Paulina Brodd Crowned Miss Universe Sweden 2015

20 year old Paulina Brodd from Stockholm was crowned Miss Universe Sweden 2015 during the annual event held on July 19.

Standing 1.77m tall, Paulina currently works as a model. She is the daughter of Monica Brodd, Froken Sverige 1992 and a Top 10 finalist in the Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand that year.

Following the footsteps of her mother, Paulina will represent Sweden in the upcoming edition of the Miss Universe pageant.

Crowned as Miss International Sweden 2015 was Isabella Jedler Forsman, a model and blogger standing 1.70m tall, who was also awarded as Miss Photogenic. She will travel to Tokyo, Japan, to participate in the Miss International 2015 competition to be held in November.

Jessica Ngoua Nseme wins Miss Cameroon 2015

Jessica Lydie Ngoua Nseme from Littoral was crowned Miss Cameroon 2015. Not a press favorite to win the title, Jessica beat the odds and emerged as her country’s representative in Miss World 2015 on December 19 in Sanya, China.

Joelle Thonet placed 2nd and Diane Biata was 3rd place.

Miss World Guadeloupe 2015 is Arlene Tacite

22 year old Arlene Tacite was the winner of Miss World Guadeloupe 2015 held in Petit-Bourg. She will be the official entry of Guadeloupe in Miss World 2015 in Sanya, China on December 19 later this year.

Khin Myint Crowned Miss World Myanmar 2015

Khin Yadanar Thein Myint was crowned Miss World Myanmar 2015 edging out 19 other candidates vying for the crown.

The 1st runner-up was Maureen Lu San, while Nang Sandar Hla Htun was the 2nd runner-up.

Khin will compete representing Myanmar in Miss World 2015 pageant on December 19 in Sanya, China.

Zahara Nakiyaga wins Miss Uganda 2015

23 year old Zahara Muhammad Nakiyaga took home the Miss Uganda 2015/16 crown beating 20 other contestants held Kampala Serena Hotel.

Juliana Nabwowe and Engrid Wanyama was the first and second runners-up respectively.

Nakiyaga had been billed as the favorite right from the onset and she seemed to ride very well on that as an advantage against her fellow contestants. She will now be the official representative of Uganda in Miss World 2015 contest in Sanya, China on December 19.

Olivia Jordan of Oklahoma Crowned Miss USA 2015

Olivia Jordan won the title Miss USA 2015 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Digital cable network Reelz aired the pageant after Univision and NBC dropped out due to Donald Trump’s racist and controversial comments about Mexico. Trump himself chose not to come, saying he had to attend to his presidential campaign.

To fill the hosting gaps, the show brought back old Miss USA and Miss Universe contestants as judges, once most celebrities refused to take part in an event related to Donald Trump.

Jordan is a former Miss World America 2013 and a quarter-finalist in Miss World (top 20) held in Bali, Indonesia. The a 26-year-old from Tulsa, Oklahoma has appeared in several national/international commercials and feature films. She is a graduate of Boston University, where she earned a degree in health science. As a model, Olivia has walked for Sherri Hill in New York Fashion Week 2015 and the runway at Miami Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2014. She has also been featured in Cosmopolitan, Shape and Vogue Japan. Olivia has been recognized by Children of the Night, a group dedicated to getting children out of prostitution, for her work with the organization.

She will now get ready to compete in Miss Universe 2015. There’s no date or venue for the pageant yet.

FINAL RESULTS

First Runner Up:
Miss Texas USA, Ylianna Guerra, will assume the duties of Miss USA 2015 if the titleholder is named Miss Universe 2015 or if for some reason Miss USA cannot fulfill her duties.

