PNT Singing Idol
Encyclopedia
"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. The contest started in 2008.
locale, the Olympia Pizza restaurant, 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.
s, shopping mall
s, or an outdoor market. Amateur contestant
s, 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 judge
s chooses a "monthly" winner and two runners-up for each of three age categories. The three age categories are children, teens, and adult
s.
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.
Guests at the annual grand finals include federal MP
s, provincial MLA
s, and Vancouver-area Philippine consulate representatives.
at a later date. Since January 2011 each monthly contest has also been televised at 10pm on the last Sunday of each month on the Metro Vancouver cable channel 116.
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.
, presenter
, and principal master of ceremonies
at the contests, with off-stage assistance from fellow newspaper staffer Nhemy Cepeda. Robert J. Tongko, an experienced stage director, has coordinated the annual grand finals the first three seasons.
On stage co hosts have included Jerry "Papa Bear" Legaspi, Joisa Alpuerto, Miss Philippines BC (2010) Winnie Tan, and teenage co host
s 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.
Monthly contest judges include participants in the second year's adult category, Emee Escaro, Wei Medina, and Membo Siago. Judges at the annual "grand finals" have included Robert Hektoen, a principal of Vancouver-based Rockstar MusiCORP, Joey Albert
,, Wyngard Tracy
, and Iza Calzado
.
Guest singers have included winners of previous years' contests, and local Filipino Canadian singers JJ Cepeda, Angela Gerardo, and Sarah Cantuba.
2009:
2010:
2011 (September 3):
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, Hillman, and Camille Reyes were among the top ten finalists of The Beat 94.5 Music Awards
in 2010. Ethel Rose Amistad is to release music through I tunes and at Best Buy
and Future Shop
retail locations PNT Idol contestants Gutierrez 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.
Filipino Canadian
Filipino Canadians are Canadians of Filipino ancestry. Filipino-Canadians are the fourth-largest subgroup of the Overseas Filipinos.Canada only had a small population of Filipinos until the late 20th century. To date, there are currently around 400,000 Filipino Canadians in Canada, most of them...
community’s biggest talent contest in B.C.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
is the PNT Singing Idol." It is a Filipino-Canadian Metro Vancouver-area singing competition which grants prizes to the most successful amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
singers in three age categories. The top annual prize is a round trip air fare from Metro Vancouver to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and a $1000 cash prize. The contest started in 2008.
Beginnings
In January 2008 a Metro Vancouver Filipino newspaper, The Philippine Asian News Today, advertised a new singing contest, PNT Singing Idol. Early monthly contests were held at a Filipino-owned Surrey, British ColumbiaSurrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
locale, the Olympia Pizza restaurant, 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 restaurantRestaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s, or an outdoor market. Amateur contestant
Contestant
A contestant is someone who takes part in a competition, usually a professional competition or a game show on television. The participants competing against each other have to go through rounds...
s, after paying an entry fee, are invited to a microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
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 judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
s chooses a "monthly" winner and two runners-up for each of three age categories. The three age categories are children, teens, and adult
Adult
An adult is a human being or living organism that is of relatively mature age, typically associated with sexual maturity and the attainment of reproductive age....
s.
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.
Guests at the annual grand finals include federal MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
s, provincial MLA
MLA
- Organizations :* Modern Language Association, United States of America** The MLA Style Manual, its works cited page guidelines* Massachusetts Library Association* Medical Library Association, United States...
s, and Vancouver-area Philippine consulate representatives.
Media exposure
The grand finals of each year are televised on a multicultural channelTelevision channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
at a later date. Since January 2011 each monthly contest has also been televised at 10pm on the last Sunday of each month on the Metro Vancouver cable channel 116.
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, a contributor to the Philippine Asian News Today, and a singing contest promoter and former contestant, has been the most visible organizerOrganizer
Organizer could refer to:*Union organizer, a trade union official*Party organizer, a political party official*Community organizing, a way of building democratic power for the powerless*Personal organizer, a type of diary...
, presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, and principal master of ceremonies
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
at the contests, with off-stage assistance from fellow newspaper staffer Nhemy Cepeda. Robert J. Tongko, an experienced stage director, has coordinated the annual grand finals the first three seasons.
On stage co hosts have included Jerry "Papa Bear" Legaspi, Joisa Alpuerto, Miss Philippines BC (2010) Winnie Tan, and teenage co host
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
s 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.
Monthly contest judges include participants in the second year's adult category, Emee Escaro, Wei Medina, and Membo Siago. Judges at the annual "grand finals" have included Robert Hektoen, a principal of Vancouver-based Rockstar MusiCORP, Joey Albert
Joey Albert
Joey Albert is a Filipino pop and jazz singer, musician, lyricist and songwriter. An alumna of and , Albert began her professional singing career in 1982, right after winning the Dream Girl Filipina contest in The Party, a television program hosted by Ariel Ureta over Banahaw Broadcasting...
,, Wyngard Tracy
Wyngard Tracy
Wyngard Tracy was a Filipino talent manager who had represented various actors and music artists, like Side A, in the Philippines through his office Artiststation, Inc. As of June, 2008, he was one of three judges in Pinoy Idol on GMA Network...
, and Iza Calzado
Iza Calzado
Iza Calzado is a Filipina actress, TV host, performer and model, working as one of GMA-7's contract artists.- Biography :...
.
Guest singers have included winners of previous years' contests, and local Filipino Canadian singers JJ Cepeda, Angela Gerardo, and Sarah Cantuba.
Sponsorship
Filipino, Filipino-Canadian and other businesses or professionals, including GMA Pinoy TV and Tom Lee Music provide financial support or prizes in exchange for the placement of their promotional material on stage, in the program, or in advertising for the event. Monthly contestants sell tickets and assist in seeking sponsors.Winners
2008 (September 5):- Children's: Manigeh Mirzaei
- Teens: Jessica Zraly,
- Adults: Alan Tanciangco,
2009:
- Children's: Alyssa Gutierrez
- Teens: Simple May Natura
- Adults: Emee Escaro
2010:
- Children's: Ethel Rose Amistad
- Teens: Eliross Sabas
- Adults: Eileen Lim
2011 (September 3):
- Children's: Chantel Cruz
- Teens: Hanna Balba
- Adults: Joseph Lesiste
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 MorenoGerman Moreno
German Moreno, also known as Kuya Germs or the Master Showman , is a Filipino television host, actor, comedian and Talent Manager popular during the 1980s...
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
The Next Star
The Next Star is a Canadian reality television show on YTV hosted by Adamo Ruggiero. The show is a competition to find the most talented singer in Canada who is under 15 years of age. The next star inspires many to come and audition for their chance to win the next star. Winning contestants are...
. Former PNT contestants Harrison, Hillman, and Camille Reyes were among the top ten finalists of The Beat 94.5 Music Awards
CFBT-FM
CFBT-FM is a Canadian contemporary hit radio radio station in the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia...
in 2010. Ethel Rose Amistad is to release music through I tunes and at Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
and Future Shop
Future Shop
Future Shop is Canada's largest consumer electronics retailer. Future Shop currently operates a total of 146 stores across all of Canada's provinces as of December 2008....
retail locations PNT Idol contestants Gutierrez 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
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a performing arts venue in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Along with the Orpheum and the Vancouver Playhouse, it is one of three facilities operated by the Vancouver Civic Theatres Department .Formerly the home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, which...
on April 23, 2011.