MANILA, Philippines - Even if the teen group 14K, organized by music master Ryan Cayabyab, however short-lived, had produced competent and would-be superstars like Jeffrey Hidalgo, Jolina Magdangal and the late Tintin Muñoz, it has also belatedly a melting pot of Janes come lately.

Michelle, one of the original members of 14K, has been nominated to the 2010 World Music and Independent Film Festival (WMIFF) People’s Choice Award for Music.

Michelle, who’s currently in the United States to pursue advance music courses for her Musikgarten school, immediately sent this good news Friday morning through SMS to his dad, PR practitioner Ray Junia.

“I am very glad that World Music and Independent Film Festival acknowledged my entry, ‘Ocean Deep.’ I am very pleased and proud of my being a Filipino,” said Michelle, Michelle Junia in real life.

“Ocean Deep,” a ballad composed by Jon Sweet and Rod Trott and popularized by durable singer Cliff Richard, was revived and recorded independently by Michelle for Aeon Records.

Under the classification “Contemporary,” Michelle is nominated with Luke Jickain.

“Sana naman ay manalo ako sa People’s Choice Award. Malalakas ang mga kalaban ko, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for this award,” added Michelle in her message.

Another Filipino talent nominated in the same award is Miguel Mendoza for “Hanggang Tingin.”

According to WMIFF website, “it is where stars come to shine and it unites artists all over the world to showcase their finest pieces of art and magic.”

The 2010 WMIFF awards will be on August 21 at the Capitol Hilton in Washington, DC.

Among the celebrity guests to walk down the Red Carpet are Ola Ray, who played Michael Jackson’s girlfriend in the all-time classic music video, “Thriller”; Cynthia Rothrock, a popular action star and martial artist; Johnny Alonso, a heartthrob in the TV series “Dawson’s Creek”; Academy Award winner Louis Gossett, Jr. who is best remembered as Lt. Emil Foley in “An Officer and a Gentleman”; David Stevenson known for his appearance in “The Blues Brothers” in 2000, and many more.