They come from all walks of life, ranging from students to part-time actresses but they share one thing in common - they all want to win The New Paper New Face 2009 contest.

One contestant went as far as giving up a role on an upcoming television series in order to join the competition and her sacrifice paid off as she was picked to join the top 24 contestants, moving into the semi-finals.

Click below for exclusive photos of the 24 semi-finalists.