Miss USA 2016


Miss USA 2016 was the 65th Miss USA pageant, held at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, on June 5, 2016. Terrence J and Julianne Hough all hosted for the first time, while Ashley Graham served as the backstage host. All fifty states and the District of Columbia competed. Olivia Jordan of Oklahoma crowned her successor, Deshauna Barber of the District of Columbia, at the end of the event. Barber became the first African American to win the Miss USA title since Crystle Stewart in 2008, and this was District of Columbia's third title and the first title since 2002. Barber represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2016 pageant.
This was the first edition of the Miss USA pageant to be held under the ownership of WME/IMG, which purchased the Miss Universe Organization from Donald Trump on September 14, 2015, three days after NBCUniversal sold him its 50% interest in the organization in exchange for Trump's dropping a breach of contract lawsuit he filed against the media company in August for terminating NBC's contract to televise the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants. It was also the first Miss USA pageant to be broadcast on Fox after signed an agreement in October 2015.
For the first time, a 52nd entrant for the pageant was decided via a nationwide search through social media voting.

Background

Location

On April 5, the Miss Universe Organization announced that the competition would be hosted at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and a seventh time hosting the state in nine years.

Hosts and performers

On May 25, it was announced that the competition would be hosted by Terrence J, while Ashley Graham would serve as backstage host. A week later, Julianne Hough was announced as the second host would work alongside Terrence J. Hough is a dancer and judge on Dancing with the Stars.
Also on May 25, Backstreet Boys and Nashville Star alum Chris Young were announced as the musical guests.

Selection of participants

Delegates from 50 states and the District of Columbia were chosen in state pageants held from July 2015 to January 2016. The first state pageant was Florida, held on July 11, 2015, and the final pageant was Kentucky, held on January 31, 2016; fifteen of these delegates were former Miss Teen USA state winners, two of them were former Miss America state winners and three of them were former Miss America's Outstanding Teen state winners.
Two state titleholders were appointed as replacements after the original titleholders were unable to compete. Stormy Keffeler, the original Miss Washington USA 2016, resigned in January 2016 after pleaded guilty from disclosure of DUI in April 2015. She was replaced by Kelsey Schmidt, who was the first runner-up of the Miss Washington USA 2016 pageant, and Allie Dunn, the original Miss North Carolina USA 2016, resigned two weeks before the start of the Miss USA 2016 competition when she was falling ill and missed the start of pageant activities prevented from entering registration form. She was replaced by Devin Gant, who was the first runner-up of Miss North Carolina USA 2016 pageant and made a last minute trip to Las Vegas as the pageant activities were already started.

Results

PlacementContestant
Miss USA 2016
  • District of Columbia – Deshauna Barber
1st Runner-Up
  • Hawaii – Chelsea Hardin
    • 2nd Runner-Up
  • Georgia – Emanii Davis
    • Top 5
  • Alabama – Peyton Brown
  • California – Nadia Mejia §
    • Top 10
  • Arkansas – Abby Floyd
  • Connecticut – Tiffany Teixeira
  • Missouri – Sydnee Stottlemyre
  • South Dakota – Madison McKeown
  • Virginia – Desi Williams
    • Top 15
  • Arizona – Chelsea Myers
  • Ohio – Megan Wise
  • Oklahoma – Taylor Gorton
  • South Carolina – Leah Lawson
  • West Virginia – Nichole Greene
    • § Voted into the Top 15 by the public as the "People's Choice".

    Awards

    Miss 52 USA

    In May 2016, a 52nd contestant took part in the competition via social media voting. The Miss Universe Organization along with the fashion agency Sherri Hill decided to make a competition online where different women from all the US competed. Finally, 10 women were selected by a panel of judges, and these 10 finalists were revealed on May 10, 2016. The winner between these 10 candidates competed as Miss 52 USA in the Miss USA 2016 pageant on June 5, 2016. The winner was announced on May 18, 2016, and Alexandra Miller from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was named as Miss 52 USA.
    The 10 selected finalists were:
    N°NameAgeHometownState
    1Catherine Williams24San AntonioTexas
    2Yvonne Vega25New BraunfelsTexas
    3Jessica Bean24CasperWyoming
    4Alexandra Miller26Oklahoma CityOklahoma
    5Ivana Thomas22DurhamNorth Carolina
    6Amanda Bell24NashvilleTennessee
    7Kaitlyn Smith26Jacksonville BeachFlorida
    8Molly Vierhile23San FranciscoCalifornia
    9Niki Kafashzadeh24RockvilleMaryland
    10Bridgette Garb21Oak ParkCalifornia

    The panel of judges that selected the 10 finalists were:

    Pageant

    Preliminary round

    Prior to the final competition, the delegates competed in the preliminary competition, which involves private interviews with the judges and a presentation show where they compete in swim wear and evening gown. It was held on June 1, 2016, and was broadcast on the Miss Universe website and mobile app and was hosted by Nick Teplitz and Olivia Jordan.

