PAGEANT Circle

The Cayman Islands Minister for Tourism and Transport, Hon. Kenneth Bryan officially announced the government's decision to drop the national license for Miss Universe Cayman Islands. According to the minister, the local committee was consulted before notifying the Miss Universe Organization. Future uncertainties due to the changes being implemented by MUO were hinted at as the reasons for their decision. While first runner-up and 70th Miss Universe representative Chloe Powery-Doxey is expected to be officially crowned as Miss Universe Cayman Islands this March, it is still unknown who will take over the franchise or when the country will be back to the Miss Universe pageant. "I am hopeful that a private sector entity will step up and take over the franchise, because, in addition to offering tremendous empowerment opportunities for young women, it also allows them to act as positive role models for other young women, and represent the Cayman Islands as a cultural ambassador,&q

The new national director for Miss Universe Vietnam, Quỳnh Nga, was officially announced on Friday, February 24 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Moving forward, the news anchor and former pageant contestant will head the national competition that will select Vietnam's next representative at Miss Universe, starting with the 72nd edition (Miss Universe 2023) later this year in El Salvador. Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel of the USA and second runner-up Andreína Martínez Founier of the Dominican Republic were special guests during the official license signing ceremony that took place at the spectacular The Reverie Saigon. The newly formed partnership between the Vietnamese licensee and the Miss Universe Organization under JKN Global Group's Anne Jakrajutatip is just one of the series of changes (after Miss Universe Indonesia and Malaysia) made public since the Thai business mogul acquired full ownership. "This momentous occasion marks the beginning of an exciting new era

Unicorp, the organizer of Hoa Hậu Hoàn Vũ Việt Nam (Miss Universe Vietnam) announced its continuation of the national pageant despite losing the national license for Miss Universe. Affirming its ownership rights to the brand, the important details for the upcoming Hoa Hậu Hoàn Vũ Việt Nam 2023 competition will soon be announced together with Unimedia. The new license holder for Miss Universe Vietnam is a media personality and former aspiring beauty queen Quỳnh Nga. She was officially announced in a license signing ceremony held on Friday, February 24 at The Reverie Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City. In an official statement, the former licensee also announced a week ago its decision to "suspend cooperation with Miss Universe Organization" and said, "After a period of careful consideration on many factors ... the new business orientations of Miss Universe were no longer consistent with the strategy and long-term development goals of Hoa Hậu Hoàn Vũ Việt Nam. Under Unicorp, Vietn

Two weeks after the announcement that shocked the pageant community, the new Miss Universe Indonesia organization under the leadership of Indonesian singer and entrepreneur Poppy Capella has been officially launched. A star-studded press conference followed by a glittering red carpet gala dinner took place on Tuesday, February 21 at the Mulia resort, on the beautiful Nusa Dua in Bali. Among the special guests were reigning Miss Universe from the USA R'Bonney Gabriel, second runner-up Andreína Martínez Founier of the Dominican Republic, and Top 5 finalist Gabriëla Dos Santos of Curacao. The owner of the Miss Universe Organization Anne Jakrajutatip and her team were also present and made another surprising revelation about her company's preference for standalone national pageants being held exclusively for her prestigious brand. "We (MUO) prefer to have just one stage for one beauty pageant brand. No other brands must involve. I respect your work in the past 20-30 years, I a

Newly formed Miss Universe Malaysia was launched in a press conference held on Friday, February 17 at the Astor Ballroom of the St. Regis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event officially introduced Indonesian singer Poppy Capella of Just Capella as the new license holder. She is also the owner of Jakarta-based PT Capella Swastika Karya which recently acquired Miss Universe Indonesia. Also announced joining her team is appointed CEO Dato' Westin Chew, a Malaysian businessman and hands-on chief executive officer who has over a decade of experience in various fields. Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel and her court, Dominican Republic's Andreína Martínez Founier, and Curacao's Gabriëla Dos Santos were invited to attend as special guests. This is the second part of their official Asian tour that kicked off in Bangkok, Thailand a week ago. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miss Universe (@missuniverse) Miss Universe Organization owner an

