Competition
All delegates compete in an interview competition with the judges, based on their platform issue, and also in the swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions.
Prior to the nationally televised competition, the delegates participate in three nights of preliminary competition, where preliminary award winners are chosen in each category.
During the final telecast, following the announcement of the semi-finalists, the top ten compete in swimsuit and evening gown. The top five go on to compete in the talent competition, and the top three face a final interview round.
Deidre Downs Gunn is an American physician and former beauty pageant titleholder. Downs was Miss Alabama 2004 and later was crowned Miss America 2005.
Jennifer Berry-Gooden is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss America on January 21, 2006. A resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the time of her investment to sovereignty of beauty, she became the fifth Miss America from Oklahoma to have held the title.
The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss America Scholarship Competition.
Miss USA 2007 was the 56th Miss USA pageant, held at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on March 23, 2007, after two weeks of events and preliminary competition. The winner of the pageant was Rachel Smith of Tennessee.
Kandice Pelletier Halpin is an American beauty queen, swimwear designer, and dancer from Marietta, Georgia. She competed in the Miss America pageant and on two seasons of the reality television show The Amazing Race.
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.
Amanda Kozak-Miliner is a pageant titleholder and educator from Warner Robins, Georgia who competed in the Miss America and Miss USA pageants. She is also the 2015 Georgia Teacher of the Year.
Miss America 2005, the 78th Miss America pageant, was held in Atlantic City on Saturday, September 18, 2004, following a week of events including the preliminary competition.
Miss Teen USA 1999, the 17th Miss Teen USA pageant, was televised live from Shreveport, Louisiana on 24 August 1999. At the conclusion of the final competition, Ashley Coleman of Delaware was crowned by outgoing queen Vanessa Minnillo of South Carolina. Coleman was the first national titleholder from Delaware.
Miss America 2008, the 81st Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, on Saturday, January 26, 2008.
Miss USA 2008 was the 57th Miss USA pageant, held at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 11, 2008. At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Crystle Stewart of Texas was crowned the winner by outgoing titleholder Rachel Smith of Tennessee. Crystle represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2008 pageant, which was held in Vietnam, where she placed in the Top 10. This was also the first time in the pageant's 56-year history that two consecutive women of African Americans have been crowned.
The most frequently presented Miss America awards are for preliminary talent and swimsuit. The talent award was introduced in 1936, and the swimsuit award in 1940. In the 2000s, preliminary awards for evening gown and interview were briefly introduced but were discontinued after two years as it was felt that they made the semi-finalists too predictable.
Miss America 2009, the 82nd Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on Saturday, January 24, 2009.
Nuestra Belleza México 2005, the 12th Nuestra Belleza México pageant, was held at the Antiguo Taller de Locomotoras of Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico on September 2, 2005. Thirty-three contestants of the Mexican Republic competed for the national title, which was won by Priscila Perales from Nuevo León, who later competed in Miss Universe 2006 in United States where she was a semifinalist in the Top 10. Perales was crowned by the outgoing Nuestra Belleza México titleholder Laura Elizondo. She was the third Neoleonesa to win this title.
Nuestra Belleza México 2008, the 15th annual Nuestra Belleza México pageant, was held at the Arena Monterrey of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico on September 20, 2008. Thirty-three contestants competed for the national title, which was won by Karla Carrillo from Jalisco, who later competed in Miss Universe 2009 in The Bahamas. Carrillo was crowned by outgoing Nuestra Belleza México titleholder Elisa Nájera. She was the second Jalisciense to win this Title.
Miss USA 1953 was the second Miss USA pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California on July 16, 1953.
Nuestra Belleza México 2011, the 18th annual Nuestra Belleza México beauty pageant, was held at the Centro Internacional de Convenciones in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico on August 20, 2011. Thirty-four contestants from the Mexican Republic competed for the national title, which was won by Karina González from Aguascalientes who later competed in Miss Universe 2012 in the United States, where she was a Semifinalist in the Top 10. González was crowned by outgoing Nuestra Belleza México titleholder Karin Ontiveros and Miss Universe 2010 titleholder Ximena Navarrete. She was the first Hidrocalida to win this title.
Miss USA 2012 was the 61st Miss USA pageant, held on June 3, 2012, at the PH Live in Las Vegas, Nevada and it was televised live on NBC. Alyssa Campanella of California crowned her successor Olivia Culpo of Rhode Island at the end of the event. This was Rhode Island's first Miss USA title. Culpo represented the United States at Miss Universe 2012 six months later and went on to win the Miss Universe title, becoming the eighth American to do so.
Miss USA 2013 was the 62nd Miss USA pageant, held on June 16, 2013 at The AXIS in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 50 states and the District of Columbia competed for the title and the pageant was televised live on NBC. Outgoing titleholder Nana Meriwether of Maryland crowned her successor Erin Brady of Connecticut at the end of the event. This was Connecticut's first ever Miss USA crown.
Miss America 2019, the 92nd Miss America pageant, though the Miss America Organization celebrated its 98th anniversary in 2018. This discrepancy is due to national pageants not being held from 1928 to 1932 or in 1934 because of financial problems associated with the Great Depression. The 2019 competition was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. On May 23, 2018, it was announced that the pageant would air live on ABC on Sunday, September 9, 2018. This was the last Miss America to be aired on ABC before it was moved to NBC beginning from the 2020 pageant.
