A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, talent, character, and charitable involvement, through private interviews with judges and answers to public on-stage questions. The term beauty pageant refers originally to the Big Four international beauty pageants.
Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, when the organization announced it was licensing operation of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants to Crystle Stewart, Miss USA for 2008 prior to her suspension in October 2022, thus returning the said pageants to the Miss Universe Organization.
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant that run since 1983 by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. Unlike its sister pageants Miss Universe, which currently broadcasts on JKN18 and Miss USA, this pageant is webcast on the Miss Teen USA website and simulcast on mobile devices and video game consoles. The Miss Universe Organization previously operated Miss Teen USA, as well as Miss USA, until 2020 when the rights to produce both pageants were licensed to Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart prior to her suspension in October 2022, thus returning the said pageants to the Miss Universe Organization. The parent company of all three pageants and the Miss Universe organization remains the same under the licensing agreement: JKN Metaverse Inc., a subsidiary of JKN Global Group.
Shandi Ren Finnessey is an American actress, model, tv host and beauty pageant titleholder. 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.
The Miss Universe Canada or "The Beauties of Canada" is a national beauty pageant in Canada, which sends its winners to the Miss Universe pageant.
The Miss California Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of California in the Miss Teen USA pageant. It was formed in 1983. This pageant is part of the Miss USA Organization, owned by Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart.
The Miss Maine competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Maine in the Miss America pageant. Maine has been represented in the pageant since 1937, although the state has never produced a winner.
The Miss North Carolina competition selects the representative for the state of North Carolina to compete in the annual Miss America competition. The competition has been held in High Point, North Carolina since 2021 and was previously held in Raleigh every year since 1978. Prior to that, it was held in various locales including Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham, Burlington, Wilmington, and Morehead City. Taylor Loyd of Mooresville, North Carolina was crowned Miss North Carolina 2023 on June 24, 2023, at High Point Theatre in High Point, North Carolina. On January 14, 2024, she competed for the title of Miss America 2024 and placed in the Top 11 semi-finalists.
The Miss Virginia competition is a scholarship pageant for women, with the titleholder representing Virginia in the Miss America pageant. The competition was founded in 1953 as a scholarship contest for young women, although women had represented Virginia in the Miss America pageant since the 1930s. Four Miss Virginia winners have gone on to be crowned Miss America, including former national titleholder Caressa Cameron.
The Miss Connecticut competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Connecticut in the Miss America pageant. Connecticut has won the Miss America crown once, and is the only New England state which has produced a Miss America.
The Miss Maryland competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Maryland in the Miss America pageant.
The Miss Rhode Island competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Rhode Island in the Miss America pageant.
Mrs. America Pageant is a beauty competition that was established to honor married women throughout the United States of America. Each of the contestants representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia ranges in age from their 20s to 50s and earns the right to participate in the national event by winning her state competition. These state events are under the direction of Mrs. America state directors. The winner goes on to compete in the Mrs. World pageant.
Miss America 2008, the 81st Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, on Saturday, January 26, 2008.
The Señorita Panamá is a national beauty pageant in Panama. As of the 2024 edition, Señorita Panamá winners represent Panamá in Miss Universe and Miss International. The Miss Panama brand started in 1952, when the Panamanian Institute of Tourism received an invitation from Miss Universe to send a representative. In 1975, the Señorita Panamá name was used for the first time, reverting to Miss Panama in 1976. In 1982, Señorita Panamá was created by RPC Channel 4 as an alternative to send its winners to the Miss World contest in London. These pageants, along with smaller pageants such as Miss International Panamá and Miss World Panamá celebrated to select delegates for international representations.
Miss Panamá 2014, the 48th Annual edition of the Miss Panamá pageant, selected representatives from Panama to Miss World, Miss Universe & Miss Intercontinental pageant. The pageant was split into two contests: Miss Panamá Mundo and Miss Panamá Universo. This asw the fourth edition of the pageant under the management of Marisela Moreno, former Miss World Panama, the OMP and broadcast live on Telemetro. About 16 contestants from all over Panamá competed for the crown. Miss Panamá 2013, Carolina Brid of Veraguas crowned Yomatzy Maurineth Hazlewood De La Rosa of Darién at the end of the event as the new Miss Panamá Universe, also Sara Bello Miss Intercontinental Panamá 2013 of Los Santos crowned to Stephanie Gonzáles of Los Santos as the new Miss Intercontinental Panamá.
The Miss Minnesota's Teen competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Minnesota in the Miss America's Teen pageant.
Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2008 was the 3rd Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant held at the Linda Chapin Theater in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on August 11, 2007. At the conclusion of the event, Maria DeSantis of Texas crowned her successor Caitlin Brunell of Virginia. The pageant was hosted by Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson and performer Billy Flanigan.
Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2013 was the 7th Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant held at the Linda Chapin Theater in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on August 18, 2012. At the conclusion of the event, Elizabeth Fechtel of Florida crowned her successor Rachel Wyatt of South Carolina. Miss America 2012 Laura Kaeppeler was a host of the event.
Miss World America 2017, also referred to as America's Miss World 2017, was the 9th edition of the Miss World America pageant and it was held in the Linda Chapin Theater in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida and was won by Clarissa Bowers of Florida. She was crowned by outgoing titleholder, Audra Mari of North Dakota. Bowers went on to represent the United States at the Miss World 2017 Pageant in Sanya, China later that year. She finished in the Top 40 at Miss World.