Romeo Escobar, the national director of Miss Universe Belize for the past five years, announced his withdrawal from the Miss Universe Organization in an official statement released on Thursday, February 16. He mentioned MUO's recent "changes and implementations on its business model including franchise bidding under JKN Global Group's ownership" as the reason for his decision to give up his national franchise. The three-time Emmy Award winner and "Survivor 42" runner-up added, "This does not align with the way I conduct business and I believe it is not a sustainable way to keep a partnership long-term with its directors." He also confessed to struggling to get the financial backing needed to run the national pageant organization because, according to his statement, "no one cared or wanted to be associated with pageants in Belize at all." His message for the next national director: "I hope the next person who takes on the Miss Univers

Yayasan Puteri Indonesia was surprised, Miss Universe's license was taken by another organization The Yayasan Puteri Indonesia (YPI) the organization behind the annual Puteri Indonesia pageant revealed in an official press release they were shocked by the news that the Miss Universe Indonesia license has been taken over by PT Capella Swastika Karya. According to the Head of Communication for the Puteri Indonesia Foundation, Mega Angkasa, he was surprised by the statement from another organization claiming they have the license at a press conference on Wednesday, February 8 in Jakarta. "The Puteri Indonesia Foundation was surprised because at that time we were still waiting for confirmation from MUO's Director for Global Franchise, Carlos Capetillo, regarding the continuation of the license like the previous year," he said. He continued: "On January 25, 2023, YPI received information from the Miss Universe organization that there would be bidding to extend the 202

MALZ Promotions, under the leadership of Menaye Donkor Muntari officially announced their decision to renounce their license for Miss Universe Ghana. The reason was due to "the new and sudden implementation of the Miss Universe Organization business model under the JKN Global Group's leadership" which according to them is "not aligned with MALZ Promotions' brand objectives." "MALZ Promotions regrets any inconveniences that their decision may cause to fans and enthusiasts and wishes the Miss Universe Organization the very best in their future endeavors," they said in an official statement released on Friday, February 10. "Miss Universe Organization's dedication to women empowerment is greatly appreciated and MALZ Promotions is thankful for their help to highlight the unique qualities of our country, Ghana, in the global arena," they added. Read their full statement below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by

The Miss Universe Organization started releasing the closed-door interviews of the 71st Miss Universe contestants on its official social media and streaming platforms. This historic move letting the public get access to the crucial part of the judging criteria for the first time will hopefully help shed light on why some heavy fan favorites failed to enter the semifinals. Fifty percent of the contestants' scores were from the closed-door interview with the selection committee while the other half were from the preliminary evening gown and swimsuit competitions. Fans alleged on social media that the recently concluded Miss Universe 2022 pageant was rigged which the MUO already debunked and called the false allegations "absurd" in a statement. It wasn't the first time for the winner R'Bonney Gabriel to face such allegations. The first Filipino-American Miss Universe also experienced the same challenge after she won Miss USA 2022 in Reno, Nevada last October. With th

Miss Universe Organization (MUO) has officially announced its partnership with California-based sash maker The Sash Company for their first-ever sustainable sashes. The new sashes for the forthcoming Miss Universe edition are made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials (organic and sustainable luxury fibers and threads) and with ethically produced rhinestones. "We hope our commitment to sustainability will reduce the overall amount of plastic and waste in the environment. This is one small step of many we hope to make in the future as small actions by corporations and organizations will have the greatest impact on making a greener future for all," MUO shared on its official Instagram page. The official announcement received a lot of positive feedback from the pageant fans and several contestants. Miss Universe Seychelles Gabriella Gonthier commented, "Great initiative, first steps to being a positive global ambassador." Miss Universe Venezuela Amanda Dudamel al

The new Miss Universe crown "Force for Good" by Mouawad was officially unveiled on Monday, December 19 at True Icon Hall (Icon Siam) in Bangkok, Thailand. Crafted by hand with 993 stones, 110.81 carats of blue sapphire, and 48.24 carats of white diamond, the Mouawad masterpiece truly represents what Miss Universe Organization stands for. The intricate design evokes the organization's "belief in a future forged by women who push the limits of what’s possible and the incredible women from around the world who advocate for positive change." According to Miss Universe owner Anne Jakrajutatip, the new crown "stands for a graceful reincarnation of the Miss Universe Organization’s long-standing values and heritage as a guiding light, shining bright to the future glory." "The new crown is also the dazzling illustration of both the challenges and rewards that come when young women advocate for causes close to their heart and strive to make an impact on the