Early Life:

Nora Aunor was born in Baryo San Francisco, Iriga, Camarines Sur to Antonia Cabaltera and Eustacio
Villamayor. She has 9 siblings, inclusing Eddie Villamayor, a former actor.

Her Lola Theresa taught her to sing and her aunt taught her diction, interpretation, and expression.

She became champion at a Darigold Jamboree with “You and the Night and the Music” and then The
Liberty Big Show next. She also tried Tawag ng Tanghalan where she won with “Moonlight Becomes
You.”

1960s

After winning these, she made her appearances in concerts, tv shows, radio shows and evening
programs. It was until Dr. Jose Perez of Sampaguita Pictures asked German Moreno to invite her to do
movies. Then she signed the eight-picture non-exclusive contract with Sampaguita Pictures, with the
assurance that she would be given a singing part. Aunor made several youth-oriented films like All Over
World and Way Out of the Country.

After that, she starred in many supporting and minor roles, as well as recording singles. No Return, No
Exchange" and "You are My First Love" are examples. Tirso Cruz III was then introduced to her in the
movie “Young Girl.” They are known as Guy and Pip to their fans. Among all the movies that they starred
together, it was the movie, "Guy and Pip" that tops them all.

She also starred in her own TV musical variety show that ran for over two decades. Superstar holds the
record as the longest-running musical variety show that had aired on Philippine prime-time TV. BY this
time, she was finally awarded achievements such as best actress award for “and god smiled at me” and
nominated as best actress in FAMAS (Filipino Academy of Movies, Arts, and Sciences.)

In the 1970s, Aunor signed an exclusive contract with Tower Records and was sued by Sampaguita
Pictures for Breach of Contract, she was only seventeen then. So, she made NV Productions, and
produced her first movie called “Carmela.”

Most of Nora’s films were critically acclaimed. For example: a young novice who was seduced by the
devil himself, tribe of Ifugao and their struggles to achieve the promised land, a woman activist who
went to the mountains to search for her husband who has been killed by the military. or an OFW who
works as a nurse in America and her struggles to fight loneliness and homesickness in "'Merika".

During this time, "Atsay" was the only film to have won the Best Performer in the Metro Manila Film
Festival history and it was for Nora Aunor.

1980s

By this time, she made mostly romantic comedy movies such as Annie Sabungera, at Palengke Queen.
Aunor in Himala played the role of a young woman, who claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary. The film
became the first Filipino film to be included in the "Competition Section" of the prestigious Berlin
International Film Festival and received many international awards like Bronze Hugo Awards, 19th
Chicago Film Festival (1983) (winner), Asia-Pacific Film Festival Special Achievement for Best Depiction of
Socially Involved Religion (1983), and Best Asian-Pacific Movie of All Time, CNN APSA Viewers Choice
Award (2008)

1990s

Aunor’s films were slowing down, and people were thinking her popularity’s going downhill.
Nonetheless, she still made films and stage plays. She also did her first major concert at Araneta
Coliseum and proven again that she is the concert queen.

In 1994, Aunor received the Lifetime Achievement Award froms the Film Academy of the Philippines. In
the 1995, Her performance in The Flor Contemplacion Story got rave reviews earning her first
international best actress awards from Cairo International Film Festival, she swept all the best actress
awards given by the different award giving bodies in the Philippines including the Best Performance by
Male or Female, Adult or Child, Individual or Ensemble in Leading or Supporting Role given by the Young
Critics Circle.

2000s

On May 13, 2003, Aunor once again proved that she is still a force to be reckoned with when she had
her 50th birthday concert at the Araneta Coliseum.

In 2004, Aunor made her last film shot entirely in the Philippines before she went on hiatus for almost 8
years. Naglalayag tells the story of a May–December affair between a middle-aged judge and a young
taxi driver.

In 2005, she received her own star on the Philippines Walk of Fame. She was also doing independent
films as well as concerts in the USA and in Canada. Despite being on hiatus, she still garnered awards like
10 Best Asian Actresses.

In her preparation to return to showbiz, she underwent plastic surgery and she announced on 2010 that
it would be her last concert as her voice was hoarse and raspy.

But in the following years, she still did movies, mini-series, and shows. In was at this time where she
received a lot of awards.

Contributions:

200+ awards and citations—5 International Film Festival Best Actress, 11 Famas, 8 Urian, 16 Star, 5 Film
Academy of the Philippines, 3 Catholic Mass Media Awards, 10 MMFF, 4 Young Critics Circle, 1 Manila
Film Festival;

• the first Filipina to win an International Best Actress award, the Princess Pataten Statue at the Cairo
International Film Festival (“Flor Contemplacion Story,” 1995);
• one of Asia’s top 10 Best Actresses of the Decade, Green Planet Movie Awards, Hollywood (2010);

• 13 Lifetime Achievement awards from the movie, TV and music industry;

• a TOWNS (Ten Outstanding Women in Nations Service) awardee (1983);

• her movie “Himala,” won the CNN Best Asia Pacific Film of All Time (2008);

• self-produced the film “Bona,” one of the Best 100 Films in the World by the Museum of Tolerance in
Los Angeles (1997);

• the only Filipino to be featured by HBO in a documentary film about the lives and achievements of the
world’s greatest actresses (1997);

• “Superstar” was the longest running TV show with 22-uninterrupted-year broadcast;

• a filmography of 177 films and a discography of 53 albums and 238 singles;

• films with moral and social values that focus on characters who rise from adversity to the ultimate
victory of her class, upgrading the taste of moviegoers, particularly the masses;

• six classic films—“Bona,” “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos,” “Himala,” “Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo,”
“Mga Uod at Rosas and Bulaklak Sa City Jail”—chosen by the CCP National Film Archives for digitization
and restoration to “ensure the establishment of a film archive in order to conserve and protect film as
part the nation’s historical, cultural and artistic heritage”;

• mass-based appeal and charisma that has broken the traditional dominance of mestizos and mestizas
in the Philippine show business and ended the explicit bold films or Bomba era in the 1970s;

• charitable projects and performances for free in concerts and stage presentations for the benefit of
charitable organizations here and abroad

Field of art she is famous in:

Cinema

Since the late 1960s up to the present, Aunor has made more than 180 films in different genres, from
Musicals, Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Romance and Love story.

Music

Aunor has released more than 360 singles and recorded more than 200 songs and over 50 albums. She
has notched more than 30 gold singles and with an estimated gross sale of one million units.

Television, Radio, Stage

Aunor started her career in television when she was given her own musical show via Nora-Eddie Show
(Eddi Peregrina).
Aunor was heard and guested in Fiesta Extravaganza and in the long running afternoon radio program of
German Moreno.

Aunor has performed in three plays: Minsa'y Isang Gamu-Gamo (1991), DH (Domestic Helper) in 1992,
and The Trojan Women (1994).