Reigning Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua will crown her successor later this year, as the beauty pageant returns to Mexico on September 28. The country will be hosting for the first time since 2007.
This year's pageant will feature the return of Belize, Botswana, China, Cuba, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, New Zealand and Samoa. Iran is also meant to send a representative for the first time, but under the title of “Miss Persia”.
Although there is plenty of time before the finale, some competing countries have already selected their representatives, including pageant powerhouse Venezuela.
Here’s a list of who has been crowned so far.
Miss Universe Philippines: Chelsea Manalo
Manalo, 24, is the first black Filipina to be crowned Miss Universe Philippines. Born to an African-American father and a Filipina mother, Manalo represented the Bulacan province at the competition, one of the most-watched events in the beauty pageant-obsessed nation.
Her win was notable in a country where Western ideals of beauty are still largely held, influenced by its colonial past.
Asked on stage how she would use her beauty and confidence to empower others, she said she has faced many challenges "as a woman of colour".
“I was told that beauty has standards, actually,” she said. "But I have always listened to my mother who told me to always believe in yourself and uphold the vows that you have. Because of these, I am already influencing a lot of women who are facing me right now."
The Philippines has won the Miss Universe crown four times.
Miss Universe Venezuela: Ileana Marquez
The model, 28, is the first mother to win the Miss Venezuela title. She beat 24 other contestants to the crown in December, becoming the third winner from the Amazonas.
Her hobbies include singing, dancing and acting. She says she put herself forward after organisers allowed mothers as well as married and divorced women to compete for the first time.
Miss Universe China: Jia Qi
Crowned Miss Universe China 2023, Jia Qi could not attend the Miss Universe competition that year in El Salvador because of visa issues. She will instead compete in this year’s contest. The 23-year-old won her crown after beating 31 other finalists in October last year.
Hailing from Chengdu, in the Sichuan province of China, Qi is a former track and field athlete, as well as a fitness enthusiast.
Miss Universe Kazakhstan: Madina Almukhanova
The model, 23, was crowned Miss Kazakhstan after beating 24 other contestants at the Republic Palace in Almaty in December. Before that, she also held the title of First Vice Miss Almaty 2023.
Outside of beauty pageants, she has been modelling for five years, but is also a choirmaster conductor, who sings professionally and plays the piano.
Miss Universe France: Indira Ampiot
French model Indira Ampiot, 20, has previously been crowned Miss Basse-Terre and Miss Guadeloupe in 2022. She is the fourth woman from Guadeloupe to win Miss France.
Ampiot is of Indian descent through her maternal grandfather and is the niece of French footballer Frederic Tejou. She beat 29 other contestants in the competition held in December.
Miss Universe Kyrgyzstan: Maya Turdalieva
The 25-year-old is from Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Although she was crowned last year, Turdalieva could not make the Miss Universe pageant due to an undisclosed reason and will instead participate this year.
Posting on Instagram, she vowed to “work hard and strive to make Kyrgyzstan proud”, adding: “Our culture, our nature and our people are my inspiration”.
Miss Universe New Zealand: Franki Russell
The Filipino-Kiwi actress and model, 29, was crowned Miss Universe New Zealand 2024, making her the country’s first representative to the pageant since 2019.
She focused her campaign on cyberbullying. She previously competed in the Miss Universe UAE pageant in 2021, finishing in the top 30.
Miss Universe Germany: Pia Theissen
Hailing from Cologne, the 25-year-old is fluent in German, Spanish and English. A trained occupational therapist, she is also a yoga instructor and currently training to be a DJ.
She beat 14 other contestants to the Miss Universe Germany title. “Words can’t describe how grateful I am,” she posted on Instagram after her win. “Representing my country is an honour.”
Miss Universe Greece: Christianna Katsieri
A model by profession, Katsieri already has pageant experience, representing her country at Miss Earth 2023 in Vietnam.
She won Miss GS Hellas 2022, which sends Greece's representative to top global pageants. She will be the first Greek woman to participate in two top global pageants.
Miss Universe Dominican Republic: Celinee Santos Frias
Hailing from Distrito Nacional, the 24-year-old beat 18 other hopefuls to the Miss Universe Dominican Republic 2024 title.
The student is an experienced pageant queen, having represented her country at Miss Intercontinental 2019 and Miss International in 2022. She's currently pursuing a law degree at the Universidad del Caribe in Santo Domingo.
Miss Universe Croatia: Zrinka Coric
The 22-year-old is from the coastal town of Dubrovnik. Through her participation, the medical student hopes to raise awareness of mental health and to reduce the stigma associated with it.
She also wants empower young girls and encourage them to realise their full potential. Croatia has yet to win a Miss Universe crown and held its first national pageant in 1997.
Miss Universe Albania: Franceska Rustem
Hailing from Durres, the second largest city in Albania, Rustem, 19, is a model who wants to promote mental health awareness and environmental activism.
Bullied as a young girl for her thick eyebrows, Rustem told an Albanian radio station soon after her crowning that she has grown to embrace it and use it as her power.
"Even the make-up artists tell me to clean it a little and I tell them not to touch them. That's how I want to keep them. It characterises," she said.
She says she lives by a Winston Churchill quote: "Success is not final; failure is not fatal."
Miss Universe Argentina: Magali Benejam
Benejam, 29, is a model from Cordoba, the second most populous city in Argentina. She beat 27 hopefuls to the Miss Universe Argentina title, including 60-year-old Alejandra Marisa Rodriguez.
Rodriguez made waves earlier when she became one of the oldest participants in the beauty contest's history. The Miss Universe pageant has done away with age limits, meaning all adult women can now compete.
Miss Universe Bahamas: Selvinique Wright
Wright, 31, previously competed in the Miss Universe Bahamas pageant in 2016, 2018 and 2020, where she earned second place. Not one to give up easily, and thanks to Miss Universe rules doing away with age limits, it looks like fourth time's the charm for this beauty queen.
"I consider myself to be a fighter, a person who is very dedicated to what it is that she wants, so I’m not easily swayed by the noise in the market, and that is one thing that kept me going," she told The Nassau Guardian soon after her win. "No matter how many times I fall off a bike, I will get back on."
Miss Universe Belgium: Kenza Ameloot
Ameloot, 22, is a model and business student. Born to a Rwandan father and Belgian father, she beat 31 other contestants to the Miss Universe Belgium title. She says her favourite country to visit is Rwanda, where she travels every year.
Miss Universe Belize: Halima Hoy
Hoy, 29, beat nine other contestants to the Miss Universe Belize title. Hailing from San Pedro Town, she is a fitness coach and sports medicine-certified trainer.
“I am doing this for the community, and I will share the journey with them,” she told the San Pedro Sun following her win.
Miss Universe Colombia: Daniela Toloza
A fashion designer, Toloza, 30, runs her own label called La Rochelle. She is also the first married woman to represent Colombia at the Miss Universe pageant.
Having struggled with her weight while growing up, she is also a champion for inclusivity and body positivity.
"I am here to remind you the privilege of counting your body, to honour your processes, to feel absolutely proud of what you have today, and that you are still on the way to bring out your best version," she posted on Instagram following her win.
