Cast | Zach Berkman

Now that Zach Berkman has received his degree from the prestigious Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at NYU, he's ready to apply his education to his performances and take the music industry by storm. From audio engineering to songwriting, Zach hopes that his knowledge of production will set him apart from his fellow contestants. A music lover to the core, Zach can also play a large range of instruments, including guitar, bass, drums, piano, and the harmonica. Even though he has a strong affinity for rock, folk, and pop music, his dream collaborators include Eminem and Jay-Z. Oh, and don't let the serious academic stuff fool you -- Zach describes himself as goofy, outgoing and honest, and says he hopes to convey his personality to his audience through his unique performance style.

Cast | Todd Sarvies

After working his fair share of 9 to 5 jobs, Todd Sarvies says he's ready to make music his full-time career. And, in a way, music's always been his one true love. After teaching himself how to play guitar in high school, Todd has been writing songs and performing ever since. Because his passion for the stage takes priority, Todd's hectic schedule has cost him many relationships. (Fortunately, his current girlfriend of about a year, has been extremely understanding.) As far as tastes go, Todd classifies his favorite type of music as indie rock and says one of his long-term life goals is to collaborate with Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows.

Cast | Omotayo Riley

As the oldest artist in the competition, the pressure's on for Omotayo Riley to stand out and get discovered. Known as "Big Sexy," Omotayo says his greatest strength is his larger-than-life personality. And, naturally, it doesn't hurt that he's a fan of multiple music genres, including R&B, pop, gospel, and soul. Unwaveringly persistent, Omotayo says he draws his inspiration from his 8-year-old daughter, who is currently battling Leukemia. Taking a cue from his little girl, Omotayo says he has "to do my very best and show her that Daddy is a trooper, too!"

Cast | Monet Monico

At just 18 years old, Monet Monico is the youngest female in the competition. Not that she's about to let that intimidate her. Always the scene-stealer, Monet's been turning heads since she was a little girl, when she first grabbed her mom's attention by staging full-scale performances with her dolls. Recognizing her daughter's talent, Monet's mom allowed her to be homeschooled so she could spend more time learning piano, drums, and guitar. It seems her hard work has paid off. Now poised to make it big, Monet says she can't wait to connect with large audiences and share her musical abilities with the world. When asked what scares her most about becoming famous, Monet has only four words to say: "Nothing! BRING IT ON!"

Cast | Melody Angel

Not many 7-year-olds were fascinated with Prince's Purple Rain movie when it came out, but Chicago native Melody Angel was clearly an exception. With a little help from her mother (and a lot of patience!), she learned to play acoustic guitar by watching music videos around the clock. The child of two musicians, Melody has developed a love and respect for multiple genres of music, including alternative rock, Motown, blues, hip-hop, and many more. When she's not playing to her heart's content, this self-described "free spirit" is out teaching skateboarding. Outside of her musical abilities, Melody says she considers her biggest accomplishment to be her college degree in sports marketing.

Cast | Marissa Shipp

Not too many 20-year-olds have already married their high school sweethearts but Marissa Shipp is used to standing out. At 15, Marissa got a job so she could pay for the voice lessons she so desperately wanted. Now, she's busy juggling her ambitions with the reality of being the primary breadwinner for her family. Marissa says her husband, James, is her main inspiration because he never let any obstacles get in the way of his dream of playing basketball. Armed with her own self-confidence and her husband's loving support, Marissa wants this competition to help her improve her skills as a singer and songwriter -- and to help her connect to music that she hasn't written.

Cast | Liz Davis

Everybody's coming into this competition looking to stand out -- but for Liz Davis, it shouldn't be too difficult. That's because the 21 year-old Mississippi native (who recently set up shop in Tennessee) is the only country singer on the show! So what's Liz's dream? To become the next Reba McEntire, of course! Liz already has the Southern Belle part down -- her friends describe her as loud, honest and incredibly loyal, although they also note her emerging "diva" potential. Liz credits her parents with being her number one fans and supporting her from day one, and explains that she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to live in the heart of country music. Not that she's opposed to other music. Though a country girl at heart, Liz says she's excited to perform all genres of music and would love to work with Diddy some day.

