The new winner, Justus Kelley, who represented Virginia, was crowned on Aug. 27 in Miami and will be the first mother to ever win the pageant
NEED TO KNOW
- Miss USA has crowned its newest winner, Justus Kelley from Virginia
- On Thursday, Aug. 27, the pageant celebrated its 75th Diamond Anniversary competition, where 51 contestants vied for the crown
- Audrey Eckert, Miss USA 2025, crowned her successor, who will be the first mom to ever hold the title
Miss USA has crowned its new winner!On Thursday, Aug. 27, the organization hosted the 75th edition of the national pageant, where 50 contestants competed for the title at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. This year, the pageant was themed “75 Years of Icons” in honor of the pageant’s historic year.Justus Kelley, 31, who was Miss Virginia USA 2026, took home the title, with last year’s winner, Audrey Eckert, 24, bestowing the crown on her successor. Kelley’s win is historic, as she will be the first-ever mother to hold the Miss USA title, following the organization’s rule changes in 2023, which saw the end of the age cap on contestants and permitted contestants who are mothers. Kelley will also be the first married woman to ever hold the title of Miss USA as well.
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The pageant celebrated the women of Miss USA, who have held crowns for the past 75 years. Just before the title was announced, the pageant invited legacy queens to the stage to be thanked for representing the crown over the last five years.
Hosts Kenya Moore and Ian Ziering invited some of the legacy queens on stage to announce the top five. Miss Utah USA Alayzia Christopher placed fourth runner-up. Iowa’s Madeline Erickson placed third runner-up. Miss Pennsylvania USA Elizabeth Voight placed as second runner-up.
In the last two weeks leading up to the pageant, the 51 contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia spent time in Miami, preparing for the preliminary competitions, including the costume competition and preliminary swimsuit competitions.This year’s Miss USA will walk away with a prize package valued at over $685,000, which includes a $150,000 salary, a Range Rover, a one-year lease in a luxury Miami apartment residence, a Westgate Vacation Home Club, a $30,000 Miss Universe wardrobe, and more.
Yesterday, on Aug. 26, the 44th Miss Teen USA was also crowned. Miss Georgia Teen USA Kiran Reddy, 18, took home the crown, which Miss Teen USA 2025 Mailyn Marsh bestowed on her…