PNT Singing Idol

"The Filipino Canadian community’s biggest talent contest in B.C. is the PNT Singing Idol." It is a Filipino-Canadian Metro Vancouver-area singing competition which grants prizes to the most successful amateur singers in three age categories. The top annual prize is a round trip air fare from Metro Vancouver to the Philippines and a $1000 cash prize. and some later monthly contests were at similar venues in New Westminster and elsewhere. A three-hour-long grand finals session, punctuated by guest performances, was held later that year at a church auditorium in Vancouver with a reported attendance of 1500.
Structure
Monthly contests are held at local restaurants, shopping malls, or an outdoor market. Amateur contestants, after paying an entry fee, are invited to a microphone where each sings a song of their choice, accompanied by recorded music which the contestant brings. Music is recorded less the primary vocal track. A panel of three judges chooses a "monthly" winner and two runners-up for each of three age categories. The three age categories are children, teens, and adults.
The monthly winners become finalists in a grand finals which is held in early fall of the same year. Choreographed group dancing at the grand finals event is contributed by monthly singers. Other local Filipino groups also participate as guest performers.
No radio exposure has occurred since the first year, when participants Jessica Zraly, Vanessa Hillman, and Vanessa Harrison were interviewed and sang on a multicultural radio program. Contestants have featured in commercials for the grand finals and within Philippine Asian News today.
Staffing
Winnie "Jo Jo" Alpuerto, has coordinated the annual grand finals the first three seasons and the fifth season.
On stage co hosts have included Jerry "Papa Bear" Legaspi, and teenage co hosts or emcees Jessica Zraly, Vanessa Hillman, Anjela Gerardo, and Charisse Curata. Zraly, Hillman, and Curata are former PNT Idol contestants and Gerardo was formerly in other contests.
After Season 4 Alpuerto departed from the show. Hillman was then given the title of "Senior Host," taking on the role of directing new "Junior Hosts" and their musical numbers.
Monthly contest judges include participants in the second year's adult category, Emee Escaro, Wel Medina, and Membo Siago. Judges at the annual "grand finals" have included Robert Hektoen, a principal of Vancouver-based Rockstar MusiCORP, Joey Albert,
Guest singers have included winners of previous years' contests, and local Filipino Canadian singers JJ Cepeda, Angela Gerardo, Monthly contestants sell tickets and assist in seeking sponsors.
Winners
2008 (September 5):
* Children's: Manigeh Mirzaei
* Teens: Jessica Zraly,
* Teens: Simple May Natura
* Adults: Emee Escaro
2010:
* Teens: Eliross Sabas
* Adults: Eileen Lim
2011 (September 3):
* Children's: Chantel Cruz
* Teens: Hanna Balba
* Adults: Joseph Lesiste
2012 (November 3):
* Children's: MJ Ancheta
* Teens: Shannon Lei Bruno
* Adults: Eden Hooker
Contestant activity after PNT Idol
Vanessa Harrison left 2008 PNT Idol before the grand finals to sign a contract with a Philippines-based media group. Harrison toured Canada with German Moreno and GMA 7 and became Miss Teen Philippines 2008, Miss GMA Starstruck Canada, and Miss Philippines 2010, and then went to the Philippines with Starstruck. Alyssa Gutierrez was publicly offered a recording opportunity by Rockstar MusiCorp following her Grand Finals win in 2009. Guest singer JJ Cepeda and former contestants Jessica Zraly, Vanessa Hillman and others have advanced to the final thirty contestants of the Vancouver episode of The Next Star. Former PNT contestants Harrison, Ethel Rose Amistad is to release music through iTunes and at Best Buy and Future Shop retail locations and Zraly continued to participate in other contests, with Gutierrez continuing to win contests and Hillman, Curata, Crockett, Mirzaei, Amistad, Zaragoza, and PNT guest singers Gerardo, and Cepeda participated in a charity event "To Catch a Rising Star" in late 2010 A talent school includes PNT Idol experience in the description of one of its students.
The "famous PNT Idol family" of former and current contestants also participate in other Metro Vancouver Filipino Canadian events such as the Philippine Summer Festival (2010).
The "PNT Idol monthly winners" were a front act at the Vancouver filming of the Filipino TV show Eat Bulaga at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 23, 2011.

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