A beauty pageant or beauty contest is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants, although most contests have evolved to also incorporate personality traits, intelligence, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria. The term refers largely to contests for women such as the Big Four international beauty pageants.
Miss Earth is an annual international environmental-themed beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness. The contest is the third largest beauty pageant in the world in terms of the number of national-level competitions to participate in the world finals. Along with Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss International, this pageant is one of the Big Four international beauty pageants – the most coveted beauty titles when it comes to international pageant competitions. The reigning titleholders dedicate their year to promote specific projects and often address issues concerning the environment and other global issues through school tours, tree planting activities, street campaigns, coastal clean ups, speaking engagements, shopping mall tours, media guesting, environmental fairs, storytelling programs to children, eco-fashion shows, and other environmental activities. The Miss Earth winner is the spokesperson for the Miss Earth Foundation, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other environmental organizations. The Miss Earth Foundation also works with the environmental departments and ministries of participating countries, various private sectors and corporations, as well as the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF).
Shandi Ren Finnessey is an American actress, model, TV host and beauty queen. She is best known for winning the Miss USA title, as Miss Missouri USA. She previously held the title of Miss Missouri 2002 and competed in Miss America, where she won a preliminary award. She placed as first runner-up at the Miss Universe 2004 competition. She is one of three women to have been both Miss Missouri USA and Miss Missouri and the only Missourian to have been Miss USA. Her first runner-up finish at Miss Universe was the best placement in the 2000s and was the best United States placement between Brook Mahealani Lee's Miss Universe 1997 competition victory and Olivia Culpo's Miss Universe 2012 pageant win.
The Miss Utah USA competition is the pageant who selects the representative for the state of Utah in the Miss USA pageant. From 2002 to 2008, the pageant was produced by Red Curtain Productions. Casting Crowns Productions directed the pageant from 2009 to 2018 under the directorship of former Miss Missouri USA Britt Boyse. Smoak Productions became the new director for Miss and Teen pageants in 2019 under executive director and Miss USA 1995 Shanna Moakler.
Lisa Marie Forbes is an American beauty queen who competed in the Miss USA pageant in 2004 and Miss Earth 2007.
Debra Dene Barnes, was crowned Miss America in 1968.
Miss America 2007, the 80th Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on Monday, January 29, 2007, making it the first time that the pageant was held on a weekday, rather than the traditional Saturday since 1927's contest.
Miss America 2010, the 83rd Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada at the Theatre for the Performing Arts of Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on Saturday, January 30, 2010. Miss America 2009, Katie Stam from Indiana, crowned her successor, Caressa Cameron from Virginia, at the end of the event.
Erika Hebron is an American beauty pageant titleholder who won the title of Miss Missouri 2010 and competed in Miss America 2011 on January 15, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She competed at Miss Missouri as Miss Gateway St. Louis. She was a Top 10 finalist in the 2009 pageant and had won the Talent and Evening Gown awards in the 2010 pageant. Her talent is Lyrical Dance and her platform is the Children’s Miracle Network. She is a 2009 Oklahoma City University alumni having obtained a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance. She also held the title of Missouri's Junior Miss 2005 and competed at nationals with future Miss America Katie Stam.
Danielle Bounds holds the title of Miss Earth United States 2010 and placed in the Top 14 at the Miss Earth 2010 pageant.
Miss America 2012, the 85th Miss America pageant, was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts of Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on Saturday, January 14, 2012. Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan from Nebraska, crowned her successor Laura Kaeppeler from Wisconsin at the end of this event. It was broadcast live on ABC. All 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico competed for the title.
Miss America 2013, the 86th Miss America pageant, was held at the PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on Saturday, January 12, 2013. It was the last one to take place in Las Vegas. "America's Choice" winner, Alexis Wineman was the pageant's first autistic contestant. The 2013 winner Mallory Hagan was crowned by Miss America 2012 Laura Kaeppeler. Hagan served for only nine months as the pageant moved back to its former broadcast slot in September 2013.
Miss Teen USA 2015 was the 33rd Miss Teen USA pageant. It was held at the Atlantis Paradise Island in Nassau, The Bahamas on August 22, 2015 and was hosted by Miss USA 2013 Erin Brady and television writer Nick Teplitz. All fifty states and District of Columbia competed. K. Lee Graham of South Carolina crowned her successor Katherine Haik of Louisiana at the end of the event.
McKensie Lane Garber is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Hale, Missouri, who was named Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen 2011 and crowned Miss Missouri 2015. She competed for the Miss America 2016 title in September 2015.
Miss International 2016, the 56th Miss International pageant, was held on October 27, 2016 at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Edymar Martínez from Venezuela crowned her successor Kylie Verzosa from the Philippines at the end of the event. This is the first time in Miss International history the crowning of the runners-up was to see last year’s Top 5 winners.
Amanda Sasek is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Moberly, Missouri, who was crowned Miss Kansas 2014. She competed for the Miss America 2015 title in September 2014.
Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2007 was the 2nd Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant held at the Linda Chapin Theater in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on August 19, 2006. At the conclusion of the event, Meghan Miller of Texas crowned her successor Maria DeSantis of New York. The pageant was hosted by Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry and N'SYNC singer Joey Fatone.
Miss'd America is an annual drag pageant held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. It was founded in the early 1990s as a spin-off of the Miss America pageant. Contestants compete in four categories: swimsuit, evening gown, interview and talent, with the winner receiving $5,000. Part of the proceeds from each edition of the pageant are donated to local LGBT charities and initiatives. The event is produced by Rich Helfant, directed by Mark Dahl, and hosted by Carson Kressley.
