Christian Bautista

Christian Joseph Morata Bautista (born October 19, 1981) is a Filipino singer, actor, host, and model.

Bautista was born in Imus, Cavite, on October 19, 1981.

He is the eldest of three siblings, sons of Josefa Rizalina and Ebert Bautista.

He was a choir member in their church since he was seven years old.

Bautista studied grade school and high school at International Christian Academy in Sucat, Paranaque, which also hailed other Filipino actors such as Ryan Eigenmann, Geoff Eigenmann, Rico Yan and Billy Joe Crawford.

He then took up landscape architecture at the University of the Philippines Diliman, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

He was a table tennis varsity player during college before focusing on singing and entering showbiz.

Bautista gained popularity after becoming the first grand finalist on ABS-CBN's reality singing competition Star in a Million.

Though placing only fourth overall, he quickly become one of the most popular contestants, and was offered a recording contract with Warner Music Philippines shortly after he was eliminated from the show.

He was a finalist of Star in a Million, a Philippine reality show aired on ABS-CBN channel, winning 4th place in the competition in 2003.

After the contest, he signed a recording contract with Warner Music Philippines and released his self-titled debut album, Christian Bautista.

The multiplatinum album established his name as an OPM artist with notable songs such as "The Way You Look at Me" and "Hands to Heaven".

The singer gained popularity not only in the Philippines but in other countries in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

He is currently an exclusive talent of GMA Network.

Bautista has also collaborated with fellow Filipino singers Nina, Sitti, Rachelle Ann Go, Sarah Geronimo, Sheryn Regis, Erik Santos and Mark Bautista and once with Indonesian recording artist Bunga Citra Lestari performing "Tetaplah Di Hatiku" the Indonesian version of Please Be Careful With My Heart following his success in Indonesia.

Prior to his transfer to GMA Network, he regularly appeared in ABS-CBN's variety show ASAP.

Bautista shot The Kitchen Musical with fellow Stages talent Karylle and other Asian and Filipino talents in Singapore.

He released the single "The Way You Look at Me", in 2004 from his self-titled album.

The song, penned by American composers Andrew Fromm and Keith Follese, received frequent airplay in Indonesian radio stations and Bautista became an instant hit overseas that record label Warner Indonesia decided to bring him there to perform for his growing Indonesian fanbase.

Completely, Christian Bautista's second album, received a Platinum Record Award on its first week of release in the Philippines.

The album spawned the singles "Everything You Do", "Invincible", and "She Could Be", a song which was later covered by Corbin Bleu of High School Musical fame.

Completely has also reached platinum status in Indonesia.

A special edition of the album Completely, which combines Christian's English songs from his debut and second albums, was later launched in Singapore where "The Way You Look at Me" also topped local charts.

In 2005, RCTI aired a musical special entitled Completely: Christian Bautista where he performed with Indonesian artists 40-piece Magenta Orchestra, Andi Rianto, Krisdayanti and Titi DJ.

In the same year, Bautista was cast as one of the leads in Kampanerang Kuba, a musical fantasy television series broadcast by ABS-CBN.

Banking on his massive following among young fans in Indonesia, Bautista has been tapped by San Miguel Corporation to endorse its new line of soft beverage products in the Asian region, starting with Indonesia.

Christian also endorses a new mobile content provider based in Jakarta called Star SMS, and soon for Oishi food products in the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Locally, he had endorsed brands such as Bench clothing and body spray, St. Augustine School of Nursing, Smart Communications, Greenwich Pizza, Trumpets Musicademy, Bed Head products, Skechers, and Swatch watches.

Bautista released his third major album, Just a Love Song... Christian Bautista Live! in 2006 also under the Warner Music Philippines.

The album, the first live album by the singer, is mainly composed of covers of different old-time hit love songs and was recorded live in a Teatrino Bar in Greenhills with a small number of audience, which are mostly specially invited fans of the singer.

Bautista debuts as an actor on the big screen in Regal Entertainment's 2006 Metro Manila Film Festival entry Mano Po 5: Gua Ai Di.

In this film directed by Joel Lamangan and written by Abi Lam-Parayno, Dode Cruz and Andrew Paredes, Christian plays Timothy a.k.a. Felix Yan, an Asian pop star, providing support to the bankable love team of Angel Locsin and Richard Gutierrez.

The single "My Heart Has A Mind of Its Own" from "Completely" is used as one of the film's soundtrack.

Follow up to the success of the live album was the release of his very first live DVD under the same title in early 2007.

He launched a four-city tour in Indonesia on January 26 to February 2, 2007.

The tour included visits in Jakarta, Makassar, Surabaya, and Bandung.

In October 2007, he embarked a concert tour, Inspired, a one-night show in the Cuneta Astrodome with guest appearances by Gary Valenciano, Tricia Amper Jimenez, Joni Villanueva and Sam Milby.

He collaborated with Rachelle Ann Go on the song "Pag-ibig Na Kaya?", a Filipino version of "Perhaps Love" (originally sung by Howl & J), that was used in the Koreanovela Princess Hours, aired on ABS-CBN.

After being with ABS-CBN for 10 years, Bautista transferred to GMA Network and signed a three-year exclusive contract on March 20, 2013.

Bautista renewed his contract with GMA Network on July 28, 2021.