Univision crowns second winner of ‘Nuestra Belleza Latina‘.

The Univision Television Network celebrated the grand finale of the second hit season of “Nuestra Belleza Latina” (Our Latin Beauty), a show that combines the glamour of a beauty competition with the excitement of reality television. Hosted by popular Univision personality Giselle Blondet, the finale was a nailbitting elimination for the six finalists who awaited their fate in front of a live studio audience. Captivated viewers from across the country voted for their favorite contestant and crowned Melissa Marty from Puerto Rico, “Nuestra Belleza Latina” 2008.

In addition to the title, Melissa has won the opportunity of a lifetime with a contract as Univision’s newest on-air personality as well as $200,000 in cash and prizes. This season’s sponsors, which include AT&T, JCPenney, Garnier Fructis, Maybelline New York, Sony and State Farm, are also providing the winner of “Nuestra Belleza Latina” with an array of cash and prizes.

Melissa Marty is a versatile kickboxing, aerobics and ballet instructor and a former “Miss Caguas.” A college graduate with a degree in communications, she was a host for a local television show where she developed her presentation skills and broadened her knowledge of the broadcast industry.

“We would like to congratulate Melissa Marty on this great achievement and acknowledge all the contestants for their hard work and perseverance throughout the competition,” said Alina Falcón, executive vice president and operating manager for the Univision Network. “We are thrilled to have an incredibly successful second season of ‘Nuestra Belleza Latina’ which is due in no small part to the viewer participation in this competition. We would also like to give a special thanks to our sponsors who were an integral part of making this show such a success.”

Of the many women who auditioned throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, only 12 finalists representing the most charismatic, intelligent and captivating Hispanic women were selected to compete. Each week, they faced-off in a fierce competition that tested their character and determination. After a series of eliminations 6 finalists made it to the grand finale: Melissa Marty – the winner, Emeraude Toubia, Mexican/Lebanese from Brownsville, TX – first-runner up; Dayamí Padrón, Cuban from Miami, FL – second runner-up; Zoila Ceballos, Dominican from New York, NY – third place; Leticia Castro, Mexican from Las Vegas, NV – fourth place; and Manuela Arbeláez, Colombian from West New York, NJ in fifth place.

“Nuestra Belleza Latina” will be back next season with more excitement than ever, expanding to two full hours on Sunday nights to bring viewers even more thrills and glamour, with more content than ever before and increased viewer participation.

Univision Móvil delivered complete mobile integration for AT&T subscribers, including post-show highlights and behind the scenes video. Mobile coverage of the show also featured a dedicated WAP site, downloadable content from finalists, SMS alerts and the opportunity to vote for their favorite contestants via text message. Univision.com also provided online voting and an insider’s look at the lives of the contestants, with exclusive interviews, videos, and an interactive game.