Award-winning Filipino songwriter and technology executive Elzar “Dodjie” Simon is bringing his music to the 2027 GRAMMY consideration process with Best of All (The Music of Dodjie Simon), a seven-track collection of Original Pilipino Music featuring four-part vocal arrangements.
Released on August 11, the album brings together Simon’s songwriting, the work of choral conductor Joel Navarro, and a lineup of Philippine vocalists and musicians. The album and two featured tracks have been submitted across four categories for the 69th Annual GRAMMY® Awards.
Best of All has been submitted for Best Global Music Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. “Ikaw Lamang” has been entered for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals, while “Kulang Ang Paleta” has been submitted for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella.
A collaboration of Philippine music talents
Produced by Simon alongside Navarro, Best of All features Moy Ortiz, artistic director of The CompanY, together with Nica Tupas, Bianca Lopez-Aguila, and Joshua Cadeliña.
A highlight of the collection is “Kulang Ang Paleta,” bringing together a melody by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, Tagalog lyrics by Simon, and a four-part a cappella arrangement by Navarro.
The album also revisits “Ikaw Lamang,” one of Simon’s classic OPM compositions. Its updated rendition features accompaniment by cellist Francisco Llorin and oboist Japs Bautista.
Recording engineer Martin Andrew Guevara and GRAMMY-winning mastering engineer Jett Galindo, whose credits include Gaby Moreno’s X Mí [Vol. 1], led the technical production. Marvin Querido contributed keyboards.
“Participating in the GRAMMY® consideration process is a privilege that allows us to demonstrate how Philippine songwriting, choral arranging, and vocal performance hold a rightful place on the global recording stage,” said Simon.
The songwriter behind enduring OPM favorites
Best of All adds to a songwriting career marked by major festival wins and recordings by some of the Philippines’ most celebrated performers.
Simon won the 1988 KBP MusicFest Grand Prize for “Isang Dugo, Isang Lahi, Isang Musika.” He went on to earn the 1997 Asia Song Festival Grand Prize in Hong Kong with Jaya and the 1999 Metropop Song Festival Grand Prize with Lani Misalucha.
His catalogue includes “Ikaw Lamang,” recorded by Zsa Zsa Padilla, Janno Gibbs, and Jaya; “Can Find No Reason,” recorded by Louie Heredia; and “Kung Alam Mo Lang,” recorded by Joanne Lorenzana and Jed Madela.
His compositions have also been recorded by Lea Salonga, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Sharon Cuneta, and Sarah Geronimo, among many others.
From OPM songwriting to global technology leadership
Alongside his musical achievements, Simon has built an extensive international career in information technology and executive leadership.
He holds an Industrial Engineering degree from the University of the Philippines College of Engineering, where he was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus.
His leadership experience includes serving as Chief Information Officer for P&O Ports, Asian Terminals, Maher Terminals, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in the Philippines. He also served as Vice President for IT at AIG near Wall Street and currently holds a Senior IT Director position at a multibillion-dollar research university in New York.
Simon is also the author of AI Hacked and AI Hacked 2 and has lectured at institutions including Harvard University, as well as leading financial and corporate forums. A member of The Authors Guild, he has completed executive training at MIT, Oxford, Cornell, and Boston University.
Key dates for the 2027 GRAMMY Awards
With Best of All and its two featured recordings submitted for consideration, the next dates on the GRAMMY calendar are first-round voting from October 12 to 22, 2026, followed by the announcement of nominees on November 16, 2026.
The 69th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place on February 7, 2027, in Los Angeles, California.
