Miss America's Teen

Last updated
Miss America's Teen
Type Beauty pageant
Parent organization Miss America Organization
Headquarters Wellington, Florida
Country represented United States
First edition 2006
Most recent edition 2026
Current titleholderTess Ferm
South Carolina
CEO
Robin Ross-Fleming
Formerly called
Miss America’s Outstanding Teen
Language English
Website missamerica.org

Miss America's Teen is an American scholarship pageant. It is the sister program to the Miss America Opportunity, and it aims to "promote scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement for America's teens." As of September 6, 2025, Tess Ferm of South Carolina holds the esteemed title. In order to be eligible to compete, participants must first compete and win at the local level and then win the state title. The competition consists of several parts of competition which consists of an eight-minute interview in front of a panel of judges, talent, lifestyle and wellness, evening wear, and an on-stage question. All competitors must be girls between the ages of 13 and 18 years of age. [1]

Contents

More than $113,000 in scholarship grants were distributed among the 51 contestants in the pageant along with $29 Million in in-kind tuition with 7 universities, with a $30,000 scholarship being awarded to the winner. The chairwoman for the Miss America's Teen program is Miss America CEO, Robin Fleming.

In January 2023, the official name of the pageant was changed from Miss America's Outstanding Teen to Miss America's Teen.

The current titleholder is Tess Ferm of South Carolina, who was crowned in Orlando, Florida, on September 6, 2025.

History

The first competition was held in August 2005 in the Linda W. Chapin Theater at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Meghan Miller, who represented Texas, was the first to win the competition.

Winners

YearCrownedWinnerStateCityAgeAwardsTalentNotes
2006 August 20, 2005Meghan Miller [2] [3] Flag of Texas.svg Texas Beaumont 17Overall Talent Award [3]

Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ Award

Preliminary Talent Award		Ventriloquism
  • Off Broadway actress in The Berenstain Bears LIVE! And national tour casts of Berenstain Bears and John Tartaglia's ImaginOcean
  • Appeared on America's Got Talent [4]
2007 August 19, 2006Maria DeSantis [5] Flag of New York.svg New York Staten Island 17Preliminary Talent AwardVocal
2008 August 11, 2007 Caitlin Brunell [6] [7] Flag of Virginia.svg Virginia Great Falls 15Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ AwardEn Pointe Dance, "Show Off" from The Drowsy Chaperone
2009 August 16, 2008Taylor Fitch [13] Flag of South Carolina.svg South Carolina Anderson 17Musical Theater Dance
2010 August 15, 2009Jeanette Morelan [14] [15] Flag of Wisconsin.svg Wisconsin Racine 15Vocal, "Think of Me" from The Phantom of the Opera
2011 August 28, 2010Lacey Russ [19] Flag of Oklahoma.svg Oklahoma Cordell 16Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ AwardPiano, Bach's "Prelude XXI" and Beethoven's "Sonata Pathetique"
2012 August 20, 2011Elizabeth Fechtel [20] Flag of Florida.svg Florida Leesburg 17Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ AwardMusical Theater Jazz Dance, "I Am What I Am"
2013 August 18, 2012Rachel Wyatt [23] Flag of South Carolina.svg South Carolina Piedmont 17Dance
2014 August 17, 2013Leah Sykes [26] Flag of Florida.svg Florida Jacksonville 16Vocal, "Someone Like You" by Adele
2015 August 2, 2014Olivia McMillan [27] Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg Georgia Centerville 17Outstanding Vocalist Award [28]

Preliminary Talent Award [28] 		Classical Vocal, "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's opera, Turandot
2016 August 1, 2015Allie Nault [29] Flag of New Hampshire.svg New Hampshire Gilford 17Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ Award [30]

Teens in Action Award [30] 		Dance/Twirl
2017 August 6, 2016Nicole Jia [31] Flag of Oklahoma.svg Oklahoma Oklahoma City 17Outstanding Instrumentalist AwardPiano, Variations on Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca"
2018 July 29, 2017Jessica Baeder [32] Flag of Alabama.svg Alabama Auburn 17Teens in Action Award [33]

Preliminary Talent Award

Ballet en pointe, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
2019 July 28, 2018London Hibbs [34] Flag of Texas.svg Texas Tyler 17Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ Award

Preliminary Talent Award		Vocal, "Think of Me" from The Phantom of the Opera
2020 July 27, 2019Payton May [35] Flag of Washington.svg Washington Vancouver 17Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ AwardVocal, "Over the Rainbow"
  • Held title for two years since no competition was held in 2020
2021No national pageant was held due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 July 30, 2021Marcelle LeBlanc [36] Flag of Alabama.svg Alabama Birmingham 18Teens in Action Finalist

Preliminary Talent Award

Top Interview Award (tie)

Broadway Vocal, "On My Own" from Les Miserables
2023 August 12, 2022Morgan Greco [36] Flag of Washington.svg Washington Camas 16Preliminary Talent Award

Top Vocalist Award

Operatic Vocal, "The Jewel Song" from Faust
  • Later crowned Miss Teen International USA 2024
2024January 13, 2024Hanley HouseFlag of North Carolina.svg North Carolina Cleveland 16Preliminary Fitness Award

Preliminary Evening Wear

Dance
2025January 4, 2025Peyton BollingFlag of Arkansas.svg Arkansas Rogers 17Jazz Dance, "Man of La Mancha"
  • Held title for nine months
2026September 6, 2025Tess Ferm Flag of South Carolina.svg South Carolina Charleston 18Vocal, "Tomorrow" from Annie

