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Abena Appiah | |
---|---|
Born | Evelyn Abena Akuaba Appiah June 2, 1993 |
Education | Radford University College Fashion |
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
Beauty pageant titleholder | |
Title | Top Model of the World Ghana 2013 Miss Universe Ghana 2014 Queen Beauty Universe 2016 Miss Earth Ghana 2019 Miss Grand USA 2020 Miss Grand International 2020 |
Hair color | Black |
Eye color | Brown |
Major competition(s) | Top Model Ghana 2013 (Winner) Top Model of the World 2013 (Unplaced) Miss Universe Ghana 2014 (Winner) Miss Universe 2014 (Unplaced) Queen Beauty Universe 2016 (Winner) Miss World America 2017 (Top 16) Miss Earth Ghana 2019 (Winner) Miss Earth 2019 (Top 20) Miss Grand USA 2020 (Winner) Miss Grand International 2020 (Winner) |
Evelyn Abena Akuaba Appiah (born June 2, 1993) is a Ghanaian–American singer, model and beauty queen who was crowned Queen Beauty Universe 2016 and Miss Grand International 2020. [1] [2] She was appointed as Miss Grand USA and became the first Black woman to win the Miss Grand International crown. [3] [4] She previously represented Ghana in two of the Big Four international beauty pageants but lost in Miss Universe 2014 and Miss Earth 2019. [5] [6]
Abena is also a singer who has released several singles, including "Akomah" (2015), "Earth" (2019), "No Hit and Run" (2019) and "No More Hate" (2021). [7] She has worked as a model, appearing in music videos for "Wake Up in the Sky" sung by Bruno Mars, Gucci Mane and Kodak Black, as well as "El Anillo" by Jennifer Lopez. [8]
Abena started joining pageants when she won Top Model Ghana in 2013 and represented her country in Top Model of the World where she finished at top 15. The following year, she represented Ghana in Miss Universe 2014 but she was unplaced. [9] [10]
She joined Miss World America 2017 representing New York. After couple of years, she represented Ghana again at Miss Earth 2019, where she placed in the Top 20 and won several awards. [11] [12] She trained under the Kagandahang Flores camp, a Philippines-based pageant camp that trains aspiring beauty queens for local and international pageants. [13] [14]
She joined Miss Grand USA 2020, where she was hailed as the winner and the first African-American to win the title. [15] [16] She eventually crowned as the winner of Miss Grand International 2020 by the outgoing titleholder Miss Grand International 2019, Valentina Figuera of Venezuela, on March 27, 2021, at Show DC Hall in Bangkok, Thailand making her the first woman from the United States to win the crown. [17]
Competition | Placement | Location | Special Awards | Represented |
---|---|---|---|---|
Top Model Ghana 2013 [18] | Winner | Ghana | Accra, Ghana | |
Top Model of the World 2013 [19] | Unplaced | Red Sea, Egypt | Ghana | |
Miss Universe Ghana 2014 | Winner | Accra, Ghana | Accra, Ghana | |
Miss Universe 2014 | Unplaced | Florida, United States | Ghana | |
Queen Beauty Universe 2016 [20] | Winner | Spain | Ghana | |
Miss World America 2017 | Top 16 | Florida, United States | Top 10 – Top Model Top 10 – Sports and Fitness | New York |
Miss Earth Ghana 2019 | Winner | Accra, Ghana | Accra, Ghana | |
Miss Earth 2019 | Top 20 | Manila, Philippines | Best in Evening Gown (Air) Best in Beach Wear (Air) Best in Talent (Air) Best in Resorts Wear (Air) Miss Vivo (Air) Miss Infinity Cosset (Air) Miss DOH Reg 5 (Air) People's Choice Award Best in Philippine Terno Miss Earth Flora 1st runner-up | Ghana |
Miss Grand USA 2020 | Appointed | New York | New York | |
Miss Grand International 2020 | Winner | Bangkok, Thailand | Top 20 – Best in Swimsuit Top 20 – How to eat Thai food in 2-minute Challenge | United States of America |
Year | Country | Title | Genre | Role | Producer | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | United States | Deadmeat | Action | Extra | [21] | |
2019 | United States | Mino: A Diasporic Myth | Utopian fantasy | Zuri | Ashunda Norris | [21] [22] |
2023 | Nigeria | A Taste of Sin | Drama | May | Frank Rajah Arase | [23] [24] |
2024 | United States | Meri Mary Mari | Sci-Fi | Meri Mary Mari | Antoine Jackson | [21] |
Nigeria | On Different Grounds | TBA | Mildred Okwo | [25] |
A beauty pageant is a competition in which the contestants are judged and ranked based on various physical and mental attributes. Per its name, beauty pageants traditionally focus on judging the contestants' physical attractiveness, sometimes solely so, but most modern beauty pageants have since expanded to also judge contestants based on "inner beauty"—their individual traits and characteristics, including personality, intelligence, aptitude, moral character, and charity. Though typically perceived as a female-oriented competition, male beauty pageants also exist, as do child beauty pageants for youth.
Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization. Along with Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.
Miss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India that annually selects representatives to compete in Miss World, one of the Big Four international beauty pageants. It is organised by Femina, a women's magazine published by The Times Group.
Miss Philippines Earth, originally titled Miss Philippines (2001–2003) then Miss Earth Philippines (2018), is a national beauty pageant held annually in search of "the most beautiful and environmentally-conscious and aware woman" in the Philippines.
Miss Universe Ghana, whose slogan is Ghana's Next Sweetheart, is a national pageant that sends representatives to the Miss Universe pageant. This pageant is unrelated to Miss Ghana or Miss Earth Ghana pageant. The current Miss Universe Ghana is Engracia Mofuman, who was crowned on December 21, 2021 in Accra, Ghana.
Maria Venus Bayonito Raj-Orillan is a Filipino actress, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2010. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2010 pageant and placed 4th Runner-up.
Miss Pakistan World is a beauty pageant for women of Pakistani descent from around the world. The event used to be held in Toronto, Canada but has moved to Pakistan and is held annually in Lahore, Pakistan.
This is a list of the Philippines' representatives and their placements at the Big Four beauty pageants. The Philippines, widely considered a beauty pageant powerhouse, has won in all four pageants, with a total of 105 placements and 15 victories:
The Big Four or the Big League Pageants refers to the four major international beauty pageants for women — Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth.
Miss Cambodia is a national Beauty pageant in Cambodia which also selects other winners to participate in big beauty pageants like Miss Universe, Miss International, and Miss Earth. The Miss Cambodia Organization also selects the other winners to participate in small pageants like Miss Asia Pacific International, and Miss Tourism International.
Binibining Pilipinas 2016 was the 53rd edition of the Binibining Pilipinas pageant, held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on April 17, 2016.
Miss Earth 2019 was the 19th edition of the Miss Earth pageant, held at the Okada Manila in Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines, on October 26, 2019.
Miss Grand USA, also referred to as Miss Grand United States of America, is an annual female beauty pageant in the United States, founded in 2016 by a Dominican-American businessperson, Chantel Martínez, aiming to select the country representative for Miss Grand International, which is an annual international beauty pageant promoting World Peace and against all kinds of conflicts.
Lourdes Valentina Figuera Morales is a Venezuelan model and beauty queen who represented Venezuela at Miss Grand International 2019 where she won the title. She is the first Venezuelan woman to win the Miss Grand International title.
Miss Grand Ghana is a Ghanaian female beauty pageant, founded in 2020 by Accra-based pageant organizer Legacy Pageants Limited, chaired by Sandy Amissah. The winners of the contest represent the country at its parent international stage, Miss Grand International, while the rest of its finalists are sent to compete on other international platforms. In 2022, the license of Miss Grand Ghana was taken over by Abena Appiah, a former Miss Grand International, who has owned and run the contest annually since then.
Miss Grand Ghana 2022 was the second edition of the Miss Grand Ghana beauty pageant, held on 8 July 2022 at the National Theatre of Ghana in the capital Accra. As the tradition of the pageant, the winner of the contest, Priscilla Bossman of Central Region was crowned by the immediate predecessor, Miss Grand Ghana 2020 Pamela Clement, and later represented the country at Miss Grand International 2022 held in Indonesia on October 25, but went unplaced.
Miss Grand Nepal 2020 was the third edition of the Miss Grand Nepal beauty pageant, held on August 13, 2020, at the Mojo Boutique Hotel in Baneshwor, Kathmandu. Ten contestants competed for the title, of whom a 21-year-old medical student from Kathmandu, Ambika Joshi Rana, was named the winner and crowned by Miss Grand Nepal 2019, Nisha Pathak. She then represented Nepal on the parent stage, Miss Grand International 2020, held in Thailand on March 27, 2021, but she went unplaced.
Miss Grand United Kingdom is a female beauty pageant in the United Kingdom, founded in 2015 by a Lancashire-based pageant organizer, Pageant Girls UK, chaired by Holly Louise, who was also the UK license holder for various other international pageants such as Miss Earth, Miss International and Miss Intercontinental. The winners of the contest, which usually comprises three or four titles, including Miss Grand England, Miss Grand Wales, Miss Grand Scotland, and Miss Grand Northern Ireland, represent their countries in the international parent contest, Miss Grand International. However, as the former licensee was unable to send the elected delegates to compete in the 2019 international contest in Venezuela, the competition license was transferred to Megan Darlington in 2020, and subsequently to Kathryn Fanshawe in mid-2022.