Germany's Next Topmodel (often abbreviated as GNTM) is a German reality television series based on the concept introduced by Tyra Banks with America's Next Top Model. The competition is hosted by Heidi Klum, who also serves as the lead judge and executive producer of the show.
Spanning a 21-year period, it is the longest-running adaptation of the Top Model franchise and features the second-most seasons aired worldwide. Furthermore, with 350 episodes broadcast by April 2025, it has surpassed America's Next Top Model (which only aired 315 episodes) to become the longest Top Model series in the world by episode count. By the conclusion of its twenty-first season, the series also ties the record for producing twenty-four winners, matching the legacy of the original American series.
Show format Germany's Next Topmodel currently has 21 seasons. Each seasons has 10 to 25 episodes and starts with 12–54 contestants.
During each episode, one contestant is eliminated, although a double/triple/mass-elimination or no elimination may occur based on the consensus of the judging panel. Makeovers are administered to contestants early in the competition, usually after the first or second elimination in the finals.
Differences between ANTM and GNTM While America's Next Top Model typically starts with 30 semi-finalists who are cut down to a batch of between ten and 16 contestants, Germany's Next Top Model cycle premieres begin with highlights from the auditions of 100 candidates (seasons 1 and 2), 120 candidates (season 3), and 184 candidates (season 20) respectively.
The format of the weekly competitions also differs between the two shows. From seasons 11 to 13, the German version introduced a team and battle concept where contestants were divided into competing teams led by judges Thomas Hayo and Michael Michalsky. The twelfth German season also introduced the shoot-out, where two or more of the previous week's worst-performing models face an elimination duel during their next photoshoot. Furthermore, the panel challenge in front of the judges in the US version is almost always replaced by an elimination runway walk in front of the judges on the German adaptation.
In the US, the models go on go-sees only once per season, usually right before or after they travel to another country. In the German version, these castings happen many times throughout the season at random moments. Starting with the fifteenth German season, the show also added go-sees marathons. Since the sixteenth German season, the photoshoot or video shoot segment may be replaced entirely by the makeovers, the go-sees marathon, or interview training. For episodes that merely focus on the go-sees marathon, the models spend the whole time running to multiple castings back-to-back instead of doing the usual shoot.
In the elimination process in the US, host Tyra Banks hands out a photograph to each of the contestants who are safe, in order of merit. The two worst-performing contestants of each episode are called to stand before Banks and are judged individually. This call-out order plays a significant role in determining the best contestant of the week. In contrast, the call-out order in Germany does not provide insights into the quality of the contestants' performance, except during the finals. Moreover, the German contestants are called out one by one while the others wait in a backstage lobby, whereas the US contestants are all present together. The German series also start the finale with between three and six contestants left, while in the US, the finale starts with two or three contestants left.
The composition of the judging panel also changed in the German version. Starting in season 14, there was no longer a permanent panel of judges. Instead, the seats alongside Klum remain open for one or more guest judges each week, a format that remains unchanged for all succeeding seasons. Notably, season 14 is also the only season where guest judges had the opportunity to grant a wildcard for contestants who were in danger of elimination.
Casting rules from the original American format have also been adapted by the German adaptation. Germany removed the maximum age limit by season 17, allowing contestants of all ages to enter the contest, with the lowest age limit remaining at 18. Models who are past 27 years of age are referred to as best-agers within the show.
Travel and finale logistics further highlight the differing production structures. On the American show, the final five or six contestants travel to an international destination. In contrast, the German version does not consistently commit to a specific number of journeys abroad; season 1 went abroad two times, season 2 went four times, and season 3 went to six different countries.
On America's Next Top Model, the final two or three contestants compete on a runway, and the winner is chosen in the judging room. On Germany's Next Top Model, between three and six contestants compete on a runway and a photoshoot in front of a live audience in Cologne, Germany before the winner is revealed. The final show is broadcast live on TV. season 4's finale was the first to air live from a concert hall instead of a TV studio. These live finales lasted until season 20, and by season 21, the show returned to filming a pre-recorded finale due to budget cuts.
Starting with the nineteenth German season, the show expanded its format to include male contestants."Große Neuerung bei GNTM: Sensationelle Änderung für Männer und Frauen," ProSieben Digital, February 2024. Unlike other co-ed Top Model adaptations that still crown a single winner, the German adaptation declares two separate titles each season—one for each gender."GNTM Finale: Es gibt zwei Gewinner," DWDL Medienmagazin, June 2024. While season 19 featured both genders living and shooting together from the start of the main phase, a new format was introduced from season 20 onward: the men and women initially compete in completely separate productions—living in different houses and participating in separate photoshoots, castings, and elimination walks—before eventually merging midway through the season."Konzept-Revolution zum Jubiläum: GNTM trennt Männer und Frauen," Promiflash, 2025.
Spinoffs Die Model WG
Due to Klum's pregnancy, the start of the fifth season was postponed and began in March. Instead, a spinoff called Die Model WG was shown, featuring several former contestants from the show and hosted by judge Peyman Amin.
Germany's Next Topmodel: Stories During the season-long twentieth anniversary celebration of the series, Germany's Next Top Model: Stories is an online-exclusive companion show streaming on Joyn, that aired simultaneously with the season. The show, also presented by Klum, offers behind-the-scenes and never-before-seen footage of the season.
Host and judges Only Heidi Klum herself has been part of the judging panel on every cycle. All the other permanent judges have always been male. Thomas Hayo remained a permanent judge for the longest (six consecutive cycles), followed by Peyman Amin (four consecutive cycles). After leaving the show, Amin eventually hosted the show's spin-off, Die Model WG, and signed Cycle 5's winner Alisar Ailabouni despite never meeting her on the show. Although Boris Entrup was only a regular judge on Cycle 2, he still was part of the show until 2017 as the makeup advisor. In 2017, Wolfgang Joop became the first former judge to return as he was a guest judge for one episode, a finale, and came back in 2018 as well.
The judging panel since Cycle 14 has consisted of guest judges, with Klum being the only permanent judge.
JudgesCycles 1 (2006) 2 (2007) 3 (2008) 4 (2009) 5 (2010) 6 (2011) 7 (2012) 8 (2013) 9 (2014) 10 (2015) 11 (2016) 12 (2017) 13 (2018) 14 (2019) 15 (2020) 16 (2021) 17 (2022) 18 (2023) 19 (2024) 20 (2025) 21 (2026) Hosts Heidi Klum colspan="21" Judging Panelists Peyman Amin colspan="4" colspan="17" Bruce Darnell colspan="2" colspan="17" colspan="1" Armin Morbach colspan="1" colspan="19" colspan="1" Boris Entrup colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="18" Rolf Scheider colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="17" Qualid "Q" Ladraa colspan="4" colspan="1" colspan="16" Kristian Schuller colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="11" Thomas Hayo colspan="5" colspan="8" colspan="8" Thomas Rath colspan="5" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="13" colspan="6" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="12" Wolfgang Joop colspan="8" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="5" colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="2" Michael Michalsky colspan="10" colspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="7"
Series overview