Cast | Lauriana Mae

Although Lauriana Mae only recently left her job to compete in P. Diddy's Starmaker she says she's felt destiny calling her since she was a child. As a young girl, Lauriana remembers her mother secretly recording her singing, playing it back and giving her compliments. This early praise helped Lauriana realize her true talents and aspirations. A fan of R&B, blues, jazz, hip- hop, and pop, Lauriana attended a prestigious performing arts school where she overcame her shyness and learned how to command the stage. Citing her family as her biggest inspiration, Lauriana even wrote a ballad for her sister who served in Iraq, called "Soldier Song." As the competition gets underway, Lauriana says her goals are to stay true to herself and her music -- and avoid being seen as just another sex symbol.

Cast | Lauren Thomas

Lauren Thomas is only 19-year-old, but believes in her talent so strongly that she recently dropped out of college to make chasing stardom a full-time pursuit. Considering herself America's next pop princess, this confident Detroit native's influences range from hip-hop to gospel, though one of her all-time favorite performers is Britney Spears. Lauren has competed in numerous talent competitions and traveled the country in the hopes of landing a record deal. Although primarily a vocalist, Lauren has also started writing her own music in order to carve her niche as an up-and-coming superstar.

Cast | Jordan Battiste

Jordan Battiste has always dreamed of stardom -- but never thought he'd get there without his friends. A member of a tight-knit band who promised never to go solo, Jordan changed his mind for a shot at the big-time when he got the call from P. Diddy's Starmaker. (We're sure his band-mates understand!) As a kid, Jordan found his mentor in a local music producer, which led to his fascination with production and performance. Although mostly interested in R&B and pop, Jordan's musical heroes are an eclectic bunch, including Bjork, Timbaland, Sade and Pharrell. Now that he's really going for it, Jordan says he's ready to be a star-- and admits that what scares him most about P. Diddy's Starmaker is "being written off as the contestant who didn't win."

Cast | David Joseph

The child of two musicians, David Joseph has music in his blood. David sacrificed playing basketball, football and tennis to wholeheartedly pursue a career in music. After his father passed away, David redoubled his efforts, channeling all his pain into his musical ambitions. And his hard work paid off. In addition to making waves by getting airplay on radio stations in both Connecticut and New York, David went on to win "Connecticut's Next Rising Star" competition,. But success doesn't happen overnight and, despite his local acclaim, David almost gave up his dream of becoming a star after struggling for so many years. Thankfully, he had a change of heart after receiving the call from P. Diddy's Starmaker.

Cast | David Bennett

California beach boy David Bennett desperately wants to become a star so he never has to deliver pizza again. For the past five years, that's how he's been paying the bills. Part dreamer, part realist, David's been playing the drums ever since he was a kid. It wasn't until David lost his father at the age of 12 that he started using music as a type of therapy. And once the passion for songwriting was sparked, David became a man on a mission, attending the Musicians Institute in California and earning the "Outstanding Stylist Award" when he graduated in 2008. Besides folding up his pizza box for good, David dreams of writing more of his own songs and moving people with his voice and lyrics.

Cast | ChristopherJohn

The youngest P. Diddy's Starmaker artist and a native of Sacramento, California, ChristopherJohn's biggest musical influence is John Mayer, who inspired him to learn how to play the guitar. However, his influences are not limited to rock --ChristopherJohn says he hopes to collaborate with rapper Lil Wayne someday! Besides winning (of course!), one of ChristopherJohn's main goals for P. Diddy's Starmaker is to conquer his fear of dancing on stage. Having taught himself to sing and play guitar with no formal training, he'll need to polish his moves if he wants to become a true performer.

Cast | Angel Inez

In the past few weeks alone, Angel Inez was fired from her job and evicted from her apartment -- all for pursuing her dream of becoming a star. Then again, she's no stranger to struggle. While her neighborhood friends fell into bad habits, Angel remained 100% focused on her dreams (she doesn't even date!) and now spends most of her time performing at talent shows. Although naturally shy, Angel consistently turns up the energy whenever she gets on stage and always performs from the heart. A soul-baring songwriter, she has written songs based on a wide range of her own experiences, including poverty, dropping out of high school, abusive relationships, and growing up with an incarcerated father. True to herself but eager to learn, Angel is ready and willing to refine her voice and performing skills in order to reach her star potential.