Second Runner Up:
Miss Rhode Island USA, Anea Garcia

Rest of Top Five:
Miss Nevada USA, Brittany McGowan
Miss Maryland USA, Mame Adjei

Rest of Top Eleven:
Miss Alabama USA, Madison Guthrie
Miss Delaware USA, Renee Bull (first time ever Delaware made the cut in Miss USA)
Miss Hawaii USA, Emma Wo
Miss Louisiana USA, Candice Bennatt
Miss Michigan USA, Rashontae Wawrzyniak
Miss Kentucky USA, Katie George

Rest of Top Fifteen:
Miss Arizona USA, Maureen Montagne
Miss Illinois USA, Renee Wronecki
Miss New York USA, Thatiana Diaz
Miss Virginia USA, Laura Puleo

MISS PHOTOGENIC USA™ Award: Miss Indiana USA Gretchen Reece. A blue ribbon panel selected the delegate who exemplifies beauty through the lens of a camera. She was awarded a $1,000 cash prize.

MISS CONGENIALITY USA™ Award: Miss Alaska USA Kimberly Agron and Miss Delaware USA Renee Bull tied for the award, marking the first time ever that two contestants received the honor in Miss USA history. This award reflects the respect and admiration of the contestants’ peers, who voted for both as the most congenial, charismatic and inspirational participant. Each contestant was awarded a $1,000 cash prize.

Mexico Withdraws from Miss Universe Pageant

Donald Trump called Mexican immigrants “rapists” and “drug dealers.” Now, the country’s pageant organizers have decided they won’t send contestants to Trump’s Miss Universe pageant.

Two weeks after the real estate mogul angered many Mexicans with inflammatory remarks about immigrants to the United States, Mexican media conglomerate Televisa, which sends contestants to the pageant for the country, said in a statement that it would not be taking part in Miss Universe.

But that’s not the only Trump beauty contest losing support from its participants. The hosts of the Miss USA pageant, Thomas Roberts and Cheryl Burke, quit on Tuesday. Burke, a former contestant on Dancing with the Stars, singled out Trump’s comments in a Facebook post:

The latest double blow to Trump’s beauty pageant franchise comes a day after NBC announced it was not going to air Miss USA “due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants.” Spanish language network Univision announced earlier it too would not air the pageant, for the same reasons.

Trump is now suing Univision for $500 million under the First Amendment for, the suit said, a “politically motivated attempt to suppress Mr. Trump’s freedom of speech … as he begins to campaign for the nation’s presidency.”

Trump said at his campaign launch for the Republican presidential nomination that immigrants coming across the Mexican border were “rapists” and insinuated immigrants were drug dealers; he has proposed building a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border that he would make the Mexican government pay for.

And the outspoken entrepreneur does not seem eager to back down. On Tuesday, he took to his Twitter account to reiterate his claims about the country south of the border:

The pageant is set to continue in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 12.

Lupita Jones, director of the Nuestra Belleza Mexico pageant, published a video with current titleholder Wendolly Esparza where they confirm Mexico will not attend the Miss Universe competition.

Costa Rica boycotts Miss Universe Pageant

For more than 40 years, the Teletica television network of Costa Rica has broadcast the Miss Universe beauty pageant and administered the Miss Costa Rica franchise. This year, however, Teletica (Channel 7) has decided to not send the Miss Costa Rica beauty queen to the Miss Universe competition, and it will also refrain from broadcasting the international pageant.

In a broadcast message to viewers on Wednesday night, Teletica echoed a certain sentiment of disapproval at the controversial comments made by the businessman behind the Miss Universe organization, Donald Trump, as he announced his ill-timed intention to run for the Republican ticket in the next presidential elections of the United States.

The message by Teletica explained:

We reject the xenophobic and offensive declarations made by the owner of the Miss Universe pageant against our Mexican brothers and against all Latin Americans. The opinions of Donald Trump go against the most fundamental principles of Costa Ricans, which are the same principles that guide the work performed [by Teletica.]

Furthermore, the television network indicated its intention to go ahead with the Miss Costa Rica pageant at a national level. The beauty contest will have an awards ceremony in August, but the winner will not be traveling to the Miss Universe pageant, if it is at all held in the near future.

Countries like Nicaragua and Panama are not following suit and have confirmed to the media that they will attend the pageant, whenever and wherever it’s held.

Since then, the deluge of criticism of Trump has not diminished. U.S. Hispanic television network Univision broke its commercial relations with Trump last week and on Monday it was joined by NBC and Televisa.

