The nine contenders who will battle against each other during the Pinoy Pop Superstar Year 3 Grand Showdown (from left) are: Jae Buensuceso, Marvin Gagarin, Maricris Garcia, Bryan Termulo, Jennie Escalada, Miguel Naranjilla, April Delos Santos, Louie Abaigar, and Joyce Tañaña.

(From left) PPS finalists Jae Buensuceso, Marvin Gagarin, Maricris Garcia, Bryan Termulo, and Jennie Escalada are all grateful for the chance to compete in this singing competition.

Pinoy Pop Superstar finalists (from left) Jennie Escalada, Miguel Naranjilla, April Delos Santos, Louie Abaigar, and Joyce Tañaña wow the media with their powerful vocals.

Regine Velasquez, Asia's Songbird, is the host of Pinoy Pop Superstar Year 3. The GMA-7 show airs every Saturday after Fantastic Man.

19-year-old Joyce Tañaña of Angeles City, Pampanga, is the first grand qualifier in this year's quest for the newest singing superstar. Joyce, who is taking up Mass Communications at Angeles University Foundation, is the only musically inclined member of the family. A choir member since grade school, Joyce won in the program's Callback Special. Unknown to many, today's sexy Joyce used to have a 34-inch waistline. She reveals her failure to make it to the finals several times since 2004, gave her the drive, discipline and determination to slim down and attain that superstar quality that the program requires for any aspirant.

A pretty amateur singing contest veteran is the best way to describe Jennie Escalada. She has joined a hundred singing contests reaching as far as Batangas and Bataan. Jennie reveals that joining Pinoy Pop Superstar has broadened her ability to perform songs from various genres. This pride of Navotas is a music student who aims to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. Jennie believes that her unique technique in singing is her edge among other grand finalists to win the grand title. Among her influences are Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Lani Misalucha, and Regine Velasquez.

Armed with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education major in Voice from Central Luzon State University, Marvin Gagarin hopes to make his dream come true of becoming a recording artist someday in this superstar search. Marvin, who hails from Nueva Ecija, used to teach voice lessons to younger children. He sings ballad, R&B, and classical songs. This year's 3rd grand finalist vocalizes every morning. He avoids cold drinks as his voice regimen. Gary Valenciano and Stevie Wonder are among his musical influences.

Caloocan City's bet in this year's Pinoy Pop Superstar is Maricris Garcia, 19. Despite unsuccessful attempts to make it as one of the Pinoy Pop Superstar Grand finalists in the previous years, Maricris' persistence and determination turns out to be fruitful for she is now this year's 4th grand finalist. She likes the songs "Araw Gabi" by Regine Velasquez and "Some Good Things Never Lasts" by Barbra Streisand. This BS Tourism student of La Consolacion College, who used to perform in hotel lounges, believes that her elegance and grace in singing and her being accustomed in front of a crowd gives her more chances to win the grand title.

This year's fifth grand finalist is Miguel Naranjilla of Malabon City. Miguel is an alumnus of De La Salle University in Manila who graduated with a degree in BS Applied Economics and is taking up some units of Master's degree in Industrial Relations Management. He worked as a software engineer and as human resource personnel in an IT company before becoming a Pinoy Pop Superstar finalist. Without any formal training, Miguel believes it is destiny that led him to Pinoy Pop Superstar. He has made a mark in the history of Pinoy Pop Superstar by becoming the first challenger to tie with the defending superstar.

The pride of Bulacan in Pinoy Pop Superstar Year 3 is Bryan Termulo, who is another product of Pinoy Pop Superstar Callback Special. Bryan prefers performing Tagalog songs, with Ariel Rivera being his favorite local artist. However, he proved that he could sing English songs as well when he wowed the public in his rendition of jazz song "The Way You Look Tonight." This Psychology student who also wants to be a news reporter someday shares that Pinoy Pop Superstar has changed his shy boy and homebody character to a friendly and more confident personality.

Glam rocker Louie Abaigar has joined his amateur singing competitions before trying his luck on Pinoy Pop Superstar. A Conservatory of Music student from Centro Escolar University, Louie reveals that he is a jack-of-all-trade guy who can sing, write and arrange songs, and play the guitar as well as the piano. He can dance and loves playing sports. Broadway artist Jose Llana, Martin Nievera, Michael Bolton, and Josh Groban are among his favorite artists. Aside from singing, Louie is passionate about his cause in helping the street children of Olongapo City.

Representing Mexico, Pampanga, is April Delos Santos, 18. April was enrolled at the Fatima University College of Nursing but had to put her studies on hold due to financial constraints. She even worked in a fast food chain for three months before she decided to try her luck in Pinoy Pop Superstar. Hoping to be the first Kapampangan Pinoy Pop Superstar, April avoids staying up late and takes a lot of rest as well as to prevent herself from eating sweet foods and cold beverages as part of her preparation for the forthcoming Grand Showdown.

The last grand finalist is World Challenger winner Jae Buensuceso, 28, who represents the Filipino community in San Francisco, California. Jae said her family suggested that she sing a Tagalog song in the World Challengers Showdown, which led her to give her own rendition of "Bukas na Lang Kita Mamahalin." Jae, who dreams of becoming a recording artist someday, is a Dental Hygiene student at the Diablo Valley College in California. Despite being raised abroad, this 9th grand finalist is fluent in conversing in Tagalog. She performed as front acts for Filipino artists like South Border, Freestyle, Dessa, Miguel Vera, and Side A.

Jae does not only have a heart for music for she often joins fundraising programs to help our less fortunate Filipinos. In fact, she is the incumbent president of a Filipino-American group that raised and donated some $3,000 to orphans in General Santos two years ago. Last year, she joined a benefit concert to help the victims of the Leyte landslide tragedy.