Daniela and Moritz: The new faces of Germany’s Next Top Model”!

Daniela and Moritz: The new faces of Germany’s Next Top Model”!

The 20th season of “Germany’s Next Top Model” (GNTM) came to an end on June 20, 2025 with a spectacular finale. After almost four hours of exciting show, the winners have been chosen: Daniela (20) from Ostfildern and Moritz (19) from Berlin can celebrate the title. Daniela admitted after her win that she was “shocked” and needed time to process the event. Moritz, on the other hand, described his experiences in the season as “great experiences” and is looking forward to the upcoming challenges in the modeling business that now lie ahead of him.

In addition to the brilliant conclusion to the season, second places were taken by Magdalena (21) and Pierre (22) from Vienna, while Jannik (22) from Bad Segeberg and Zoe (19) from Pulheim were happy about third places. The finale was not only a fight for the title, but also a celebration of the show's 20th anniversary, with numerous former winners sharing their experiences.

A review and critical topics

Prominent guests appeared as part of the anniversary celebrations, including Luisa Hartema (2012), who reported on her international modeling career, and Jennifer Hof (2008), who spoke about her experiences as a very young winner. Lena Gercke (2006) reflected on the significance of the show today compared to its beginnings. Interestingly, in the context of these recaps, significant topics such as body shaming and the mental pressure on the contestants were not addressed in the finale, which has been criticized in the past.

Former judge Thomas Hayo described the show as a “family celebration” while Bruce Darnell repeated his famous line about the handbag. Former participants Sarah Knappik and Gina-Lisa Lohfink have also expressed interest in returning to the show. Men are also welcome to apply for upcoming seasons, including the applications already open for Season 21.

Pricing and responsive feedback

As part of their achievements, both Daniela and Moritz will each receive 100,000 euros and a cover on “Harper’s Bazaar”. In addition, they will be part of an advertising campaign by a major cosmetics manufacturer alongside Heidi Klum. Supermodel Naomi Campbell and Klum's daughter Leni were also present on the jury, while Klum's husband Tom Kaulitz performed with his band Tokio Hotel.

Amid the jubilant conclusion, however, there were also critical moments during the season that point to the show's diversity and body positivity agenda. One example was the case of candidate Faruk, who felt discriminated against during a casting because of his weight. Although his competitors initially showed solidarity, they withdrew this support in order not to jeopardize their own chances in the competition. Klum commented on this in an interview with “stern”, in which she emphasized that she has never supported “too thin” models and is specifically looking for plus-size candidates. The discussion about Faruk and the rejection by editor-in-chief Oliver Rauh made it clear how sensitively such topics must be treated in the industry.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the 20th season of GNTM brought impressive successes for the winners and exciting prospects for the participants of the next season, despite the critical issues that were not addressed in the finale.