Colombia Withdraws Its Candidacy To Host The Miss Universe

Photo: Miss Universe 2014, Paulina Vega's homecoming to Colombia

Colombia withdrew its candidacy Tuesday to host the Miss Universe beauty pageant following xenophobic comments against Mexico by Donald Trump, part owner of the Miss Universe franchise, official sources said.

The decision was taken in solidarity with the Latino community, said Tatiana Piñeros, Director General of the District Institute of Tourism of Bogota.

“In light of the xenophobic and discriminatory statements made by franchise owner Donald Trump, we have decided to withdraw our candidature to host the competition,” Piñeros said.

Paulina Vega from Colombia won last year’s Miss Universe beauty pageant in Miami.

Piñeros said the discrimination faced by Mexicans today can be faced by Colombians too in the future and urged the multi-millionaire to present “profound and serious” apologies for his behavior.

Organizers are yet to decide the venue for this year’s competition. A team from the Miss Universe Organization visited the city last April to discuss details about the proposal, with the final event taking place in January 2016, according to local news sources.

Colombia’s reaction follows decision by broadcasters, Univision, NBC and Televisa, to end commercial ties with Trump, Republican aspirant for the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Farouk Systems, Inc. Withdraws Sponsorship of MUO's Pageants

Farouk Systems, Inc. formally announced today its withdrawal of its sponsorship of the Miss USA, Miss Universe, and Miss Teen USA Pageants and that it will not renew its sponsorship of those events. It also announced that it will have no further involvement in the Celebrity Apprentice program.

“Farouk Systems does not agree with or endorse the statements recently made by Donald Trump about immigrants,” said Farouk Systems CEO, Basim Shami. “Our company is multicultural with people of Latin American descent making up a large percentage of our employees and loyal customers. As a company proudly founded on the concept of coming to the USA in pursuit of the American Dream, Mr. Trump’s comments do not and will never reflect our company’s philosophy or practices.”

About Farouk Systems:
Farouk Systems, Inc. is a Houston based company of hairdressers for hairdressers. They manufacture high quality professional hair care products, including industry-leading brands CHI® and BioSilk®. Farouk Systems was founded in 1986 by Farouk Shami, a hairdresser whose mission is to provide the professional beauty industry with the most advanced American technology based upon “Education, Environment and Ethics”. Farouk Systems distributes its products throughout the United States and to over 120 countries worldwide.

NBC Is Ending Its Business Relationship With Miss Universe Organization

NBC is ending its business relationship with Donald Trump over his recent comments about Mexican immigrants.

“At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values,” NBC said in a statement. “Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump.”

The network will no longer air the annual Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants that were part of a joint venture with Trump, the statement added. Its relationship with “Celebrity Apprentice” will continue, as Trump ceased his involvement with the reality show during his presidential bid.

The real estate mogul and 2016 presidential candidate has faced criticism for comments he made during his announcement speech earlier this month.

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” he said. “They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

Univision previously announced that it would cease its relationship with the Miss Universe Organization over the comments. Trump has said he will sue that network for breach of contract and defamation.

Trump responded to the news after an appearance in Chicago, telling reporters: “I think as far as ending the relationship, I have to do that because my view on immigration is much different than the people at NBC.”

He said he was not yet sure if he plans to sue the network.

The Miss USA 2015 pageant was to be aired on NBC on July 12th, live from Baton Rouge. It is unknown if NBC’s decision will harm Baton Rouge’s investment in the pageant, since the city was counting on the pageant’s air time to promote itself.

The Miss Universe pageant enjoyed a 42-year old relationship with rival network CBS. In 2002, they decided not to renew the contract and NBC came aboard. After 13 years, the peacock network decided to end all business ties with Trump’s pageant.

Univision ends relationship with Miss Universe Pageant

Univision has announced that it is ending its business relationship with Donald Trump’s Miss Universe Organization based on what they called “insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants” that Trump has made as he pursues a presidential bid.

“At Univision, we see first-hand the work ethic, love for family, strong religious values and the important role Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans have had and will continue to have in building the future of our country,” Univision said in a statement Thursday.

