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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Miss USA 2020
Miss USA 2020 was the 69th Miss USA pageant. It was held at the Exhibition Centre and the Soundstage at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 9, 2020. Akbar Gbaja-Biamila and Allie LaForce served as hosts, while Cheslie Kryst and Christian Murphy served as backstage commentators, and Haley Reinhart performed. Cheslie Kryst of North Carolina crowned Asya Branch of Mississippi as her successor at the end of the event. Branch is the second consecutive African American to win the title, and the fourth one in five years. This is Mississippi's first win at the Miss USA pageant. Branch represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2020 pageant and placed in the Top 21.

Originally scheduled to be held in spring 2020 and was initially to air on Fox, the competition was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 31, the Miss Universe Organization announced that the competition would be held on November 9 of the same year.

FYI served as the new broadcaster of the pageant, replacing Fox, which had broadcast the pageant since 2016. The show was also rebroadcast on November 18, 2020, on YouTube. The competition marked the first year that a new crown made by jeweler Mouawad is used at Miss USA, effectively retiring the Mikimoto Crown.

For a third consecutive year, the competition was held concurrently alongside the Miss Teen USA competition. This was the last Miss USA to be organized by Miss Universe Organization before being split into its separate organization beginning in Miss USA 2021.

Background

Location

Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, the host venue of the Miss USA 2020 competition.

On August 30, 2020, Graceland announced on their schedule that the competition would be held on November 9 on their premises in Memphis, Tennessee. The MUO later confirmed that the competition would be hosted at Graceland the following day. This was the first time since Miss USA 1983 that the state of Tennessee would be hosting the pageant.

Hosts and performer

On October 22, it was announced that the competition would be hosted by Akbar Gbaja-Biamila and Allie LaForce, while Cheslie Kryst and Christian Murphy would serve as backstage correspondents. Gbaja-Biamila is a commentator on American Ninja Warrior and former professional football player, while LaForce formerly was crowned Miss Teen USA 2005, and has worked as a sports reporter for Fox and Turner Sports.

On the same day, American Idol alum Haley Reinhart was announced as the musical guest.

Selection of contestants

Delegates from 50 states and the District of Columbia were selected in state pageants which began in September 2019 and concluded in February 2020. The first state pageant was Texas, held on September 1, 2019, while the final pageant was Kentucky, held on February 1, 2020. Nine of these delegates were former Miss Teen USA state winners, six of them were former Miss America state winners, one delegate was a former Miss America's Outstanding Teen state winner, and one was former Miss Earth United States winner who competed at Miss Earth 2017.

Rachel Slawson, Miss Utah USA 2020, became the first openly LGBT woman to compete in Miss USA; Slawson identifies herself as queer. One state titleholder was appointed as a replacement after the original titleholder was unable to compete. Katie Bozner, the original Miss Wyoming USA 2020, resigned three weeks before Miss USA 2020 due to her academic obligations in optometry school. She was replaced by Lexi Revelli, who was the first runner-up of the Miss Wyoming USA 2020 pageant.

COVID-19 restrictions

The pageant was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions implemented included an audience of only 300 spectators for both the preliminary and final competitions, and daily temperature checks, COVID-19 testing and social distancing measures for contestants and staff members. If a delegate tested positive from COVID-19, she would automatically withdraw from the competition, resulting in all of the delegates testing negative prior to arriving in Memphis. Other in-person events such as pre-pageant activities had been cancelled, including press briefings from pageant commentators.

Results

The state map results of Miss USA 2020, colors shaded in each state

Placements

Placement Contestant
Miss USA 2020
1st runner-up
2nd runner-up
3rd runner-up
4th runner-up
Top 10
Top 16

§ – Voted into Top 16 by viewers

Special award

Award Contestant
Miss Congeniality
  • Washington – Imani Blackmon

Pageant

Format

For the first time since 2012, the number of finalists increased to sixteen, up from fifteen in previous years. The results of the preliminary competition — which consisted of the swimsuit competition, the evening gown competition, and the closed-door interview determined the first fifteen semi-finalists who advanced at the first cut. The sixteenth finalist was determined through an online vote from the viewing public. During the final competition, the top sixteen competed in swimsuit, and the top ten in evening gown. The top five format returned for the first time since Miss USA 2015, where the five finalists competed in two question rounds. The winner and her runners-up were determined by a panel of judges.

