User:RWIR/sandbox/Vanessa Hillman

Vanessa Hillman (b. 1996) is a young Canadian performer, singing contest finalist, and emcee or co-host of English-Canadian and Filipino ethnicity.

Birth and early exposure
Born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, to a family with musical antecedents, Vanessa moved early to Maple Ridge and appeared in elementary school productions and was accepted into a regional choir at age ten.

Singing contests
She first entered singing contests at about age 11 and quickly found herself among the finalists at Royal City Idol, Port Moody Idol, Canada Place's Canada Day "Oh Canada" anthem singing contest, and PNT (Philippine Asian News Today) Idol 2008 and 2009.

She was interviewed and sang with two other PNT singers on a Filipino Canadian radio program at 96.1 FM CHKG radio in British Columbia 26 April 2008.

YTV's Next Star
She was among the top 30 children performers in the Vancouver edition of YTV's The Next Star in both 2009 and 2010 out of a field of 800 and 550 respectively. In 2010 Vanessa appeared in one of their on-line videos and in their Vancouver episode.

Co-Host, Guest singer, opening performance
She has continued as a co-host and guest singer at subsequent PNT Idol contests and joined the six member PNT "Wonderkids" or "PNT Singing Champions" which performed as an opening act at the June 13 2010 stop of Sarah Geronimo's international Record Breaker concert tour.

She was one of four members of Teenage Dream, a singing group whose first concert was held 4 December, 2010, in a Vancouver College theatre. She sang with the group and also performed two solos, including "Simply the Best".

Vanessa was invited to sing for a fundraiser organized by a classmate on about February 22, 2011. The "Dance for Kids Who Can't" was held at a Maple Ridge elementary school. The activity raised $417 to assist a Zambian infant receive corrective leg surgery.

Again as part of Teenage Dream, now reduced to three members, she performed as part of the PNT Idol front act at the Vancouver filming of the Filipino tv show Eat Bulaga at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 23, 2011.

"The Beat 94.5" Music Awards finalist
Vanessa advanced through two rounds of a Vancouver radio station CFBT-FM "The Beat Music Awards" singing contest on June 26, 2010, and joined a finalist round July 17 2010 at Playland at the Pacific National Exhibition grounds. She was one of ten finalists , and the youngest.

"FYE Live"
Vanessa was one of nineteen performers listed with a new cable tv multicultural show, FYE Live. This Reyfort Media Group entity was formed 27 November 2011 at a lower mainland studio created for the purpose.

Commercials
She appeared in commercials such as KOHL's (in the US) and, with her co hosts, for the PNT Idol Singing contest.

Extra and photo double
Like her brothers, Vanessa has been an extra in Vancouver-area movies such Fantastic Four (II). She was a body double to Jodelle Ferland in Case 39, an October 2010 release.

Links
Surrey Board of Trade - Philipino Independence Day: http://www.businessinsurrey.com/index.php/events-express-registration?task=view_detail&agid=716&year=2010&month=06&day=06 Grand Finale 2009 - winners: http://www.philippineasiannewstoday.com/people/music/1292-pnt-idol-grand-finals-winners-feted