<Ul> <Li> ◀ </Li> <Li> 2006 </Li> <Li> ▶ </Li> </Ul> <P> The second season of So You Think You Can Dance premiered on May 25, 2006, with new host Cat Deeley . </P> <P> On August 16, Benji Schwimmer was announced as the winner of season 2 and received the grand prize of $100,000, a new hybrid SUV, and a one - year contract with Celine Dion's Las Vegas show, A New Day...Schwimmer almost did not make the show's top 20--he was officially first runner - up dancer in case any of the male dancers ran into unforeseen difficulties prior to the start of filming . As it happened, for the second year in a row, Hokuto Konishi was unable to get his visa cleared to work in the U.S. in time for the first taping, and he was cut . Schwimmer took his spot in the Top 20 and fared well from the start, garnering consistent praise from the judges and votes from viewers . Schwimmer and fellow grand finalist Donyelle Jones, who were paired as a couple from the first performance episode, became the first contestants in the show's run to never face elimination from being in the bottom six or bottom 4 dancers . </P> <P> Auditions were held in New York City; Los Angeles; Chicago; and Charleston, South Carolina . </P>

Who won season 2 of so you think you can dance