Winners by state

StateNumber of
Titles Won		Year(s) Won
Alabama 2 2018, 2022
Florida 2012, 2014
Oklahoma 2011, 2017
South Carolina 2009, 2013
Texas 2006, 2019
Washington 2020, 2023
Arkansas 12025
North Carolina 2024
Georgia 2015
New Hampshire 2016
New York 2007
Virginia 2008
Wisconsin 2010

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Become a Contestant". Miss America's Outstanding Teen. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  2. ↑ Reed, Travis (August 20, 2005). "Texas teen ventriloquist wins Orlando Miss America youth pageant". Plainview Herald. Plainview, TX. Associated Press . Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Abel, Fred. "A Thunderous Teen Success". Pageantry Magazine.
  4. ↑ The Beaumont Enterprise – West Brook grad on 'America's Got Talent' Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Abel, Fred. "MAOT's Ready for Prime Time Debut". Pageantry Magazine.
  6. 1 2 Hogencamp, Kevin (August 1, 2014). "Mark Brunell's daughter, Miss Alabama, hoping to be crowned Miss America in September". The Florida Times-Union. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  7. ↑ Abel, Fred. "MAOT's Super Bowl". Pageantry Magazine.
  8. ↑ "Tracks, Tds, and a toddler: keeping up with Caitlin... Brunell's Sporting Life revolves around daughter". Seattle Post-Intelligencer . May 15, 1993.
  9. ↑ Centazzo, Kim (2007-05-02). "Kniffin Collects Dresses, Makes Prom Reality". Connection Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27.
  10. ↑ Watkins, Mia (June 7, 2014). "Caitlin Brunell, a University of Alabama graduate, is new Miss Alabama". AL.com . Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  11. ↑ Lala, Diane D'Amico Elisa; Loring, Devin (September 15, 2014). "Miss New York is the new Miss America (again)". The Press of Atlantic City . Atlantic City, New Jersey: BH Media Group.
  12. ↑ "Announcing the 2019 MAOTeen Competition Panel of Judges". Constant Contact. July 16, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Next in Line for Greatness". Pageantry Magazine. August 20, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2010". Miss America's Outstanding Teen.
  15. ↑ "Miss Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen, Jeanette Morelan, Wins Miss America's Outstanding Teen Competition". Miss America's Outstanding Teen. August 15, 2009. Archived from the original on January 29, 2010.
  16. ↑ Bauter, Alison (August 21, 2013). "Racine's Miss Outstanding Teen makes national top 10". The Journal Times.
  17. ↑ Hill, Emily (June 25, 2012). "Distinguished Young Women enjoy beach day at Dauphin Island (gallery)". AL.com.
  18. ↑ "Miss Mid-South wins Miss Tennessee". The Jackson Sun. June 18, 2016.
  19. ↑ Mendez, Angel-Anthony. "Full of Surprises". Pageantry Magazine.[ permanent dead link ]
  20. ↑ "Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2012 Rides In The University of Florida's Homecoming Parade". Tampa, FL: Miss America's Outstanding Teen. November 2012.
  21. ↑ Campbell, Theresa (February 18, 2015). "Back-to-back pageant wins as Miss UF for Fechtel sisters". Daily Commercial . Leesburg, FL: New Media Investment Group.[ permanent dead link ]
  22. ↑ Hayes, Stephanie (June 27, 2014). "Miss Florida pageant crowns the wrong winner". St. Petersburg, Florida: Tampa Bay Times.
  23. 1 2 "Rachel Wyatt Wins Miss South Carolina". WLTX19. June 25, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Who Is Rachel Wyatt? The Miss America 2017 Runner-Up Still Wins Big". Bustle.com. September 11, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Rachel W." DallasCowboys.com.
  26. ↑ Holifield, Cindy (October 23, 2013). "Good News: Three scouts earn their Eagle award". The Florida Times-Union. As the first runner-up, Leah Roddenberry of Bradenton has been passed Sykes' title of Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen.
  27. ↑ Pennell, Julie (November 1, 2014). "How This Teen Pageant Star Refused to Be Fat-Shamed and Went on to Win". Teen Vogue .
  28. 1 2 "2014 Scholarships". Miss America's Outstanding Teen.
  29. ↑ Tracey, Sara (September 12, 2015). "Conversation with Miss America's Outstanding Teen, Allie Nault". Press of Atlantic City.
  30. 1 2 "2015 Scholarships". Miss America's Outstanding Teen.
  31. ↑ Stewart, Kristen (August 8, 2016). "Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2017 Crowned in Orlando". PR Newswire.
  32. ↑ Berson, Scott (31 July 2017). "Miss Smiths Station Jessica Baeder crowned Miss America's Outstanding Teen". The Ledger-Enquirer. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  33. ↑ "2017 Scholarships". Miss America's Outstanding Teen. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  34. ↑ "Tyler's London Hibbs is 2019's Miss America's Outstanding Teen". Tyler Morning Telegraph. July 31, 2018.
  35. ↑ Middlewood, Erin (July 27, 2019). "Skyview senior wins Miss America's Outstanding Teen". The Columbian.
  36. 1 2 "Birmingham teen, actress wins Miss America's Outstanding Teen contest". al. 2021-07-31. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
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