The twelfth cycle of America's Next Top Model premiered on March 4, 2009 and was the sixth season to air on The CW network. The cycle's catch phrase is "Get In The Fold." The cycle's promotional song is Lady Gaga's "The Fame".
The first half of the cycle took place in New York City, moving the show back from Los Angeles last season. The international destination for this cycle is São Paulo, Brazil, the series first visit to South America.
The number of girls was reduced to 13, the first time since cycle 9, after being maintained at 14 in the last two cycles. This was the last time Paulina Porizkova participated as judge.
The winner was 20-year-old Teyona Anderson from Woodstown, New Jersey. This season averaged 4.35 million viewers per episode.
Contestants
(ages stated are at start of contest)
What Happens in Vegas
First aired March 4, 2009
Featured photographer: Jessica Brooks
Fun and Games
First aired March 4, 2009
Featured photographer: Fadil Berisha
Special guest: Laura Poretzky
Do You Light The Way I Look?
First aired March 11, 2009
Featured photographer: Nigel Barker
Special guests: Nolé Marin, John Barrett, Elyssa Starkman
New York's Finest
First aired March 18, 2009
Featured photographer: Mike Rosenthal
Special guests: Jill Stuart, Ann Shoket, Bianca Golden, Chantal Jones
Top Model in Action: Bianca Golden (cycle 9)
Put Your Best Face Forward
First aired March 25, 2009
Featured photographer: Brian Edwards
Special guests: Benny Ninja, David Blond, Phillipe Blond, Sky Nellor, Toccara Jones
Top Model in Action: April Wilkner (cycle 2)
Here's Your Test
First aired April 1, 2009
Featured photographer: Keith Major
Special guests: Beth Stern
Top Model in Action: Whitney Thompson (cycle 10)
Acting Like A Model
First aired April 8, 2009
Featured commercial director: Peter Chelkowski
Special guests: Clay Aiken, McKey Sullivan, Elyssa Starkman
Top Model in Action: Heather Kuzmich (cycle 9)
Cycle 12 Rewind
First aired April 10, 2009
Top Model in Action: Claire Unabia (cycle 10)
Take Me To The Photo Shoot
First aired April 15, 2009
Featured photographers: James Wade, Mike Ruiz
Special guests: Ann Shoket, Ciara
Top Model in Action: Bre Scullark (cycle 5)
The Amazing Model Race
First aired April 22, 2009
Featured photographers: Paschoal Rodriguez, Daniel Klajmic
Special guests: Fernanda Motta, Helô Pinheiro
Top Model in Action: Eva Pigford (cycle 3)
Let's Go See The City
First aired April 29, 2009
Featured photographer: Nigel Barker
Special guests: Paulo Borges, Fabienne Muzy, Adriana Degreas, Caio Campos, Clo Orozco, Cris Barros, Oskar Metsavaht, Adriana Bozon, Vanessa Da Silveira, Adrianne Curry
Top Model in Action: Samantha Potter (cycle 11)
Take Me To The Jungle
First Aired: May 6, 2009
Featured photographer: Tyra Banks
Special guests: Juliana Leite, Eduardo Ramos, Ara Vartanian, Ann Shoket
Top Model in Action: Yaya DaCosta (cycle 3)
America's Next Top Model Is...
First aired May 13, 2009
Featured photographers: Jim De Yonker, Nigel Barker
Featured commercial director: Jay Manuel
Special guests: Amir Slama, McKey Sullivan, Maíra Vieira, Fernanda Motta, Ann Shoket
Top Model in Action: Fatima Siad (cycle 10)
Cycle 12 Finale Party (Reunion)
The reunion aired May 13, 2009 on The Tyra Banks Show and was the third one after cycles 5 and 10. It was graduation themed and all the girls (except for Sandra, who didn't attend) wore bikinis. The girls were voted yearbook-style as follows:
Various girls were interviewed after their vote was revealed. Fo revealed she had met her father, whom she didn't know was black until she was six and coined the phrase "blaxican" at 12. Celia got her one featurette about her personal style and London went on to preach on the streets of New York City. Tyra also discussed Allison's nosebleeding picture of her and Tyra made a montage of her and Robert Pattinson. Natalie revealed she suffered from panic attacks and hypochondria.
Tyra brought a general from the US Army to discuss her positive impact on burnt soldiers and Tahlia did a shoot with a burnt soldier and another burn survivor where they displayed their scars. It was also revealed that Tahlia had become pregnant since the taping of the show. Then elderly people reenacted memorable scenes introduced by Bianca Golden from cycle 9. Those included Fo's haircut, Celia's rebellion against Tyra and Natalie's and Aminat's face off. Celia said that all things were settled between her and Tahlia and when Tyra said "Don't mess with a girl's money", Celia joked back that Tahlia was messing with hers.