In light of the move, Univision said it will no longer air the Miss USA pageant on July 12 or any other projects tied to the Trump Organization. However, Univision noted that its news divisions will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of all presidential candidates, including Trump.

Trump has been widely criticized for, in a speech last week announcing his candidacy, referring to Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and as people bringing drugs and crime into the U.S.

“The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems…When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” Trump said. “They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

The Miss Universe Organization, which presents the Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants, is a joint venture between Trump and NBCUniversal.

On Wednesday, Latin performer J Balvin pulled out of the Miss USA television broadcast due to Trump’s comments.

The pageant is slated to air live on NBC. The Univision broadcast, on its UniMas Network, was set to be the first time the pageant was simulcast in Spanish.

Anyela Galante is Miss Venezuela Mundo 2015

Anyela Galante, one of the favorites for the crown among 12 Miss Venezuela World candidates, walked away with the crown and sash held at the Venevision’s Studio 1. She will now represent Venezuela in Miss World 2015, in Sanya, China.

Karielys Prado and Maria Jose Brito placed 2nd and 3rd.

Victoria Mendoza wins Miss World America 2015

19 year old Victoria Mendoza from Arizona was crowned Miss World America 2015 in Washington D.C. She will compete in Miss World 2015 in Sanya, China, on December 19.

Theresa Scanlan, Nebraska, placed 2nd, Rachel White, Texas, was 3rd, Khristy Landers, Louisiana, finished in 4th place, while Arielle Rosmarino, Virginia, completed the Top 5 in the 5th position.

Miss World Rolene Strauss and Julia Morley, CEO of the MWO, were present at the event.

Anderson Tomazini is Mister Brazil 2015

26 year old Anderson Tomazini representing Ilhabela, was elected Mister Brazil 2015 during a ceremony held at the Pedro Ivo Theater in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, on June 27. 42 contestants from all parts of the country competed in the event.

Named “Vice Mister Brasil” was Giba Pignatti, representing Sao Paulo Capital. In 3rd place was Eduardo Ferreira (Ilha do Sao Francisco do Sul) In 4th place Allan Lanfredi (Santa Catarina) and in 5th place was Herbert Penze (Mato Grosso).

Completing the Top 10 were Denis Facco (Vale do Paranhana), Eduardo Lisboa (Ilha do Farol), Paulo Leite (Rio de Janeiro), Ecktor Lopes (Distrito Federal) and Rodrigo Galvao (Rio Grande do Norte).

Tomazini comes from Brasilia and is a business administrator and professional model. He will represent Brazil in the 2015 Mister International competition to take place in the Philippines end of November, since Lucas Montandon (Mr. Brazil 2014) is waiting to travel to the Mr. World competition expected to be held in early 2016.

The Mr. Brazil organization also holds the license rights to Mr. Global. The representative will be announced soon.

Maja Spahija Crowned Miss Hrvatske 2015

22 year old Maja Spahija was crowned Miss Hrvatske 2015 during the annual event held at the Omorika Hotel in the city of Crikvenica last June 12.

Maja will now represent Croatia during the Miss World 2015 finals to be held in Sanya, China, next December.

The runners-up were Katarina Cavar and Anja Bijelic.

Ecem Cırpan wins Miss Turkey 2015

18 year old Ecem Çırpan (2nd from right) from Bursa was crowned Miss Turkey 2015 during the conclusion of the annual gala held at the Star TV studios in Istanbul on June 11.

Standing 1.88m tall, Ecem a professional volleyball player and currently working as a model. She will travel to Sanya (China) to compete for the Miss World 2015 title in December.

In second place came Ash Melisa Usun (19, 2nd from left), crowned Miss Turkey Universe and will represent the country in the Miss Universe 2015 finals expected to take place next January.

Third place went to Hazal Subasi (20, right), who won the title of Miss Turkey Supranational and will travel to Poland to compete in Miss Supranational 2015 to be held in December.

Fourth place was awarded to Berfu Yildiz (left), crowned Miss Turkey International and will compete in the 2015 Miss International finals to be held in Tokyo, Japan on November 5.

