(CNN) – Noelia Voigt, a young woman of Venezuelan descent from Utah, was crowned the new Miss USA Friday night in Reno, Nevada, at the climax of the 2023 pageant at the Grand Sierra Resort, broadcast live on the CW Network. Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii was second.
The 23-year-old Voigt prevailed in the competition against 50 other state champions. At the start of the televised competition, the number of finalists was reduced to 20 and after the swimsuit and evening wear rounds it was reduced to five (Voigt, Gankiewicz, Jasmine Daniels of Pennsylvania, Lluvia Alzate of Texas and Alexis Loomans of Wisconsin).
When asked what she would bring to the Miss Universe Organization as a “brand ambassador” and Miss USA, Voigt emphasized her status as a “bilingual Venezuelan-American” during the final question and answer session and promised that she would connect with diverse communities in the United States. Joined.
Judges included Vivica A. Fox, former “Real Housewife” Luann de Lesseps and beauty blogger Patrick Starrr.
The pageant was intended to offer “a modern and progressive approach to a 70-year-old tradition,” said Laylah Rose, president and CEO of the Miss USA Organization, in a statement released in early September. Following a recent rule change implemented by the Miss Universe Organization, this year’s Miss USA pageant featured the first married contestant from a state: Juliana Morehouse-Locklear of Maine. (Morehouse-Locklear, daughter of a contestant in the 1994 Miss USA pageant, did not make the top 20.)
The recent Miss USA controversy
Voigt succeeds Miss USA 2022, Morgan Romano from North Carolina. Romano took over from R’Bonney Gabriel of Texas, who was crowned Miss Universe 2022 in January.
Gabriel’s victory at the 2022 Miss USA pageant was marred by claims from some of her colleagues that the competition was “rigged” in her favor.
In the weeks following her crowning in October 2022, Miss USA’s parent company, the Miss Universe Organization, launched an investigation and suspended then-Miss USA national director Crystle Stewart and her company, Miss Brands.
Both Gabriel, Stewart and other managers denied the allegations. At the time, Gabriel told E! News: “There was no unfair advantage and nothing was manipulated,” while Stewart said in a statement, “The last thing I want to do is discredit participants in a fair competition or deny them equal opportunities.” I would never jeopardize my dream of leading an organization that empowers these young women.
In August, the pageant announced the end of its association with Stewart.
In a statement confirming that a “thorough investigation” into the allegations revealed them to be false, Miss USA said that “after much discussion and consideration, (the Miss Universe Organization) and Crystle are not reaching an agreement to proceed.” “Participation by Crystle and Miss Brand (…) Crystle has decided to use the success she had with the Miss USA Organization to pursue other business passions.”