Selection committee

Contestants

Fifty-one contestants competed for the title.

State/district Contestant Age Hometown Notes
Alabama Kelly Hutchinson 23 Auburn Previously Miss Georgia's Outstanding Teen 2013
Alaska Hannah Carlile 25 Fairbanks
Arizona Yesenia Vidales 24 Phoenix
Arkansas Haley Pontius 24 Houston
California Allyshia Gupta 26 Los Angeles
Colorado Emily DeMure 22 Boulder Later crowned Miss Grand United States of America 2022
Connecticut Chelsea Demby 24 Farmington
Delaware Katie Guevarra 27 Middletown
District of Columbia Cierra Jackson 28 Washington, D.C. Previously Miss District of Columbia 2016
Florida Monique Evans 28 Naples Previously Miss Texas 2014
Georgia Alyssa Beasley 22 Brunswick Previously Miss Georgia 2017
Hawaii Samantha Neyland 24 Honolulu First African-American Miss Hawaii USA
Previously Miss Hawaii Teen USA 2013
Idaho Kim Layne 26 Nampa Previously Miss Idaho Teen USA 2012
Illinois Olivia Pura 22 Chicago Previously Miss Illinois Teen USA 2016
Indiana Alexis Lete 24 New Albany
Iowa Morgan Kofoid 23 Leon Previously Miss Iowa Teen USA 2013
Kansas Hayden Brax 21 Leawood
Kentucky Lexie Iles 24 Louisville
Louisiana Mariah Clayton 24 Zachary
Maine Julia Van Steenberghe 22 Old Town
Maryland Taelyr Robinson 28 Annapolis Starred in The Vineyard
Massachusetts Sabrina Victor 23 Brockton
Michigan Chanel Johnson 27 Detroit
Minnesota Taylor Fondie 22 Blaine Former Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader
Mississippi Asya Branch 22 Booneville First African-American Miss Mississippi USA
Previously Miss Mississippi 2018
Missouri Megan Renee Kelly 24 Kansas City
Montana Merissa Underwood 28 Missoula
Nebraska Megan Swanson 27 Omaha Previously Miss Nebraska 2014
Sister of Allie Swanson, Miss Nebraska 2019
Nevada Victoria Olona 27 Las Vegas Fan vote winner
New Hampshire Alyssa Fernandes 26 Merrimack
New Jersey Gina Mellish 21 Oceanport Previously Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2016
New Mexico Cecilia Rodriguez 28 Las Cruces
New York Andreia Gibau 25 Brooklyn Previously Miss Earth United States 2017
North Carolina Jane Axhoj 22 Charlotte Previously Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2015
North Dakota Macy Christianson 24 Minot Previously Miss North Dakota 2016
Ohio Sthephanie Miranda 27 Campbell Later Top 6 at Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2021
Oklahoma Mariah Jane Davis 24 Norman
Oregon Katerina Villegas 27 Hillsboro
Pennsylvania Victoria Piekut 24 Pittsburgh
Rhode Island Jonét Nichelle 25 North Providence Former New England Patriots Cheerleader
South Carolina Hannah Jane Curry 21 Greenville
South Dakota Kalani Jorgensen 26 Sioux Falls Previously Miss South Dakota Teen USA 2012
Tennessee Justice Enlow 26 Nashville
Texas Taylor Kessler 24 Houston
Utah Rachel Slawson 25 Provo First openly LGBT person to compete at Miss USA
Vermont Shannah Weller 24 Middlebury
Virginia Susie Evans 27 Poquoson Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2011
Later winner of season 26 of The Bachelor
Washington Imani Blackmon 25 Tacoma Previously Miss Washington Teen USA 2013.
West Virginia Charlotte Bellotte 26 Charles Town
Wisconsin Gabriella Deyi 28 Madison
Wyoming Lexi Revelli 26 Lyman Originally first runner-up, but assumed the title after winner Katie Bozner resigned the title three weeks before Miss USA due to her academic obligations.

Notes

  1. ^ This was the first edition of pageant not to be held in February, March, April, May, June or July and also the first pageant to take place in the fall.
  2. ^ Although Haley Reinhart chose not to travel to Memphis for the final competition, but was pre-recorded from her home and sang Elvis Presley song "Can't Help Falling in Love" during the evening gown segment.
  3. ^ Ages at the time of the pageant

References

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