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.

Emily Katanga Kachote is Miss Zimbabwe 2015

25 year old Emily Katanga Kachote was crowned Miss Zimbabwe 2015 during an event held at Mermaids Pool in Shamva on April 25th.

Emily is currently a financial advisor and will now represent Zimbabwe in Miss World 2015 finals on December 19 in Sanya, China.

Ann-Grace Mutambu (19) was elected 1st princess, and Chengetai Kanonhuwa (18) was chosen 2nd princess.

Miss World New Zealand 2015 is Deborah Lambie

Deborah Lambie, a 22 year old medical student from Otago, beat 18 contestants for the title and was crowned Miss World New Zealand 2015. The event took place at the Rendezvous Auckland Hotel last Saturday.

Lambie will represent Canada in the Miss World 2015 finals on December 19 in Sanya, China.

The runners-up were Hayley Robinson, who will compete in Miss International 2015. And Te Rua Wallace.

Also, Georgette Jackson was crowned Miss Grand New Zealand, Emily Young won Miss Intercontinental New Zealand, and Ceri McVinnie earned the title Miss Tourism International New Zealand.

For the first time, a candidate in a wheelchair competed. Swati Shresta Rae received the Esther Jordan Muriwai Legacy Award.

Nikol Svantnerova wins Ceska Miss 2015

22-year old Nikol Svantnerova was crowned Ceska Miss 2015 during the annual televised gala held at the Karlin Musical Theater in Prague. Nikol will represent the Czech Republic in the next edition of the Miss Universe Pageant, to be held possibly in January.

Crowned I Vice-Miss (First runner-up) was 18-year old Andrea Kalousova. She received the title of Ceska Miss World 2015 and will represent the country in the Miss World 2015 pageant to take place on December 19 in Sanya, China.

The II Vice-Miss (2nd runner-up) was Karolina Malisova.

Sofia Nikitchuk Crowned Miss Russia 2015

21 year old Sofia Nikitchuk was crowned Miss Russia 2015 during the televised gala held at the Barvikha Luxury Village in Moscow on April 18.

The first “Vice-Miss” was Vladislava Yevtushenko and the second “Vice-Miss” was Anastasia Naydenova.

Sofia is a student at the University of Ural. She is expected to represent Russia in both the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants.

Rolene Strauss (Miss World) and Paulina Vega (Miss Universe) were not present at this year’s event, which is the only beauty pageant that traditionally invites both titleholders.

Miss Nepal 2015 winner is Evana Manandhar

Evana Manandhar (23) was crowned Miss Nepal 2015 during an event held at the Annapurna Hotel. She beat 18 other contestants and will represent Nepal in the upcoming Miss World 2015 competition.

2nd and 3rd place went to Dibyata Vaidya and Medha Koirala, respectively.

Vanessa Tevi Kumares is Miss Universe Malaysia 2015

24-year old Vanessa Tevi Kumares was announced Miss Universe Malaysia 2015 winner during the annual gala held at the Shangri-La hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

Vanessa, who beat 16 other contestants for the crown, holds a degree in Tourism Management. She comes from Seremban and will represent Malaysia during the Miss Universe 2015 competition.

The runners-up were Pauline Tan, Kelly Jagan and Sugeeta Chandran.

Despite sending high-caliber contestants during the past years to the Miss Universe competition, Malaysia has not had a semi-finalist since 1970.

Miss Suomi 2015 winner is Rosa-Maria Ryyti

20-year old Rosa-Maria Ryyti was crowned Miss Suomi 2015 during the annual event held at the Langvik Congress Wellness Hotel in Kirkkonummi last April 12.

Rosa Maria will now represent the Scandinavian nation of Finland in the next edition of Miss Universe.

2nd place went to 23-year old Carola Miller, who will travel to the Miss World 2015 pageant; 3rd place was Saara Ahlberg (19) who will compete in Miss International 2015 in Japan.

