Winner of 'Australia's Next Top Model' announced

Montana Cox has been named the winner of 'Australia's Next Top Model' 2011. Photo / Getty Images

An 18-year-old from Melbourne has taken the title of Australia's Next Top Model for 2011.

Montana Cox said she was surprised and delighted when she was announced the season seven winner of the reality series at the Sydney Opera House last night.

"I'm on top of the world," she told AAP.

"I did not think I would get this far."

Cox was the fashion industry favourite throughout the competition and won the public vote to take the title.

"It was really good to have that support from the industry," she said.

"It gave me a lot of confidence."

The brunette beat runner-up Liz Braithwaite from Brisbane and third-placed Simone Holtznagel from Wollongong.

Both Braithwaite and Holtznagel are also 18.

The finale went off without a hitch in contrast to last year's controversial ending when Sarah Murdoch announced the wrong contestant as the winner.

An eighth series of Australia's Next Top Model will screen in 2012.

- AAP