“Sparkle,” GMA Network’s talent management arm, a year into its rebirth, took 2022 by storm with a frenzy of events and a number of launches that saw fresh faces and re-energized artists who showed superb talent and left beautiful sparks all over this glam and glitzy industry.
And under the vibrant leadership of Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, GMA's Senior Vice President, Sparkle took center stage. The focus, she says, is now on the artists, "I hope that I can lead Sparkle well and that I can fulfill the demands of the position and I hope na tumuloy-tuloy and we can really be of service to our stars and to the network.”
Supporting her in overseeing the operations of the department is a team of seasoned personnel from the industry including AVP for Talent Management Joy Marcelo, Senior Managers Tracy Garcia, Vic del Rosario, Daryl Zamora, among others who oversee probably the largest support team of managers, handlers, producers, and specialists to more or less 300 artists. With the guidance of the iconic star builder Mr. Johnny Manahan, who has been hands-on since the rebranding of the group to Sparkle.
The most watched TV programs of 2022 were top-billed by no other than Sparkle’s Prime artists — Sanya Lopez for “First Lady,” Ruru Madrid for “Lolong,” Barbie Forteza, David Licauco, and Julie Anne San Jose for “Maria Clara at Ibarra,” Kylie Padilla for “Bolera,” and Alden Richards for “Start-Up PH,” to name a few. These shows dominated TV viewing throughout the year. Hard work and perseverance of these actors brought the programs and their acting skills to even greater heights.
Trusted brands, multinationals, and even start-ups forged partnerships with leading Sparkle endorsers Heart Evangelista, Alden Richards, Gabbi Garcia, Julie Anne San Jose, Kyline Alcantara, Camille Prats, and Khalil Ramos. These Sparkle artists landed multimedia endorsements surpassing expectations of management.
With all these, Sparkle held the biggest gathering of stars last July for a thanksgiving gala and charity event. The night decked out the loveliest and most glamorous lineup of talents which kept the netizens abuzz for several weeks and gave millions of views, unchallenged in number to this day.
Definitely on their way to stardom is the newest batch of stars that was launched, the Sparkada. These artists were also part of Sparkle’s official summer music video titled “Kung Ikaw Ang Kasama."
Some of them, Tanya Ramos, Caitlyn Stave, Kirsten Gonzales, Cheska Fausto, Vince Maristela, Sean Lucas, Raheel Bhyria, and Michael Sager, are seen in the current Primetime program Wattpad’s gigantic hit “Luv Is caught in his arms” with Sparkle’s newest love team Sofia Pablo and Allen Ansay.
Sparkle’s prime artists also landed multiple covers and features in major local and international magazines such as Vogue, Now Magazine, L’Officiel Preview, MEGA Magazine, and Cosmopolitan PH, to name a few.
The glitz, glam, and fun never stopped all year long as Sparkle then held its first-ever Halloween party via “The Sparkle Spell.” Following the successful GMA Thanksgiving Gala, Sparkle artists and online influencers showed off their scariest, sexiest, and most stylish costumes in one bewitching evening.
Sparkle then gave an early Christmas present to its loyal Kapuso fans as it held the ‘Sparkle Fans Day: Isang Pasasalamat’ at the SM North Edsa Skydome to show appreciation for the fans' undying love and support. The event was jam-packed with 1,400 fans and featured astounding performances from 70 Sparkle Artists. The well-anticipated event also carried out fun-filled activities.
Later in the year, Sparkle successfully organized its second grand contract signing event, “Signed for Stardom,” where various Kapuso artists, composed of veteran actors and actresses, TV hosts, singers, comedians, beauty queens, and rising stars, renewed their contracts, while at the same time, new faces were introduced to its ever-growing, ever-shining roster. Some of the brilliant stars who renewed their contract with Sparkle were: Kylie Padilla, Kyline Alcantara, Ysabel Ortega, Derrick Monasterio, and David Licauco. Also joining them were some of the most talented actors and actresses in the industry today, namely, Thea Tolentino, Lianne Valentin, Angel Guardian, Liezel Lopez, Sophie Albert, Thia Thomalla, Maxine Medina, Rodjun Cruz, EA Guzman, and Juancho Trivino. Sparkle also welcomed seasoned actor Jason Gainza, beauty queen Bianca Manalo, and actor-comedian Buboy Villar to its roster of stars.
Another highlight of the year was when Sparkle welcomed this Generation's Pop Princess, Zephanie. To date, she continues to showcase her amazing vocals in GMA shows and events. Also joining Sparkle’s star-studded roster of talents is Chanty, a member of the new K-pop group Lapillus.
Sparkle also launched its newest website for easy access to online viewers and clients. In the digital age, expect interactive sites, shows, and channels from Sparkle’s Gen Z artists as well as online shows produced by Sparkle showcasing new and exciting discoveries!
Just recently, they also launched the new Sparkle Wall of Fame - a photo display of various artists, located at the GMA Annex Building. As Sparkle grows, so shall the wall with more photos.
Sparkle also boasts of its social media milestones. They already received the Silver Play Button for the Sparkle YouTube Channel. Further, their numbers have grown over 100 percent on all Sparkle Social Media Platforms combined. The Sparkle TikTok account is consistently included in the country’s most followed and most viewed entertainment account for Quarters 3 and 4 of 2022.
Aside from appearing in the standout and groundbreaking Kapuso series in 2022, Sparkle’s stars also got the chance to shine through projects, collaborations, and appearances with other major streaming platforms such as Viu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix. Furthermore, the star power of the management’s artists continued to grow bigger and brighter as they started to gain more international recognition from foreign award-giving bodies. Some of the shows and movies that won international awards were Lolong starring Ruru Madrid, Maria Clara At Ibarra with Sparkle artists Barbie Forteza, Julie Anne San Jose, David Licauco, and Juancho Trivino, Broken Blooms featuring Jeric Gonzales and Therese Malvar, who won several best actor and actress awards, and "That Boy in the Dark,” featuring Joaquin Joaquin Domagoso, who likewise won 6 local and international best actor awards.
Sparkle also shook up the concert scene with memorable performances year-round, namely, Julie Anne San Jose and Rayver Cruz’ JulieVerse, Alden Richards’ ForwARd U.S. Tour, and Pokwang Live in Concert in Dubai.
For 2023, Sparkle is all set to shine not just here but on the global stage as well. Movies, concerts, and mini-series in various streaming platforms are in the works, with Viu and Amazon among others. Needless to say, these artists will continue to take on lead roles for the Network’s prime offerings such as “Mga Lihim ni Urduja” with Sanya Lopez, Gabbi Garcia, and Kylie Padilla, “Hearts on Ice” with Ashley Ortega, “Underage” with Lexi Gonzales, Elijah Alejo, and Hailey Mendes, and “Voltes V: Legacy” with Miguel Tanfelix, Ysabel Ortega, Matt Lozano, Radson Flores, and Raphael Landicho, just to name a few.
Indeed, the future looks sparkling bright. From local collaborations to partnerships abroad, Sparkle is definitely on the right track. With almost 300 talents engaged in various work assignments for seryes, concerts, ambassadorships, digital collaborations, movies, and continuing workshops, it is no wonder that Sparkle is the leading artist agency in the country today.