Host | Kimberly Caldwell

Kimberly Caldwell personifies the phrase 'triple threat,' as a singer, actress and TV personality. You might recognize Kimberly from her time as a contestant on another popular reality singing competition. While music remains Kimberly's true passion, as she is presently writing and recording songs for her debut album, Kimberly is also a veteran entertainment correspondent and host for the TV Guide Network.

Cast | P. Diddy

Sean Combs is a multifaceted entertainment powerhouse. As the CEO and founder of Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group, the 36-year old entrepreneur oversees one of the world's preeminent urban entertainment companies, encompassing a broad range of businesses including recording, music publishing, artist management, television and film production, recording facility, apparel (Sean John Clothing), fragrances (Unforgivable, Unforgivable Woman, I Am King), restaurants (Justin's) and spirits (Ciroc Vodka).

Amidst the different branches of interest, music has always been at the heart of Combs' career. He is a recognized producer, solo artist and performer, who has produced chart-topping hit songs for music superstars including Aretha Franklin, Sting, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson and the Notorious B.I.G. Combs has also released four multi-platinum albums and won his third Grammy Award for the #1 song "Shake Ya Tailfeather" from the Bad Boys II soundtrack, which he executive produced. In 2006, Diddy released Press Play, the anticipated follow-up, which debuted at the top of Billboard's album charts.

Combs has also won critical acclaim as an actor, appearing in Made, Carlito's Way: The Beginning and Monster's Ball on the silver screen. He has also appeared on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun in a role that he later reprised in the Emmy-nominated ABC television adaptation, which he also executive produced.

Combs -- who has been known professionally as Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy and most recently as Diddy, among other names -- also translated his success to television. He and MTV have long shared a special relationship that began with his music videos and show-stopping performances at the MTV Video Music Awards. In 2003, Diddy teamed up with MTV to find the next big hip-hop group with Making the Band II which aired for three seasons and created the group Da Band. A new installment, Making the Band III, bowed in 2005, when Combs was in search of an all-girl group that created Danity Kane. In 2007, Making the Band IV created the group Day26 and launched the solo career of Donnie Klang. Diddy's talents as a producer do not stop there, he has also produced other shows for MTV, including Run's House.

Now comes P. Diddy's Starmaker.

About The Show

Sean "Diddy" Combs and reality television visionary Mark Burnett join forces to produce P. Diddy's Starmaker -- an innovative performance elimination show that brings together the best elements of reality television under one roof: linking the explosive reality of young talent desperate to become stars with the excitement of on-stage competition. P. Diddy's Starmaker is the only show that gives viewers a backstage pass to see the real life drama behind the scenes as seven guys and seven girls battle it out for the superstar opportunity of a lifetime -- a deal with Diddy's Bad Boy Records label.

Diddy has not only made a name for himself as an entertainment mogul but has proven his capabilities for nurturing talented and driven performers -- from the legendary Notorious B.I.G. to the chart topping Danity Kane (on MTV's Making the Band). Diddy has had years of experience with the ins and outs of making a reality show, and this time he has handpicked an elite team of industry heavyweights who will groom and judge these 14 aspiring singers over the course of 10 weeks of P. Diddy's Starmaker assignments. These assignments will give the contestants hands-on experience of the challenges aspiring superstars face by placing them in real life situations of the music business.

All 14 P. Diddy's Starmaker performers live together in a Los Angeles mansion where romantic relationships, alliances and arguments flare up as the hopefuls navigate their way to stardom.

Former American Idol contestant Kimberly Caldwell serves as the host of P. Diddy's Starmaker, while the contestants will be judged by the likes of performer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, music industry executive Tamara Conniff and choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson. Additionally, celebrity guest judges Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy), Nicole Scherzinger (Pussy Cat Dolls), Lady Gaga and Kelly Rowland will also weigh in over the course of the competition. Noted artist manager Johnny Wright will mentor the contestants along the way and guide each one through the P. Diddy's Starmaker process, just as he guides his real life superstar clients like Justin Timberlake and the Jonas Brothers.

Don't miss a minute of the P. Diddy's Starmaker journey, because when it's over, you'll be looking at the next big thing.