    Judges

    • Fred Nelson – President/Executive Producer of the People's Choice Awards
    • Jimmy Nguyen – Entertainment and digital media lawyer, diversity advocate, blogger, and technology advisor
    • Joey Boukadakis – Writer, director, producer, and media executive
    • Keltie Knight – Correspondent and weekend host of CBS's The Insider
    • Kristin Conte – Marketing and communications executive and event creator
    • Nick Phelps – Global Alliance Director at Droga5
    • Rebecca Bienstock – West Coast Bureau Chief at Us Weekly magazine

      Finals

    During the final competition, the top fifteen competed in swim wear, while the top ten also competed in evening gown. The top five also competed in a submitted question round. Unlike in previous years, the third runner-up and the fourth runner-up were not awarded as the format was revived in Miss Universe 2015, and instead the judges would determine those three finalists to advance in the top three. The top three also competed in the same question round and a final runway, and the winner was decided by a panel of judges alongside the two runners-up.

    Judges

    52 delegates competed for Miss USA 2016:
    StateContestantAgeHeightHometownPlacementNotes
    AlabamaPeyton Brown22EufaulaTop 5, CongenialityPreviously Miss Alabama Teen USA 2012
    AlaskaAriane Audett21Anchorage
    ArizonaChelsea Myers20TempeTop 15
    ArkansasAbby Floyd20SearcyTop 10Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2013
    CaliforniaNadia Mejia20Diamond BarTop 5Daughter of Gerardo Mejia and Miss West Virginia USA 1989 Kathy Eicher
    ColoradoCaley-Rae Pavillard22Castle PinesPreviously Miss Colorado's Outstanding Teen 2008
    Previously Miss Colorado Teen USA 2011
    ConnecticutTiffany Teixeira25BridgeportTop 10Previously Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2009
    DelawareAlexandra Vorontsova21Newark
    District of ColumbiaDeshauna Barber26Washington, D.C.Miss USA 2016
    FloridaBrie Gabrielle25West Palm Beach
    GeorgiaEmanii Davis22Griffin2nd runner-upLater placed 3rd runner-up at Miss World America 2017
    Later Miss Earth USA 2019 and 1st Runner-up at Miss Earth 2019
    HawaiiChelsea Hardin24Honolulu1st runner-up
    IdahoSydney Halper21Moscow
    IllinoisZena Malak24Carol Stream
    IndianaMorgan Abel26North VernonPreviously Miss Indiana Teen USA 2008
    IowaAlissa Morrison24Davenport
    KansasVictoria Wiggins26Junction City
    KentuckyKyle Hornback20Louisville
    LouisianaMaaliyah Papillion21Lake Charles
    MaineMarisa Butler22StandishLater Miss World America 2018
    Later Miss Earth United States 2021
    Later Miss Earth Air 2021
    MarylandChristina Denny25BaltimorePreviously Miss Maryland 2013
    MassachusettsWhitney Sharpe21Burlington
    MichiganSusie Leica26Livonia
    MinnesotaBridget Jacobs20Maple Grove
    MississippiHaley Sowers22MeridianPreviously Miss Mississippi Teen USA 2010
    Former Tennessee Titans Cheerleader
    MissouriSydnee Stottlemyre22ChesterfieldTop 10Previously Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen 2008
    Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 2011
    MontanaSibahn Doxey23FrenchtownPreviously Miss Montana Teen USA 2011
    NebraskaSarah Hollins25OmahaPreviously Miss Nebraska Teen USA 2009
    NevadaEmelina Adams24Anthem
    New HampshireJessica Strohm25ManchesterProfessional cheerleader for New England Patriots
    New JerseyJessielyn Palumbo24Wayne
    New MexicoNaomie Germain22Albuquerque
    New YorkSerena Bucaj22Suffern
    North CarolinaDevin Gant23CharlotteOriginally first runner-up, but assumed the title after winner Allie Dunn resigned before the start of pageant activities due to illness.
    North DakotaHalley Maas22Grand Forks
    OhioMegan Wise26GallipolisTop 15
    OklahomaTaylor Gorton24GlenpoolTop 15Previously Miss Oklahoma Teen USA 2008
    OregonNatriana Shorter25Eugene
    PennsylvaniaElena LaQuatra24PittsburghPreviously Miss Pennsylvania's Outstanding Teen 2007
    Previously Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA 2010
    Rhode IslandTheresa Agonia24Cumberland
    South CarolinaLeah Lawson22AndersonTop 15Auditioned on season 14 of American Idol but eliminated in Hollywood Week
    South DakotaMadison McKeown21Sioux FallsTop 10Previously Miss South Dakota Teen USA 2014
    TennesseeHope Stephens20Livingston
    TexasDaniella Rodriguez19LaredoPreviously Miss Texas Teen USA 2013
    UtahTeale Murdock26Salt Lake City
    VermontNeely Fortune24Burlington
    VirginiaDesi Williams26Newport NewsTop 10Previously Miss Virginia 2013
    Later contestant on Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers
    WashingtonKelsey Schmidt26BellevueOriginally first runner-up, but assumed the title after winner Stormy Keffeler resigned due to failing a DUI disclosure.
    West VirginiaNichole Greene24CharlestonTop 15
    WisconsinKate Redeker19SheboyganPhotogenicPreviously Miss Wisconsin Teen USA 2013
    WyomingAutumn Olson22SaratogaPreviously Miss Wyoming Teen USA 2013
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