimed films like Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (1976), Minsa'y Isang Gamu-gamo (1976), Himala (1982), and Bona (1980). Her later films, such as The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995) and Thy Womb (2012), brought her international awards.

She received many awards, including 17 FAMAS Award nominations and five Best Actress wins. She is also the most nominated actress at the Gawad Urian Awards, winning seven times. She is the only Filipino to win the Asian Film Award for Best Actress.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Nora Aunor was born Nora Cabaltera Villamayor in Iriga, Camarines Sur, Philippines. She grew up in a simple family with nine siblings. Her grandmother taught her to sing, and her aunt gave her the stage name Nora Aunor.

Life was tough, and Nora helped her family by selling peanuts and cold water. She won several singing contests, including Darigold Jamboree and The Liberty Big Show. She also won the national singing contest, Tawag ng Tanghalan, in 1967.

After winning Tawag ng Tanghalan, Nora Aunor appeared as a guest in concerts and TV shows. In 1967, she signed a contract with Sampaguita Pictures. She starred in youth-oriented films like All Over The World.

Rise to Stardom in the 1960s

In 1969, Nora Aunor was paired with Tirso Cruz III in films like Young Girl. Their team, known as Guy and Pip, became very popular. Their film Guy and Pip (1971) was a huge success, staying in cinemas for six months.

Nora Aunor's musical variety show, Superstar, started in 1967. It became the longest-running musical variety show on Philippine prime-time TV.

Film Career Highlights

Nora Aunor moved from being a teen idol to a serious dramatic actress. She won her first Best Actress award in 1972 for And God Smiled at Me. She was nominated for the FAMAS Award for Best Actress for 15 years in a row, a record for any actor.

In 1973, she started her own film company, "NV Productions." She produced and starred in critically acclaimed films.

Acclaimed Films of the 1970s

In 1976, Nora Aunor starred in Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (Three Years Without God). She played a teacher during World War II. Her performance earned her the first Best Actress award from Gawad Urian Award and her first FAMAS Award for Best Actress. This was seen as a major achievement in Philippine cinema.

Later in 1976, she starred in Minsa'y Isang Gamu-gamo (Once There Was a Firefly). This film is now considered a classic for its powerful message. In 1977, she worked with action star Fernando Poe Jr. in Little Christmas Tree.

In 1978, her film Atsay (Maid) won the "Best Performer" award at the 1978 Metro Manila Film Festival. This was a special award given instead of separate Best Actor and Actress awards that year.

Before the 1970s ended, she made two more hit films: Kasal-Kasalan, Bahay-Bahayan and Ina ka ng Anak Mo. For Ina ka ng Anak Mo, she won her second FAMAS Award for Best Actress.

Success in the 1980s

Nora Aunor continued to make quality films in the 1980s. Her film Bona (1980), directed by Lino Brocka, won her a second Gawad Urian Best Actress award. Bona was shown at the Cannes International Film Festival and is one of the "Best 100 Films in the World" by the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.

In 1982, Nora Aunor starred in Himala (Miracle). She played a young woman who claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary. The film won Best Picture and Best Actress for Nora at the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival. Himala was the first Filipino film to be part of the Berlin International Film Festival. It is now considered one of the greatest Filipino films ever.

In 1984, she made three highly praised films. In 'Merika, she played a Filipino nurse working in America. Her performance earned her the first Best Actress trophy from the PMPC Star Awards for Movies. She also starred in Bulaklak sa City Jail (Flowers of the City Jail), playing a pregnant prisoner. For this role, she won Best Actress at the Metro Manila Film Festival and her third FAMAS Award for Best Actress.

In 1989, she starred in Bilangin ang mga Bituin sa Langit (Count the Stars in the Sky). This film was a hit and won her Best Actress awards from Gawad Urian, FAMAS, and FAP.

Critically Acclaimed Work in the 1990s

In the 1990s, Nora Aunor made fewer films, but many of them received critical acclaim and international awards. She also performed in stage plays.

In the 1990 film Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina? (Andrea, What is it Like to Be a Mother?), she played a rebel searching for her husband. She won all the Best Actress awards from the Philippines' five major award-giving bodies at that time.

In 1991, she held her first major concert at the Araneta Coliseum, filling the venue with about 30,000 fans. She also ventured into theater, starring in stage adaptations of her films like Minsa'y Isang Gamu-gamo (1991) and DH (1992).

Her film Ang Totoong Buhay ni Pacita M. (1991) also won her many awards, including the Metro Manila Film Festival Best Actress.

