Sarah Geronimo Wins Star For A Night

While she experienced her first taste of fame as a child actress, it would be her singing voice that would establish Sarah Geronimo as a major sensation. Her father enrolled her at the Center For Pop Music when she was 6, and her years of honing her vocal abilities finally paid off on March 1, 2003, when, at the age of 14, she beat out 10 other finalists in the Asia-wide singing competition Star For A Night. Her voice earned her the cash prize of a million Philippine pesos, as well as a 10-year recording deal with Viva Records.

Sarah Geronimo's debut release Popstar: A Dream Come True was released in September of that year. The track "To Love You More" topped the singles charts for almost four months, which helped propel the album to sextuple platinum status in the Philippines. Her acting career also kept her in the spotlight, with supporting roles in movies such as Captain Barbell, Filipinas and Annie B., as well as parts on a number of TV shows.

In 2004, the teenaged sensation landed a starring role in the drama series Sarah: The Teen Princess and also became a regular on the weekly variety show ASAP. She landed her first lead film role in Lastikman opposite singer Mark Bautista as well. Her sophomore album Sweet Sixteen was issued that November, and went on to achieve double-platinum sales status in the Philippines. That collection included long-running No. 1 hits such as "Forever's Not Enough" and "How Could You Say You Love Me." She also appeared in concert in the U.S. that year as part of the Night of the Champions tour.

In 2005, Sarah Geronimo recorded the theme song for the film Can This Be Love, which quickly became a gold record. She also joined the cast of the teen series SCQ Reload: OK Ako as Hero Angeles' love interest, and returned to the U.S. that year as part of the Pinoy Idols: Return Of The Champions tour. Viva Records issued Sarah Geronimo's first live concert disc The Other Side: Live Album in 2005, while her third studio album Becoming (2006) produced the mega-hits "I Still Believe In Loving You" and "Carry My Love."