Slovenia's Patricia Peklar wins the 1st Miss Eco 2015

Miss Slovenia, Patricia Peklar, won the 1st edition of the “Miss Eco” beauty pageant held at the Alzahra Hall of the Hilton Green Plaza in Alexandria, Egypt on April 5 with the participation of 9 international beauty queens.

Peklar also won the Miss Talent, Miss Stanley and Miss Citystar Shopping Mall awards.

2nd place went to Netherlands (Talisa Wolters), 3rd place went to Australia (Nadine Roberts) and 4th place was awarded to Chile (Catalina Caceres).

Miss Netherlands was chosen Miss EgyptAir (sponsoring airline), and United Kingdom was chosen Miss Hilton. Mexico won the Miss Elegance award, while Chile won Best National Costume.

Newly-born Miss Eco aims to work with environmental causes around Egypt. The second edition will take place in April 2016 in Alexandria and Cairo.

Liesl Laurie crowned Miss South Africa 2015

23-year old Liesl Laurie, a model from Eldorado Park in Johannesburg was crowned Miss South Africa 2015 during the conclusion of the annual TV gala held at the Superbowl in Sun City last March 30.

1.75 m tall Liesl holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and will be representing South Africa at the upcoming Miss World and Miss Universe competitions later this year.

Refilwe Mthimunye from Bronkhorstpruit came in 2nd place, while Ntsiki Mkhize from Kliprivier came in 3rd place.

The event was graced by the presence of reigning Miss World Rolene Strauss, as well as former titleholders Anneline Kriel and Penny Coelen.

* See Also Meet Miss South Africa 2015 Finalists! - March 29, 2015

Aditi Arya wins FBB Femina Miss India 2015

21-year old Aditi Arya, from Delhi, was crowned FBB Femina Miss India 2015 during the annual ceremony held on March 28 at the Yashraj Studios, Mumbai.

Aditi works as a research analyst and holds a degree in Business Studies from Delhi University. She's also an avid writer and painter.

Arya will be the official representative of India in the Miss World 2015 beauty competition this December.

Aafreen Rachel Vaz and Vartika Singh was crowned 1st and 2nd runners-up respectively. The Miss India Organization will announce soon in which international events they will compete.

The Grand Finale was judged by eminent personalities from the industry like John Abraham, Manisha Koirala, Sonu Nigam, Anil Kapoor, Feroz Nadiadwala, Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla, Shilpa Shetty, Sonali Bendre, Shiamak Davar and Chitrangada Singh. The glorious Red Carpet event was bustling with the creme da la creme from the fashion, glamour and entertainment industry with names like Manasvi Mamgai, Rocky S, Naseerudin Shah, Paresh Rawal and many more.

The show was hosted by the exuberant Manish Paul who kept the audience entertained along with the gorgeous Neha Dhupia joining him for a segment. Touted as the most glamorous and credible beauty pageant of the country, fbb Femina Miss India 2015 saw electrifying performances by Bollywood stars- Kareena Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandes, Shahid Kapoor and Famous singers like Kanika Kapoor, Meet Brothers, and Shalmali Kholgade. The 52nd year of fbb Femina Miss India 2015 was celebrated with glamour and panache.

Meet the 2015 Binibining Pilipinas Winners

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, a 25-year old model, make-up artist and columnist, was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2015 during the annual Bb. Pilipinas beauty competition staged at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Manila on March 15th.

This was Alonzo’s third try at the national crown, being a finalist in the previous years. The 1.69 m stunner hails from Cayagan de Oro City and is a graduate of culinary arts. She will now represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe 2015 competition.

Crowned as Bb. Pilipinas-International was favorite Janicel Lubina (19) from Palawan. Best known to the fans as Megan Young’s 1st runner-up during the Miss World Philippines 2013 pageant, Lubina stands 1.70 m in height and will travel to Tokyo, Japan, to compete for the Miss International 2015 title.