In 1995, Nora Aunor found great success with the biographical film The Flor Contemplacion Story. Her performance earned her her first international best actress award from the Cairo International Film Festival. She also swept all the local Best Actress awards for this role.

In 1997, she won her second international Best Actress award and her sixth Gawad Urian for Best Actress for her role in Bakit May Kahapon Pa?.

Later Career and National Artist Recognition

In 2002, Nora Aunor returned to television with the drama show Bituin. In 2004, she made Naglalayag, a film that earned her and her co-star international acting awards at the Brussels International Independent Film Festival.

In 2011, after an 8-year break, Nora Aunor returned to the Philippines. She signed a contract with TV5 and starred in the mini-series Sa Ngalan ng Ina. She also received several Lifetime Achievement Awards for her contributions to film and music.

In 2012, she worked with director Brillante Mendoza on the film Thy Womb. Nora Aunor played a Badjao midwife. For this role, she won the Best Actress Award at the 6th Asia Pacific Screen Awards and the 7th Asian Film Award for Best Actress. She also won her eighth Best Actress award at the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival.

In 2014, Nora Aunor was very busy. She filmed a TV movie called When I Fall in Love and starred in the musical-drama Trenderas. She also made four films, including Hustisya and the psychological horror drama Dementia. For Hustisya, she won her first Best Actress award from the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

In 2015, she won her eighth International Best Actress award for Dementia at the St. Tropez International Film Festival in France. She also received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards.

In 2020, she starred in Isa Pang Bahaghari (Another Rainbow). During the COVID-19 pandemic, she performed in an online monologue called Lola Doc, honoring medical frontliners.

In June 2022, Nora Aunor was officially named a National Artist of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts. This is the highest honor given to Filipino artists.

Legacy and Impact

Nora Aunor is recognized for her huge impact on Philippine arts. In 1983, she was named one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service (TOWNS). In 1999, she received the Centennial Honors for the Arts from the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

She was also named one of the "10 Asian Best Actresses of the Decade" by the Green Planet Movie Awards in 2010. She received the Ani ng Dangal Award multiple times from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (Philippines). In 2014, she received the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communications, Gawad Plaridel Award.

In 2023, a new species of Begonia flower, B.noraaunorae, was named after her to honor her achievements.

Multimedia Superstar

Nora Aunor was a true multimedia superstar, excelling in film, music, television, radio, and stage.

Cinema

She made over 180 films in many different styles, including musicals, comedies, dramas, and art films. Her films were very successful at the box office, earning her the Philippine Box Office Entertainment Award for Box Office Queen in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.

She won many national and international awards for her acting. She was the first Filipino actor to win an international acting award at a major film festival (Cairo 1995). She worked with four Philippine National Artist Awardees for film: Gerardo de Leon, Lamberto Avellana, Lino Brocka, and Ishmael Bernal.

Music

Nora Aunor released over 360 singles and more than 50 albums. She had over 30 gold singles. Her cover of "Pearly Shells" (1971) was one of the best-selling singles in the Philippines. Sadly, a surgery in 2010 damaged her vocal cords, and she could no longer sing.

Television

She started her TV career with her own musical show, Nora-Eddie Show, which later became The Nora Aunor Show and then Superstar.

Radio

Nora Aunor was also a popular voice on radio, appearing in shows like Fiesta Extravaganza and The Germiside Show.

Stage

She performed in three stage plays: Minsa'y Isang Gamu-Gamo (1991), DH (Domestic Helper) (1992), and The Trojan Women (1994). Her performances in these plays were highly praised.

Product Endorsement

Nora Aunor was a top choice for product endorsements. For example, sales of Dial bath soap went up significantly after she appeared in its television commercial. She endorsed many local and international brands.

Awards and Nominations

Some of Nora Aunor's Acting Trophies displayed at Mowelfund Museum

Aunor on a 2022 stamp of the Philippines

Nora Aunor received many awards and nominations from different groups for her work in film, television, music, and theater. She holds the record for the most Best Actress nominations at the FAMAS Awards, with 17 nominations.

In 1991, she was inducted into the FAMAS Hall of Fame for winning five Best Actress awards. She is also the only performer in FAMAS history to be nominated for 15 years in a row (1973 to 1987).

She has won more international Best Actress awards and nominations than any other Filipino actor. She is the only Filipino actress to win international awards from five different continents. She also received the most Lifetime Achievement Awards for her contributions to the arts.

Discography

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Nora Aunor para niños

• List of awards and nominations received by Nora Aunor