Generation

Lea Salonga is first Filipina to get Hollywood Walk of Fame star

by Joanna Deala

PUBLISHED ON July 3, 2025

AWARD-WINNING Broadway star Lea Salonga’s list of accolades keeps getting longer, this time being the first Filipina to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

Salonga is one of the 2025-2026 honorees of the recognition, who made significant contributions to the fields of recordings, motion pictures, television, live theater/live performance, and sports entertainment, according to Billboard.

The Manila International Film Fest (MIFF) shared the good news on social media, congratulating the Tony Award-winning singer on her recent achievement.

“From Broadway to Disney to the global concert stage, Lea has been a trailblazer and a voice for generations. Her impact on the world of music, theater, and film is undeniable — and her legacy continues to open doors for countless Filipino and Asian artists worldwide,” it said.

“This recognition is not just for her extraordinary talent, but for everything she represents: excellence, integrity, and cultural pride,” it added.

Salonga also celebrated her success on Thursday, thanking the MIFF for nominating her to be part of the Class of 2025-2026 honorees.

“Just now woke up to this bit of amazing news!” she wrote, sharing a screenshot of Billboard’s article on her Instagram story.

Salonga now joins other artists with Filipino roots who received their Hollywood Walk of Fame star: musician Apl.de.ap, comedian Rob Schneider, and singer Bruno Mars.

Other recipients of the Hollywood Walk of Fame star in the Class of 2025-2026 are Air Supply, Miley Cyrus, Emily Blunt, Timothée Chalamet, Rachel McAdams, Demi Moore, Chef Gordon Ramsay, and Shaquille O’Neal, among others.

About the Filipina Broadway icon

Salonga remains popular among the young generation, having to establish a highly regarded and successful career as a singer, theater and film actress, and voice actor.

The 54-year-old artist was internationally recognized for her breakout performance in the West End and Broadway productions of “Miss Saigon,” where she played the lead role of Kim. Salonga’s role in the sung-through musical earned her multiple major theater awards, including the Tony Award and the Laurence Olivier Award.

She also had notable roles in other theatrical performances, including “Les Misérables,” where she became the first Asian to portray Eponine.

In 2011, Salonga was honored as a Disney Legend, providing the singing voices of two Disney princesses, Jasmine in “Aladdin” and Mulan in “Mulan.”

In the Philippines, Salonga was awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit and the Order of Lakandula.

The Filipina singer was recently credited as the singing voice of Celine, a former demon hunter in the viral animated musical fantasy film “KPop Demon Hunters.”