Kris, Mart, Aljur, Jewel top StarStruck

Four young showbiz newcomers got their biggest break on Sunday night by winning the top four prizes of StarStruck The Next Level, GMA's popular talent search show, which is on its fourth season. Mart Escudero and Kris Bernal were named the Ultimate Love Team, Aljur Abrenica the Ultimate Hunk, and Jewel Mische the Ultimate Sweetheart. StarStruck fans filled the Marikina Sports Complex to capacity to witness the show's Final Judgment, which was hosted by Dingdong Dantes, Jolina Magdangal, and Raymond Gutierrez. Each of the four winners gets P1 million in cash and an exclusive GMA Network contract worth P2 million, among other prizes. As the Ultimate Loveteam, Mart and Bernal will be introduced in a GMA Films movie with Marky Cielo, Rainier Castillo, Yasmien Kurdi, Glaiza de Castro, and Jasmine Trias. The Ultimate Hunk and Ultimate Sweetheart will get to play parts in a GMA teledrama and also ink an album deal with GMA Records. Prince Stefan and Rich Asuncion did not make it to the top four positions, but they also got talent contracts and cash prizes. Before the top winners were named, Regine Velasquez sang "This is the Moment" for the remaining six contenders, while pretaped played on a big screen of them thanking their supporters. It's the supporters, voting via text and Internet, that ultimately picked the winners in the competition which started auditions in September 2006. The months that followed proved grueling to the contestants, who had to go through talent tests that included dancing, singing, and acting — through it all under the scrutiny of a demanding StarStruck Council, as the judges are known collectively. The Final Judgment council was composed of movie and TV director Louie Ignacio, talent manager Douglas Quijano, actress, TV host Lorna Tolentino, GMA Entertainment senior vice president Wilma Galvante, and GMA Films president Annette Gozon-Abrogar. Season 4 of the popular talent search show has changed some of the rules: The age requirement was expanded to include those from 16 to 21 year olds. From the hopefuls who auditioned, 80 were retained. And for the first two weeks, their number was cut down to 40, then to the Final 20. The following awards were scrapped: Sole Survivor, Ultimate Male Survivor, and Ultimate Female Survivor. Following is the list of the show's past winners, who have since become showbiz fixtures: Season 1 (2003-2004) Mark Herras - Ultimate Male Survivor Jennylyn Mercado - Ultimate Female Survivor Rainier Castillo - First Prince Yasmien Kurdi - First Princess Season 2 (2004-2005) Mike Tan - Ultimate Male Survivor Ryza Cenon - Ultimate Female Survivor CJ Muere - First Prince LJ Reyes - First Princess Season 3 (2005-2006) Marky Cielo - Sole Survivor/Ultimate Male Survivor Jackie Rice - Ultimate Female Survivor Gian Carlos - First Prince Iwa Moto - First Princess For more articles on the StarStruck visit the GMA Network official website at www.igma.tv or the show's own site at starstruck.igma.tv. - GMANews.TV