Hugh Hefner Names Jaclyn Swedberg Playboy's 2012 Playmate of the Year!

USMagazine, Thursday, May 10, 2012, 4:00pm (PDT)

Following in the footsteps of 2011's Claire Sinclair and 2010's Hope Dworaczyk, 21-year-old Jaclyn Swedberg was named Playboy's 2012 Playmate of the Year Thursday, Us Weekly can exclusively confirm. Playboy founder and editor-in-chief Hugh Hefner, 86, and his son, Cooper, 20, were on hand to present Swedberg with the honor at the Playboy Mansion in the Holmby Hills area of L.A.

"Jaclyn was overcome with emotion and gratitude when giving her speech in front of Hef and her family," a Playboy rep tells Us. "All in all, it was fantastic afternoon with family, friends, Playmates and past Playmates of the Year all in attendance."

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California native Swedberg, who graduated from Chino Hills High School in 2008, was named the magazine's Miss April in 2011. "I think Jaclyn encompasses the true 'girl next door' persona and she'll do great representing the brand," Cooper tells Us. "She exemplifies what we'll be looking for, for the next 60 years."

After years of announcing the Playmate of the Year in Las Vegas, "Hef was happy to have it brought back to the Mansion," the rep tells Us. "Cooper welcomed guests and kicked off the ceremony by introducing his dad with a brief tribute and the fact that Playboy is approaching its 60th anniversary."

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Other famous Playmates of the Year include Jayde Nicole (2008), Sara Underwood (2007), Tiffany Fallon (2005), Jenny McCarthy (1994) and the late Anna Nicole Smith (1993).

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Hugh Hefner Names Jaclyn Swedberg Playboy's 2012 Playmate of the Year!