Miss USA historical past was made on Thursday evening. Miss Virginia Justus Kelley grew to become the primary mom and first married lady ever to win the Miss USA crown following rule adjustments that opened the competitors to extra girls.
Kelley, 31, was topped Miss USA 2026 on the Adrienne Arsht Middle for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, through the pageant’s seventy fifth anniversary competitors.
She was topped by outgoing titleholder Audrey Eckert, Miss USA 2025.
The Virginia native beat out 51 contestants representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
This 12 months’s contest was the 75th version of the nationwide pageant and was themed “75 Years of Icons,” in honor of the historic 12 months.
Her victory marks a milestone for the group after it eliminated age restrictions and eligibility guidelines that had beforehand barred married girls and moms from competing.
Kelley can also be the primary lady in her 30s to win the title. She is going to characterize the USA at Miss Universe 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
This 12 months’s Miss USA walked away with a big prize package deal, valued at greater than $685,000.
It features a $150,000 wage, a Vary Rover, a one-year lease in a luxurious Miami condo residence and a Westgate Trip Dwelling Membership.
Who Had been the Miss USA 2026 Finalists?
These have been the finalists at Miss USA 2026, as introduced by hosts Kenya Moore and Ian Ziering.
Miss Utah USA Alayzia Christopher completed as fourth runner-up. She wrote in a publish on Instagram, “An evening full of a lot pleasure & satisfaction, celebrating 75 years of @missusa and the most important honor of my life, representing Utah.”
Miss Iowa USA Madeline Erickson completed as third runner-up. In June, she wrote, “I’m feeling an awesome sense of satisfaction, honor, and gratitude to be named your Miss Iowa USA 2026.”
She added, “This title could have my title on it, but it surely was constructed by an unimaginable neighborhood of people that believed in me each step of the best way.”
Miss Pennsylvania USA Elizabeth Voight completed as second runner-up. “Thanks to the Miss USA Group for an unforgettable night honoring 75 years of historical past, and to the outstanding titleholders who got here earlier than us! It was a privilege to have a good time this milestone with you,” she wrote on Instagram.
The primary runner-up was Aileen Cerchiara of Florida. She wrote in a publish on Instagram, “To grace the Miss USA stage is without doubt one of the biggest honors of my life, however what makes this second actually particular are the individuals who helped me get right here.”
Full Record of Miss USA 2026 Contestants
- Alabama: Samantha Havenstrite
- Alaska: Holly Huber
- Arizona: Kaitlyn Humphrey
- Arkansas: Anna Claire Hay
- California: Acacia McBride
- Colorado: Jordyn Owen
- Connecticut: Jaeden Hamelly
- Delaware: Julia Hatoum
- District of Columbia: Kennedy JoAnn Lucas
- Florida: Aileen Cerchiara
- Georgia: Jade Kircus
- Hawaii: Darja Bassut
- Idaho: Katie Tetreault
- Illinois: Vivica Lewandowski
- Indiana: Eniola Oke
- Iowa: Madeline Erickson
- Kansas: Madilynn Becker
- Kentucky: Brijet Finister
- Louisiana: Ella Clark
- Maine: Mykala Inexperienced
- Maryland: Holly Plank
- Massachusetts: Kayshauna Montaño
- Michigan: Amber Uhler
- Minnesota: Rachel Betterley
- Mississippi: Victoria Cantu
- Missouri: Madison Beck
- Montana: Lisbeth Fernandez
- Nebraska: Emily Lenser
- Nevada: Natalie Bode
- New Hampshire: Samantha LaBonne
- New Jersey: Katarina Lengyel
- New Mexico: Cara Rgnonti
- New York: Jenna Dykstra
- North Carolina: Myla Hadley
- North Dakota: Sophia Richards
- Ohio: Kayelin L. Tiggs
- Oklahoma: Annamaria Thomas
- Oregon: Claire Wildey
- Pennsylvania: Elizabeth Voight
- Rhode Island: Victoria Cuartas
- South Carolina: Victoria Vesce
- South Dakota: Lexus Paulson
- Tennessee: Sydney Grace Younger
- Texas: Alexis Fuetsch
- Utah: Alayzia Christopher
- Vermont: Katherine McQuade
- Virginia: Justus Kelley
- Washington: Ellise Kakazu
- West Virginia: Alanna Lynch
- Wisconsin: Olivia Lulich
- Wyoming: Melanie San Roman
Miss USA Guidelines Over Time
For many of its historical past, Miss USA enforced strict eligibility necessities that mirrored conventional pageant requirements. Contestants needed to be single, couldn’t have kids, and have been typically required to be between the ages of 18 and 28.
The group started overhauling these guidelines in recent times, first permitting married girls, moms and divorced girls to compete, and later eliminating the higher age restrict altogether for contestants 18 and older.
Till the rule adjustments, contestants have been required to be single and childless. Some of the well-known examples got here in 1957, when Miss USA winner Leona Gage was stripped of her crown after organizers realized she was married and had two kids.
The Miss Universe Group introduced in September 2023 that it was eliminating age caps throughout Miss Universe and affiliated pageants. Beforehand, girls aged out of competitors at 28.
The Miss USA group adopted with related adjustments, making the 2024 competitors the primary during which married girls, moms and girls over 28 might absolutely take part.
Miss USA was additionally among the many first main worldwide pageant methods to permit transgender contestants, altering its guidelines in 2012. Kataluna Enriquez grew to become the primary overtly transgender lady to compete at Miss USA in 2021 after profitable Miss Nevada USA.
Regardless of the current liberalization of the principles, contestants should nonetheless be no less than 18 years outdated, be U.S. residents and meet residency, employment or academic necessities for the state they characterize.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Grey R. Thomas
