Tahnee Atkinson

Tahnee Atkinson is an Australian fashion model who gained widespread recognition after winning the fifth cycle of the reality television series Australia's Next Top Model. Born on January 31, 1992, Atkinson established her profile in the fashion world through her success on television and her subsequent commercial modeling contracts.

Atkinson grew up in Western Australia and completed her education at the Presbyterian Ladies' College located in Perth. Before making her mark on national television, she pursued initial modeling opportunities locally and obtained professional representation through Scene Models, an agency based in Perth.

In 2008, Atkinson took part in the Girlfriend Magazine Model Search alongside Clare Venema, another aspirant who would later compete on Australia's Next Top Model. Both Atkinson and Venema performed well enough in the contest to be named state finalists. However, both competitors were ultimately disqualified from the search because they had already entered into formal representation contracts with modeling agencies.

Atkinson achieved a major career breakthrough in 2009 when she appeared as a contestant on cycle five of Australia's Next Top Model. Recognized as a front runner throughout the broadcast, she won three individual challenges and secured three first call-outs from the judging panel. During her time on the show, she also walked the runway for designers Nicola Finetti and Alex Perry. However, her appearance during the competition was a subject of ongoing discussion, as her weight received public criticism from judges, fellow contestants, and professionals within the fashion industry.

Despite this scrutiny, Atkinson excelled in specific show challenges that yielded significant rewards. One challenge win earned her the lead role in a commercial advertising campaign for the telecommunications company Telstra. In another challenge, she won a $10,000 shopping spree at the Corner Shop; following this victory, she chose to give $1,000 of her prize to fellow contestant Adele Thiel.

On July 7, 2009, Atkinson was officially announced as the winner of cycle five of Australia's Next Top Model. For placing first in the competition, she received a grand prize package that included $20,000 in cash, a one-year modeling contract with Priscilla's Model Management, and a contract with Maybelline New York. Her prize package also included a spread in Harper's Bazaar magazine, accompanied by a six-month exclusive modeling contract with the publication that began with her first magazine photo shoot in August.

Following her win, Atkinson continued her career in fashion print modeling, which featured an advertising campaign for the brand Bettina Liano. In her ongoing professional career, Atkinson signed with the international agency IMG Models.