After a low-profile year that saw auditions being held at a judge's home, Miss Universe Singapore is back this year with new partnerships to bring some shine back to what used to be one of the most talked-about beauty pageants.

Its new media partner and co-organiser is The New Paper (TNP), which also produces The New Paper New Face, an annual modelling competition.

They have brought on board the Singapore Turf Club as the new presenter and Canon Singapore as the new imaging partner.

Expressing delight at the collaboration, Ms Nuraliza Osman, national director of Miss Universe Singapore Organisation, said: "The negotiations for the deal have taken almost nine months and we believe that the collaboration with Singapore's media powerhouse will bring the pageant back to the hearts and minds of fellow Singaporeans." Ms Nuraliza won the crown in 2002.

This year's event promises to be very different from last year's, in which the winner, Ms Lisa Marie White, was told about her title over the phone, following the auditions.

The winner will walk away with a cash prize of $10,000. Applications, open to women aged 18 to 27, will close on Aug 17.

TNP editor Dominic Nathan said: "We are confident that, together with Nuraliza, Singapore Turf Club and Canon Singapore, we can raise the profile of the pageant. We will bring to it the right balance of elegance and fun. With TNP's New Face and Miss Universe Singapore, The New Paper has effectively cornered the market for spotting talent and beauty in Singapore."