Miss Universe Croatia 2015 is Barbara Ljiljak

26 year old Barbara Ljiljak from Split was crowned Miss Universe Croatia 2015 during the annual event held on June 7.

Barbara, with a major in Fashion and Design, now working as a model will be the official representative of Croatia during the 64th Miss Universe finals expected to take place in January.

Sarah Mercieca Crowned Miss Malta 2015

24 year old Sarah Mercieca, Miss Balzan was crowned Miss Malta 2015 during the live televised gala held at the Hilton Malta in Valletta on June 6.

Mercieca will represent Malta in the 2015 edition of Miss Grand International to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 25.

Second place was awarded to Miss Gzira, Nicola Grixti, who was crowned Miss Supranational Malta and will travel to Poland to compete in the Miss Supranational 2015 finals on December 4.

Third place went to Miss San Pawl il-Bahar, Louisa Abela, who also won the Miss Personality award.

The annual Miss Malta pageant is organized by Glow Promotions.

Monika Radulovic is Miss Universe Australia 2015

24 year old Monika Radulovic, a psychology graduate living in Sydney was crowned Miss Universe Australia 2015 during a ceremony held on June 5 in Melbourne.

Standing 1.75m tall, Monika is also a professional model and came to Australia at the age of four with her family, escaping the war affecting her home country of Bosnia & Herzegovina. She will now represent Australia in the next edition of Miss Universe to take place probably in January 2016.

The runners-up were Madeleine Cowe from Queensland and Chanel Stewart from New South Wales, respectively.

Maayan Keren wins Miss Israel 2015

17 year old Maayan Keren (R), was crowned Miss Israel 2015. The competition was conducted entirely online.

Currently a high school student from Ashdod, Maayan will now represent Israel in the Miss World 2015 finals to take place in Sanya, China, December 9.

The first runner-up, crowned “Israel’s Maiden of Beauty”, was Avigail Alpatov (L), an 18-year-old IDF soldier from Acre, who was Israel’s fencing champion in 2014 and appeared slightly disappointed by the second place in the beauty pageant.

“I am used to the first place,” she admitted. “I won’t lie that I wasn’t a bit hurt by not winning, but I’m here and I have my crown and my title, and I plan to leverage it in the best way possible.” Alpatov will compete in the Miss Universe 2015 competition to be held next January.

Laura Spoya Crowned Miss Peru Universo 2015

23 year old Laura Spoya was crowned Miss Peru Universe 2015 during a special gala held on June 2.

Standing 1.75m tall, Laura will now represent Peru on the next edition of the Miss Universe pageant.

Marsi Fernandez and Lorena Larivierre were the runners-up.

Miss Moldova 2015 is Anastasia Iacub

19 year old Anastasia Iacub from Băcioi, Chisinau won the title of Miss Moldova 2015 during an event held at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre on April 27. She will now travel to Sanya, China to compete against 130 other beauties for the Miss World 2015 crown on December 19.

Paola Nuñez is Miss Universe Canada 2015

Dominican-born Paola Núñez, a professional dancer representing Toronto, was crowned Miss Universe Canada 2015 during the 13th edition of the contest held on May 23rd. Her family immigrated to Canada when she was 10 years old.

Paola will now represent Canada during the next edition of the Miss Universe Pageant expected to be held in mid-January 2016.

The runners-up were Michelle McKay (1st), Kathryn Kohut (2nd), Brynn Blackwood (3rd) and Skye Nwaelleh (4th).

Angelia Ong wins Miss Philippines Earth 2015

Angelia Gabrena Ong representing Manila was crowned Miss Philippines Earth 2015 at the Mall of Asia Arena, Sunday, May 31.

Competed in other national competitions before and was considered an pageant veteran, Angelia will be the official representative of the Philippines in the upcoming Miss Earth 2015 contest in Austria.