The show ended with Tyra revealing that two contestants had been offered a contract with Nous Model Management by Kenya Knight which were revealed on her show's website as being Allison and Fo.
Call-out order
The contestant was eliminated
The contestant won the competition
In episode 1, the group of 21 girls was reduced to 13 that would move on to the main competition. This first call-out does not reflect their performance that first week.
Episode 8 was the recap episode
Photo Shoot Guide
Episode 1 photo shoot (casting): Goddess profile/type of goddess
Episode 2 photo shoot: Childhood games
Episode 3 photo shoot: Lighting oneself in a warehouse
Episode 4 photo shoot: Couture New York City sight-seeing
Episode 5 photo shoot: Ellis Island immigrants
Episode 6 photo shoot: Beauty shots evoking different colors
Episode 7 Commercial: CoverGirl micro mineral foundation
Episode 9 photo shoot: Crazed Ciara fans tangled in wires
Episode 10 photo shoot: Embodying Carmen Miranda on a Favella
Episode 11 photo shoot: Swimsuits on a tourist beach
Episode 12 photo shoot: Exotic birds
Episode 13 photo shoot & Commercial: CoverGirl outlast lipstain print ad and commercial & Seventeen Magazine covers
Makeovers
Allison – Wavy blonde extensions
Aminat – Naomi Campbell inspired wavy extensions
Celia – Cut short and dyed platinum blonde
Fo – Pixie cut
Jessica – Cut to shoulder length, Reddish highlights and volumized
Kortnie – Dyed mahogany red
London – Agyness Deyn inspired cropped hair and dyed platinum blonde
Natalie – No makeover
Nijah – Wavy black weave
Sandra – Bleached blonde and cut shorter
Tahlia – Golden blonde wavy weave like a lion mane
Teyona – Jheri curl weave; later, big curly weave
Post-Top Model careers
Celia Ammerman has modeled for the New York Post and Vogue Italia. She has also been featured on Racked.com, in the September 2009 issue of Allure and in Short Hair. She has appeared on The Tyra Banks Show. She has also walked in New York Fashion Week 2011 for Marlon Globel.
Teyona Anderson was signed was Elite Model Management in New York and Cape Town. She is currently signed with Mega Models in Miami and Base Model Agency in Cape Town under the name "Asia Anderson".
Aminat Ayinde has modeled for Zulu Rose and walked in the This Day/Arise: African Fashion Collection S/S 10 show. She is signed to MMG Models in New York. She modeled on season 2 of Project Runway All Stars for Emilio Sosa. She also modeled again on season 14 for Edmond Nelson for his finale collection wearing his first look.
Tahlia Brookins has modeled for People.
Kortnie Coles is currently signed with Wilhelmina Models in New York City and Models 1 in London.
Isabella Falk is currently signed with Elite Model Management in Chicago under her real name, Kelly Marie.
Nijah Harris has modeled for That Girl.
Allison Harvard was signed with Nous Model Management in Los Angeles. She competed in cycle 17 among other previous contestants, finishing in second place to Lisa D'Amato. She appeared in the final episode of cycle 21. She has walked in New York Fashion Week 2012 for Malan Breton, Gemma Khang, and Richie Rich. She also walked in Philippine Fashion Week for Michael Cinco. She is the face of Cinco's fragrance "Impalpable". She also modeled for Bench in "Bench Universe". She runs an art and photography studio in Brooklyn. On September 21, 2012, it was announced that Harvard would be making her acting debut as the character Carina in the independent feature film Insensate. On October 6, 2012, Harvard made an appearance in an episode of "I Am Meg: Own the World in Style", a Philippines TV modeling competition.
London Levi appeared in the October 2009 issue of Playboy.
Sandra Nyanchoka was signed with Major Model Management in New York.
Natalie Pack is currently signed with NEXT Model Management in Miami and Ford Models in Los Angeles. She has modeled for Jockey and BL!SSS' July 2009 issue. She walked for Billabong and Dona Daneshi's "I Am Mystic". She is Miss California USA 2012 and competed in Miss USA 2012.
Fo Porter is currently signed with Nous Model Management in Los Angeles. She has modeled for Revolve clothing and Nylon. She has appeared in advertising campaigns for Paul Mitchell, H&M, American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Reebok, Nike, Billabong, Target and Payless. She was featured in the music videos for Justin Timberlake's "Tunnel Vision" and Usher's "Good Kisser".
Jessica Santiago is currently signed with Ford Models in Los Angeles. She participated in Nuestra Belleza Latina, but was eliminated before the contestants were chosen. She also competed in Model Latina where she finished as the runner-up. She was a contestant in Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2011, and placed as the second runner-up.
