Wednesday, January 28, 2009

People En Espanol Partners With Yahoo! En Espanol and Telemundo To Kick-Off 2009 '51st Most Beautiful' Search

MIAMI, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the success and popularity of the contest in 2008, People en Espanol magazine has teamed up with Yahoo! En Espanol (www.yahooenespanol.com) and Telemundo Network (www.telemundo.com) once again to launch a nationwide search for the "51st Most Beautiful" to be featured in its "50 Most Beautiful" issue. The special annual issue, which hits newsstands in early May, highlights the 50 most popular Hispanic celebrities in TV, film and music. The "51st Most Beautiful" search provides a unique opportunity for a non-celebrity to be featured in this celebrated issue.

The contest starts today and runs through February 20. During this time, Yahoo! En Espanol users will have the opportunity to submit their photos at www.51bello.com to compete for the title of People en Espanol's "51st Most Beautiful." In the weeks that follow, 25 finalists, as selected by People en Espanol, Yahoo! En Espanol and Telemundo, will be posted on www.51bello.com. During this time users will be able to view contestant photos and profiles, comment and vote for their favorites.

Last year's contest was a big hit for users who not only uploaded 8,000 photo entries and voted for their favorites but also remained highly engaged throughout the process and posted over 34,000 comments on the "51st Most Beautiful" site.

The "51st Most Beautiful" site will also feature a Bello 51 Blog with information on celebrity news, fashion, as well as beauty tips and videos with how-to makeup advice. In addition, the site will also incorporate several community elements such as message boards, which allow users to post comments, share opinions and interact with one another, and Yahoo! Message Boards and Yahoo! Respuestas, where users can ask and answer questions on any contest-related topic.

From mid to late February, the site will post the 15 and then the five contest finalists as voted by Yahoo! En Espanol users. Voting for People en Espanol's "51st Most Beautiful" will culminate on February 26th. The winner will be determined by People en Espanol, taking into account user votes and other editorial components.

Once all of the votes have been tallied, the winner will be flown to Miami to be announced before a national television audience on Telemundo Network on March 5th. The newest "Bello" or "Bella" will be given a makeover and be photographed for the special edition and will enjoy a trip to People en Espanol's "50 Most Beautiful" cover photo shoot. The winner will complete the whirlwind experience by attending People en Espanol's "50 Most Beautiful" party in May and walking the star-studded red carpet.

For further information on People en Espanol's "51st Most Beautiful" or to view and vote for your favorite participants and for contest legal rules, visit www.51bello.com.

About People en Espanol:

PEOPLE en Espanol was launched in 1996 as a special issue, and today has become the top-selling Hispanic magazine in the United States. Published 11 times a year, PEOPLE en Espanol's guaranteed circulation is 515,000 and reaches six million readers every month with its editorial mix of Hispanic and popular entertainment, fashion and beauty trends, and compelling human-interest stories. PEOPLE en Espanol delivers original editorial content that captures the values, contributions and impact of today's Hispanics in the U.S. For daily news, photos, exclusive behind-the-scenes video and celebrity scoops, visit www.PeopleEnEspanol.com.

About Yahoo!:

Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet brand and one of the most trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo! is focused on powering its communities of users, advertisers, publishers, and developers by creating indispensable experiences built on trust. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit www.yahoo.com.

About Telemundo:

Telemundo, a U.S. Spanish-language television network, is the essential entertainment, news, and sports source for Hispanics and a leading international player in the entertainment industry with presence in more than 100 countries worldwide. Broadcasting unique national and local programming for the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, Telemundo reaches 93% of U.S. Hispanic viewers in 210 markets through its 16 owned-and-operated stations, 45 broadcast affiliates, and 800 cable affiliates. Telemundo is wholly owned by NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.