Here is the full list of winners:

Miss PH Earth: Manila, Angelia Ong
Miss PH Air: San Antonio, Nueva Ecija, Chanel Thomas
Miss PH Water: Bago City, Catherine Joy Marin
Miss PH Fire: Siniloan, Laguna, Carla Angela Valderrama
Miss Eco Tourism: Iloilo City, Jona Sweett

This is the list of top 15:

City of Manila, Angelia Ong
Baguio, Sofia Deliu
Cabanatuan, Diana Mackey
Dinalupihan, Bataan, Myle Reyes
San Antonio, Nueva Ecija, Chanel Thomas
Guinobatan, Albay Jian Salazar
Lipa City, Paris Silva
Santa Cruz, Laguna, Alyanna Mikaela Cagandahan
Siniloan, Lagunam Carla Angela Valderrama
Bago City, Catherine Joy Marin
Iloilo City, Jona Sweett
Mandaue City, Mhon Theress Menaling
Cagayan De Oro City, Beatrice Alvarez
Iligan City, Jocehl Cristoria
Misamis Oriental, Mitsume Aguilar

Winners of the special awards:

Best cultural costume: Lipa City, gown designed by Chico Estiva
Best eco video: Ipil Zamboanga Sibugay, Maria Loraine Macay Grengia.
Miss SM Markets: Bago City, Catherine Marin
Miss Hana 2015: Manila, Angelia Ong

TV host Robi Domingo and Miss Earth 2008 Karla Henry, and Ginger Conejero hosted the pageant.

Promai Kunsom is Miss Grand Thailand 2015

22 year old Rattikorn “Promai” Kunsom was declared the winner of the Miss Grand Thailand 2015 beauty pageant which took place at the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok on May 12.

Promai, who stands 172cm. tall, was crowned by outgoing titleholder Parapadsorn Disdamrong and reigning Miss Grand Lees Garcia. She will be the host contestant during the finals of Miss Grand International 2015 to be held October 25 in Bangkok.

Second place went to Tharathip “Baitoey” Sukdarunpat, who was crowned Miss Supranational Thailand 2015. She is 24 years old, 175 cm talll and will travel to Krakow, Poland, to compete for the Miss Supranational 2015 title on December 4.

Bungjani Sangpirom was crowned Miss Intercontinental Thailand 2015 and will compete in the Miss Intercontinental finals in Germany; and Chonlalee Chonticha Imjanya was chosen Miss Tourism Thailand. She will travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to compete in the D’Touch owned Miss Tourism International finals on December 31st.

Reigning Miss Supranational Asha Bhat, from India, was a judge and guest of honor, while Miss Universe Singapore Rathi Menon, and French entrepeneur Ines Ligron -who organized the Miss Universe Japan competition until 2009- were also VIPs. She is currently the owner of World Class Beauty Academy and will be in charge of preparing the Thai winners for their respective international competitions.

Natalia Fogelund is Miss World Sweden 2015

21 year old Natalia Fogelund was crowned as the new Miss World Sweden 2015 held at the Sheraton Stockholm in Stockholm. She will be the official representative of Sweden in Miss World 2015 on December 19 in Sanya, China.

Stina Nordlander placed 2nd and will compete in Miss Supranational 2015, in Poland. Issabella Georgsson, 2rd place, will try her luck in Miss Grand International 2015, in Thailand.

Lujza Strakova wins Miss Slovensko 2015

20 year old Lujza Strakova from Banská Bystrica was crowned Miss Slovensko 2015 at the Incheba Expo in Bratislava.

Lujza also won the awards of “Miss Congeniality” and “Miss Gosh” (Hair). She will represent Slovakia at the Miss World 2015 pageant to take place on December 19 in Sanya, China.

The runners-up or “vice-miss” were Barbora Bakosova and Petra Denkova.

Reine Ngotala Crowned Miss Gabon 2015

18 year old Reine Ngotala, Miss Nyanga, was crowned Miss Gabon 2015 during the annual gala held at the Hotel Residence Nomad in Libreville on Sunday, April 26. She was crowned by outgoing titleholder Maggaly Nguema.

2nd place went to Anis Christine Pitty Yaya, and 3rd place went to Desy Oyane.

The Miss Gabon Committee will annouce soon in which international pageants the winner and the finalists will compete. Ngotala is expected to represent Gabon in the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants.