Get Your Hot Tamales Here!

A picture is worth a thousand words, but after reviewing pictures of hundreds of sultry soy boys and Tofutti cuties who entered our “Sexiest Vegetarian” online photo contest, only one word comes to mind—HOT! The results are in, and our PETA panel has narrowed down the field. It’s time for you to pick the “cream” of this crop of cruelty-free hotties and crown one guy and one gal the “Sexiest Vegetarian Alive.” Please choose one man and one woman (don’t forget to click “Vote” at the bottom of the page). We‘ll tally the votes and publish the winners’ photos in PETA’s Animal Times. Both winners will also receive a terrific cruelty-free prize package!

Thank you to everyone who entered. In our eyes, you’re all winners! If you’re reading this and haven’t switched to a healthy, humane vegetarian diet yet, be sure to order a free vegetarian starter kit!

Voting has ended. Please click here to see the winners.

Please click on the images to view full photographs.

Tofutti Cuties

Kelly, 30, lives in Avon, Ohio. Kelly is the proud mother of three vegetarian kids who are always on the go. Kelly volunteers with her daughter at a local animal shelter and participates in fundraisers for numerous charities. Her hero is fourth-generation cattle-rancher-turned-vegetarian-advocate Howard Lyman (a.k.a. "The Mad Cowboy") because of his wonderful conversion story. Although Kelly's main job as a stay-at-home mom keeps her very busy, she is also a part-time model.

Guerlyne, 28, lives in Manhattan. After adopting a vegan diet, Guerlyne lost 15 pounds and says that she "has never felt or looked better." A recent graduate of New York University, Guerlyne also makes sure that she purchases only cruelty-free cosmetics and clothing. Married to male Sexiest Vegetarian finalist Jonathan, Guerlyne says her husband's gourmet vegan cooking made the transition to a vegan diet delightfully easy. Guerlyne and Jonathan travel frequently and have come to the aid of numerous injured animals around the world.

Erin, 21, lives in Tempe, Arizona. A student at Arizona State University, Erin is a tireless campaigner for animals. She is currently fighting for a ballot initiative that would ban cruel gestation crates and veal stalls in Arizona (visit YesForHumaneFarms.org). Erin recently won the title of "Best Body" at ASU. She told PETA: "There's nothing hotter than a vegan guy—compassion is a huge turn-on, and so is a strong, healthy body. Oh, and eating meat is linked to impotence!"

Dawn, 33, lives in Winfield, Kansas. Raised on a cattle ranch in Kansas, Dawn went vegetarian when she was 9 and has never looked back. She has a healthy 4-year-old vegetarian son who likes to tell people that he thinks that eating animals is gross. Dawn runs a foundation that benefits programs for underprivileged girls and is outspoken against animal testing. Dawn likes to drive racecars and recently won a local race. She admires Pamela Anderson for her extensive work in behalf of animals.

Erin, 25, lives in Bettendorf, Iowa. Erin works as a business consultant for a cell phone company, and she lists traveling and being outdoors as two of her favorite pastimes. While preventing animal suffering is her main reason for being vegetarian, Erin says that she has noticed the major health benefits of consuming the "lean sources of protein, nutrients, vitamins, and natural antioxidants" found in vegetarian foods instead of the cholesterol and contaminants found in animal flesh. Erin also notes that vegetarians make better lovers because they tend to have more energy and stamina, weigh less, and be much healthier than their meat-eating counterparts!

Becky, 24, lives in Broomfield, Colorado. Becky went vegetarian a year ago, and her father and sister quickly followed suit. Becky's veggie-fueled diet helps her maintain a very active lifestyle, which includes yoga, dance, tae kwon do, hiking, and playing with her canine companion, Roxy. She is also active in political and animal rights causes. Becky tells us that she frequently dons her "I ♥ PETA" T-shirt so that she can make a pro-animal statement wherever she goes.

Stephanie, 18, lives in Toronto. A student at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Stephanie is a talented artist and actor. She is also outspoken for animals—she has participated in demonstrations against KFC's cruelty to chickens, and she organized an "Animal Rights Day" at her school. Stephanie raves about the terrific vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Toronto, which PETA recently named one of the most vegetarian-friendly cities in North America. What does Stephanie list as her biggest turn-off? Guys who fish. "There's nothing sexy about abusing a small animal," she told us.

Heather, 23, lives in Chico, California. A recent graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, Heather works at a natural-foods store and is considering a career in editing or publishing. Heather volunteered in PETA's successful campaign to convince clothing giant J.Crew to stop selling fur. She says she went vegetarian because she doesn't want to contribute to needless killing and "couldn't imagine supporting factory farming." What's Heather's favorite thing about being vegetarian? "My eyes have been opened to new food choices and amazing tastes I would not have tried previously."

