THEY cheered loudly when the girls trooped onstage.

Proud mothers, friends and photography buffs whipped out cameras and enthusiastically snapped away as their favourites were introduced.

Yes, the Top 20 finalists of New Face 2011 were revealed yesterday at the SPH Shop & Win grand draw held at Orchard Central.

Some of the girls wore nervous smiles as they made their first public appearances as New Face finalists.

The New Paper New Face modelling competition, which is into its 19th year, draws a big audience when the Top 20 are introduced.

And yesterday was no different.

Tang Li Yong, 17, from Raffles Junior College, confessed later: "I felt awkward. I didn't really know what I was doing. I was just smiling and looking my best."

She continued: "I was nervous too, because people can see whatever we're doing but I made small talk with Charlotte to ease the tension."

Charlotte Hand, another 17-year-old student, is also one of the Top 20 New Face girls. Though she made it to the final stage, Li Yong didn't tell anyone about it. She said she was afraid of being teased.

"I'm scared my friends will tease me while I'm on stage and I'll burst out laughing."

But fellow New Face contestant Jamie Lim wanted her friends to be there.

The 19-year-old Singapore Management University student said: "I was very excited about today since it's our first Top 20 appearance in public, so I posted it on Facebook and quite a few groups of friends came.

"My mum, who was working, took leave to come down and support me and I'm really grateful for it." But she did get some teasing from her friends as well.

"Some of them joked that since I was a high-profile personality, they had to take photos so they could sell them," Jamie said.

On her first public appearance as a Top 20 finalist, she said: "I thought it was an exhilarating experience. I felt like a celebrity because when I walked into the crowd, people start snapping photos of me.

"And I'm usually the one chasing celebrities!"

The girls not only posed on stage, they helped in the presentation of prizes to the winners of the grand draw yesterday.

They also posed for photos with Madam See Chu Lee, who snagged the top prize of a Subaru Forester 2.0X.

Madam See, a sales assistant who qualified for the SPH Shop & Win grand draw after buying a $48.20 waist pouch from OG Albert Complex, said: "I am so excited, I'm speechless!"

'Invigorating'

One of the New Face finalists, Alice Bigger, a 16-year-old student who's starting at the Tanglin Trust School, said: "It's quite invigorating. When you're on stage, everyone wants to take a picture.

"You feel quite important, it's a self-esteem booster."

However, she feels that now the top 20 has been officially revealed, the playing field has changed. "The competition has been taken to the next level. There will be higher expectations of us in terms of performance.

"It's going to be fast-paced and what we do now is going to be important as the public is more aware," said Alice.

But she doesn't seem daunted by the prospect.

"I'm overwhelmed, but in a good way. I like a challenge.

"The competition is going to be more exciting, it's different now. And it gives me something productive to focus and really work on," she said.

The New Paper New Face is sponsored by Subaru MotorImage, and co-sponsored by InnerShine, Levi's and Maybelline New York.

Look out for the fashion spreads of the Top 20 girls starting from Aug 22.