A new Miss USA has been crowned! Miss Utah Noelia Voigt was crowned Miss USA 2023 on Friday at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada.
Voigt defeated Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz and Miss Wisconsin Alexis Loomans to win the coveted title. Morgan Romano, who took over as Miss USA 2022 when initial winner R’Bonney Gabriel won Miss Universe, handed over the crown to Voigt.
“The past seven years of my pageant journey have all led me to this moment,” Voigt posted on Instagram a few days before the competition. “I usually have a bit of nerves before interview, but right now, I feel completely at peace. I can’t wait to get into that room, connect with the judges, and show them 100% of who Noelia is!”
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Voigt reflected on becoming the first Venezuelan-American to be named Miss Utah in July.
“I am honored to be the first Venezuelan-American woman to hold the title of Miss Utah USA, and I am truly looking forward to breaking barriers and bridging the gap between communities by being able to speak Spanish and connect with the large Hispanic population in Utah,” she wrote on Instagram.
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Layla Rose was crowned Miss USA president this year. Rose, the CEO of the VIP Pageantry television network and a fashion designer spoke with Insider ahead of Friday’s competition to explain some new adjustments.
The new president swore that the swimsuit round, evening gown round, and interview round on which the ladies were judged would no longer account for 33 percent of their final vote.
The interview round now counts for 50% of the total, while the other two categories have been reduced to 25%. “I came in and I really wanted to highlight the delegates as individuals,” Rose explained to the site. In order to be accepted, you must interview, just like you would for a job or a career. That, in my opinion, is the most significant aspect of the organization, and I wanted to emphasize it.
We’re not just parading onstage and we’re not just wearing heels. We’re out there supporting our platforms, making waves, and breaking glass ceilings in the philanthropy world that we want to be a part of. That aspect, I believe, has not been addressed as much, and it is what I enjoy bringing.
Another change is that the final question will not be political in nature. For the last 30 seconds that she gets onstage let her have her moment.
The presiding president has also deployed Tally Genie, a voting system described as the premier tabulation and auditing software solution for the pageant industry.
Several contenders claimed in 2022 that the pageant was rigged in favor of Miss Texas R’Bonney Gabriel, the first Filipina-American woman to be awarded Miss USA. The current allegations are based on perception, not reality, Gabriel said. I would never want to enter a competition that was rigged.
After Gabriel was crowned Miss Universe 2022, the dispute raged on. The organization refuted the rigging charges at the time, claiming the “absurd” claims distract from the incredible milestones our organization and the delegates experienced over the weekend.
The Texas native also expressed her wish that her path to the top will inspire others to believe in themselves and pursue their aspirations.
