Protégé: The Battle for the Big Artista Break


Protégé: The Battle for the Big Artista Break is a 2012 reality TV series created by GMA Network. This show is the second season of Protégé where Krizza Neri won in 2011. Unlike the previous season, the age limit was set from 13 to 21 years old to find new acting talent. The show premiered on July 23, 2012 and hosted by Jennylyn Mercado and under the direction of Albert Langitan, while the Protégé Gala Night premiered on August 5, 2012, and presented by Dingdong Dantes, together with Carla Abellana and Maxene Magalona. The gala nights were directed by Rommel Gacho.
WWW gmanetwork.com/protege

Overview

According to the show's fan page, there will be a "new kind of battle". Rumor has it that the incoming season will feature the other talent like acting or dancing and eventually will be an artista search like StarStruck did and it turned out to be true.
The show followed the same format as the previous season, except that it was no longer a singing competition but a talent artista search. Aspirants from ages 13 to 21 were filtered until two winners emerge - one male and one female protégé. In this battle, they were looking for a total package - an artist who can sing, dance, act and possess that charismatic appeal over TV. Like the first Protégé competition, this season had judges/mentors who were responsible for training and mentoring the chosen candidates.
Twenty contestants were then selected from thousands of hopefuls. These 20 potential artists lived in the Protégé house complete with amenities including bedrooms for each contestant, a living room, dining area with a 20 seating capacity, a rehearsal area where they could practice dancing, singing and acting, and a confession room where they were asked to explain themselves in case of issues within the house or if a task was to be assigned privately. They also battled it out head to head for audience votes. The Protégé house was blessed and featured over the news of GMA Network long before the contestants resided there.
The winner received a 5-year contract with GMA Network.

Judges, mentors and coaches

Judges

Mentors

There were five confirmed mentors for this season with their assigned location.

Coaches

Aside from their respective mentors who served as their guardian all the way through their journey, the protégés had coaches who also helped them improve their chosen craft.

Auditions

Auditions took place in the following cities:
Casting DatesVenuesCity
May 19, 2012SM City RosalesRosales
May 19, 2012SM City MarikinaMarikina
May 26, 2012SM City NagaNaga
May 26, 2012SM City BaguioBaguio
May 26, 2012SM City San PabloSan Pablo
June 1, 2012SM City BacolodBacolod
June 1, 2012SM City Cagayan de OroCagayan de Oro
June 2, 2012SM City IloiloIloilo
June 2, 2012SM City DavaoDavao
June 7, 2012SM City CebuCebu
June 9, 2012Capitol GroundsLaoag
June 10, 2012SM City SucatParañaque
June 14, 2012SM City BatangasBatangas
June 16, 2012SM City PampangaSan Fernando
June 18–20, 2012SM Mall of AsiaPasay

  • The original schedule of auditions in SM Sucat is May 20, 2012
  • The original schedule of auditions in SM Mall of Asia is June 20–21, 2012
After the city auditions, Protégé also gave the hopefuls an alternative way to audition via online.

Semifinalists

After a series of auditions, a mentor chose eight hopefuls from the shortlist and those who passed from the online auditions. These eight aspiring protégés, which were composed of four boys and four girls, were called to come back for the final deliberation to determine the official four protégés. The other four protégés who were not chosen were eliminated.
The twenty semifinalists who failed to advance in the finals are as follows:
MentorLocationMale protégésHometownFemale protégésHometown
Gina AlajarSouthern LuzonAllan Arnold PalmaIvana Jane Villanueva
Gina AlajarSouthern LuzonEvan James EviaShara Jane Chavez
Jolina MagdangalVisayasJhaymes Clark CaracuelCebuCris An ChavezBacolod City
Jolina MagdangalVisayasKier Stephen DuranoDanaoKerchedel Allyssa ConcepcionBacolod City
Phillip SalvadorMindanaoArchimedes UdaundoDavao CityPauline Go
Phillip SalvadorMindanaoTomas MonteverdeTrixia Pearl Ebita
Ricky DavaoNorthern & Central LuzonIsaac Jacob De LeonDale David
Ricky DavaoNorthern & Central LuzonJohn Cristopher DananKathryn David
Roderick PaulateMega ManilaJason SalvadorNicole Kim Donesa
Roderick PaulateMega ManilaJimmy NocconXzania Ketz

Finalists

Originally, there were four protégés per mentor for this season, totaling twenty protéges. However, during the first week of Top 10, each mentor chose one of his or her remaining protegés to stay under his or her guidance. The protégés who were not chosen were later picked by other mentors, making a new protégé-mentor tandem.
The twenty finalists were confirmed as follows:
Key:
MentorProtégéAgeHometownNote
Gina AlajarMykel Ong20Batangas
Gina AlajarThea Tolentino15Calamba
Gina AlajarZandra Summer18CebuOriginally Jolina Magdangal's protégé
Jolina Magdangal----
Jolina MagdangalJeric Gonzales19CalambaOriginally Gina Alajar's protégé
Jolina MagdangalMikoy Morales18Roxas City
Jolina MagdangalMitch Capili15Bohol
Phillip SalvadorApple Vega20Dipolog
Phillip SalvadorArny Ross21DasmariñasOriginally Gina Alajar's protégé
Phillip SalvadorDavid John Llanas19Cagayan de Oro
Phillip SalvadorRuru Madrid14Zamboanga
Phillip SalvadorSteffi Pacheco16Davao
Ricky DavaoBryan Benedict21CebuOriginally Jolina Magdangal's protégé
Ricky DavaoGlenn Roy18Tarlac
Ricky DavaoReese Tayag16Tarlac
Ricky DavaoShelly Hipolito16Nueva Ecija
Roderick PaulateAndres Vasquez21Taguig
Roderick PaulateJaps De Luna20Nueva EcijaOriginally Ricky Davao's protégé
Roderick PaulateElle Ramirez18Rizal
Roderick PaulateKelly D.15Pasig
Roderick PaulateVien Alen King19Quezon Province

Elimination chart

Color key:
Mentor Key:
There was no elimination held but the Bottom 2 from each region were chosen.

The bottom two protégés competed between each other to defend their slot.

The challenge winners were the protégés who received special awards and were granted an immunity from elimination for that week.

As part of the shock, the mentors had to choose a new protege from the other "mentor less proteges" who performed that night. The gala night was a non-elimination night.

That gala night was already the first part of The Final Battle.

Awards and nominations