People En Español partners with Yahoo! Telemundo to kick-off ‘the 51st Most Beautiful’ search.

People en Español magazine has teamed up with Yahoo! Telemundo 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 late April, highlights the 50 most popular Hispanic celebrities in TV, film and music. The “51st Most Beautiful” search marks the first time a non-celebrity will be featured in this issue.

Throughout this past month, Yahoo! Telemundo users have submitted thousands of photos at http://www.yahootelemundo.com/bello51 to compete for the title of People en Español’s “51st Most Beautiful.” This week, 25 finalists, as selected by People en Español and Yahoo! Telemundo, will be posted on Yahoo! Telemundo. During this time users will be able to view contestant photos, read related articles and profiles and vote for their favorites. The contest which started on January 14th has gathered over 5,000 photo entries and over 34,000 comments from Yahoo! Telemundo users.

Our ‘Bello 51’ site will not only allow our community of users to vie for the chance to be the first non-celebrity to be featured in the ‘50 Most Beautiful’ issue, it will also let them be an integral part of the selection process

“We are thrilled to be partnering up with People en Español on this 360-degree media promotion – the first of its kind in any language,” said Peter Blacker, senior vice president, Digital Media, Telemundo. “Our ‘Bello 51’ site will not only allow our community of users to vie for the chance to be the first non-celebrity to be featured in the ‘50 Most Beautiful’ issue, it will also let them be an integral part of the selection process,” added Jose Rivera Font, general manager, Yahoo! Hispanic Americas.

In addition to celebrity news, fashion and beauty tips, the “51st Most Beautiful” site will feature various community elements such as message boards, which allow users to post comments, share opinions and interact with one another, and Yahoo! Telemundo Grupos and Yahoo! Telemundo Respuestas, where users can ask and answer questions on any contest-related topic.

In the weeks that follow, Yahoo! Telemundo will post the 15 and then the five contest finalists as voted by Yahoo! Telemundo users. Voting for People en Español’s “51st Most Beautiful” will culminate on February 26th. The winner will be determined by People en Español and Yahoo! Telemundo, taking into account user votes and other editorial components.

Once all votes are tallied, the winner will be flown to Miami to be announced on Telemundo’s “Cada Dia” and “Al Rojo Vivo con María Celeste.” The newest “Bello” or “Bella” will also enjoy a trip to People en Español’s “50 Most Beautiful” cover photo shoot where he or she will receive a makeover and will be photographed for the special edition. The winner will then attend People en Español’s “50 Most Beautiful” party in May and walk the star-studded red carpet. In addition, the winner will receive a cameo role on a Telemundo Telenovela.

“The ‘50 Most Beautiful’ issue is one of our reader’s favorites,” says Jackie Hernandez, publisher of People en Español. “We are thrilled to bring a unique opportunity where we can connect readers with their favorite celebrities in this celebrated issue.”