Meanwhile, Rogelie Catacutan (23) from Cebu City was crowned Bb. Pilipinas-Supranational. The beauty, who received the crown from Yvethe Santiago, will represent the Philippines in the Miss Supranational 2015 competition later this year.

Christy Lynn McGarry (24) from Nabua, Camarines Sur, received the title of Bb. Pilipinas-Intercontinental. She is supposed to compete in the Miss Intercontinental 2015 pageant, however people in the industry noted that McGarry also competed in this event, in the year 2010. BPCI will soon announce which pageant she will compete in instead.

Lastly, Ann Lorraine Colis from Pampanga was crowned Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism International, and is expected to participate in the Miss Tourism Queen International pageant to be held in China, if held this year.

Hannah Ruth Sison and Kimverlyn Suiza came in 1st and 2nd runner-up places respectively.

It was the 52nd edition of the Binibining Pilipinas competition, presided by Madame Stella Marquez de Araneta.

* See Also Meet the 34 Candidates of Bb. Pilipinas 2015

Mr. and Miss World Attend The Iowa Variety Telethon

Reigning Miss World Rolene Strauss and the current Mr. World Nicklas Pedersen travelled to Des Moines, Iowa, USA, to attend the annual Telethon for Variety – The Children’s Charity. It is one of the traditional functions for both titleholders.

They were joined by Miss World Americas and 2nd runner-up Elizabeth Safrit, who visited with them some of the completed projects that have become a reality thanks to the Telethon, such as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Mercy Hospital.

The 2015 Variety Telethon raised a whooping $3,805,100.00. Congratulations to all those involved.

Francesca Cipriani wins Miss Ecuador 2015

Francesca Cipriani (21), who holds a title of Engineering in International Business Management, was crowned Miss Ecuador 2015 during the national finals held on March 14th at the Simon Bolivar Convention Center in Guayaquil. It was the 60th anniversary of the Miss Ecuador pageant, with the participation of 18 beautiful ladies.

The runners-up were Daniela Armijos (Cuenca), Maria Emilia Cevallos (Guayaquil), Mariagloria Davalos (Quito), Guadalupe Arias (Quito) and Andrea Garzon (Guayaquil) respectively. They will be designated to represent the country in several international competitions.

The Miss Ecuador Organization holds the licenses for the Miss International, Miss Supranational, Miss Grand International, Reina Hispanoamericana and several other competitions. It also organizes the Miss United Continents pageant.

Miss Universe Japan and Mister Japan 2015

Ariana Miyamoto (20), from Nagasaki Prefecture, was crowned Miss Universe Japan 2015 during the annual event hed at the Tokyo Chinzanso hotel on March 12th.

Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and an American father, Eliana was raised in Nagasaki and will represent Japan in the Miss Universe 2015 beauty pageant.

On the same event, 26-year old Junpei Watanabe (Akita) was elected Mister Japan 2015. He will compete in the next edition of Mister International.

Denisa Vysnovska is Miss Universe Slovenskej Republiky 2015

Denisa Vysnovska, from Prievidza, was crowned Miss Universe SR (Slovenskej Republiky) 2015/16 on March 6th. Denisa will now represent the Slovak Republic during the next edition of Miss Universe pageant.

The 1st runner-up was Anita Polgariova (Roznava) and the 2nd runner-up Dominika Zemanova (Bratislava).

* See Also Miss Universe Slovenskej Republiky 2015 Candidates

Tonie Chisholm is Miss Cayman Islands 2015

26-year old Tonie Chisholm, from North Side, was crowned Miss Cayman Islands 2015 during the event held at the Lions Centre on January 31.

Lindsay will now represent the Islands at the upcoming Miss World 2015 (provided she is approved because of her age) competition, and the 2016 Miss Universe pageant.

Adrianna Christian and Emily Bodden placed in second and third place, respectively.

The Miss Cayman Islands pageant was last held in 2011 and suspended due to lack of sponsorship. It returned in 2015 due to the initiative of the Ministry of Tourism.