Jamie, 22, lives in Austin, Texas. Jamie grew up in Alaska and recently graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in psychology. She credits John Robbins' The Food Revolution as her inspiration for going vegetarian. While the meat industry's abuse of animals and the environment were Jamie's main reasons for going vegetarian, there have been additional benefits as well: She now has more energy, along with healthier skin, nails, and hair. Jamie is a huge fan of vegan hip-hop legend Andre 3000 of Outkast, who won the celebrity version of PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian contest in 2004.

Natalie, 34, lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A life-long animal lover, Natalie went vegetarian after watching videos about factory farming. She now works as a part-time model and high school teacher, and she frequently discusses compassion for animals with her students, including several who have gone vegetarian as a result. In Natalie's free time, she likes to play with her two kids, work out, and distribute leaflets about the abuse of animals in circuses and laboratories.

Sultry Soy Boys

Brian, 29, lives in San Diego. An accomplished filmmaker, Brian worked as an editor and producer for the documentary Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click, which has won awards all over the world. He's also a producer for two major sports-talk radio programs in San Diego, where he often plugs the benefits of a cruelty-free diet on air (hosts and callers often refer to him simply as "Vegan"). Standing tall at 6'6", Brian is also an accomplished lacrosse player and competitive cyclist.

Gene, 25, lives in Atlanta. An accomplished singer/songwriter, Gene has released two acclaimed albums. Gene speaks out for different causes in his music and has volunteered for Food Not Bombs, a group that prepares and distributes healthy, humane vegan food to homeless people. Gene lives with a 2-year-old terrier mix named Ezri whom he adopted from a shelter.

Mike, 24, lives in Chicago. An international analyst for a financial publishing company, Mike went vegetarian after watching "Meet Your Meat," PETA's documentary about the meat industry. Mike also credits his "beautiful fiancée, Corina" for helping him learn about the cruelty of the meat industry and the benefits of a vegetarian diet. Mike and Corina live with a rescued cat.

Sumit, 23, lives in Santa Cruz, California. He has a black belt in tae kwon do and credits a vegan diet for his improved muscle tone and energy levels. Sumit likes to make tasty vegan versions of dishes like "sausage supreme" pizzas in order to trick his meat-eating friends. Citing "good health ... intelligence, and the gall to save the world" as his biggest turn-ons, Sumit says that he has "never met a vegan girl who wasn't gorgeous."

Woody, 25, lives in Gainesville, Georgia. Woody works at a mental health hospital, helping teenagers who are recovering from addictions. While doing this important work, he convinced the hospital's cafeteria to stock veggie burgers so that patients could enjoy healthy, tasty food. Woody is the lead singer of the band The Modern Society, which earned a nomination for "Best Band in Atlanta" at the 2005 Atlanta Music Guide Awards.

Jonathan, 30, lives in Manhattan. Jonathan grew up in a flesh-eating family, but now his entire extended family (including dogs and cats) are vegan. Jonathan is an avid bodybuilder who attributes his success to his vegan diet, pointing out that beans, whole grains, vegetables, and soy are great sources of healthy plant proteins but without all the artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat found in animal flesh. Jonathan has participated in numerous animal rights demonstrations, including recently joining PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk in an "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" protest in Times Square.

Mario, 25, lives in Burnsville, Minnesota. A native of Austria, Mario went vegan after watching a video about the suffering that animals endure when they are transported from factory farms to slaughterhouses. Although his family members were skeptical of his decision at first, they now eat much less meat, and his sister went vegan. Mario enjoys photography, mountain biking, and playing drums. He lives with his fiancée as well as a bird and a dog named Bug.

John, 20, lives in Providence, Rhode Island. As a fashion student at his university, John frequently discusses the cruelty of the fur industry with his teachers and classmates. He spoke to his school's cafeteria about the rising demand for vegetarian options among students, and the school responded by adding an extensive array of vegetarian burgers, wraps, and pasta dishes. John also convinced a friend not to buy a puppy from a pet store after he told her how pet stores support inhumane puppy mills and contribute to the enormous companion animal overpopulation problem. John shares his home with a rescued dog named George

Ricky, 19, lives in Lawrence, Kansas. A student at the University of Kansas, Ricky often travels to Latin America to do volunteer medical work in poorer communities. A big fan of Burger King's BK Veggie and Subway's Veggie Delight, Ricky enjoys soccer and playing music. Ricky cites great vegetarian peacemakers Gandhi and the Dalai Lama as inspirations for his switch to a more humane, healthy diet.

Chris, 25, lives in South Pasadena, California. Chris is a mortgage consultant and an actor. MTV selected Chris to play Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath in the popular show Becoming. Chris points to Food Revolution author and Baskin Robbins-heir-turned-vegan-advocate John Robbins as his role model for his courage and eloquence. Chris is an avid athlete, enjoying rock climbing, weightlifting, and gymnastics.