'Pinoy Dream Academy' names 16 scholars

Sixteen of 38 pop star hopefuls have been selected to train with and compete against each other to become the grand star dreamer at the premiere of ABS-CBN’s newest reality-based show, "Pinoy Dream Academy," Saturday night in Cebu City.

Ryan Jay Jimenez from Pasig, Rizal's Josephine Constantino, Gemma Fitzgerald from Australia, Yvan Lambatan of Baguio, Kristoffer Abrenical from Canada and Ronnie Liang from Pampanga were named scholars.

California's Fatima Fullerton was also added to the list as well as Michelle Bond from the Netherlands, Gianna Marie Ginez from Pangasinan, Jun Hirano from Japan, Rosita Barreng from Dubai, Panky Trinidad of Cebu and Emmanuel Abatayo from Iloilo.

Rounding up the list were Charisse Mari Fornacier from Cagayan de Oro, Geoffrey Taylor of Cagayan Valley and Cebu's Eduardo Siaboc.
The show was launched live in a musical kick-off party at the Cebu Capitol Grounds where the 38 aspirants performed before a big crowd. The launch was hosted by Toni Gonzaga and Sam Milby.

Singer-composer Jim Paredes, the academy’s headmaster, will lead a team of instructors who will train the 16 aspirants inside the academy in Quezon City for over three months.

They will undergo rigid musical and artistic training including singing, songwriting and dance inside the academy. A weekly live performance will be held to showcase what each student has learned in the past week.

A panel of jurors will choose who among the contestants will be nominated for eviction and the viewers will vote who they want to remain inside the academy until the last contestant emerges as the winner.

The show is the brainchild of the Netherlands-based production company Endemol, the creator of "Big Brother" and the "Deal or No Deal" shows.