Miss World 2015 was the 65th edition of the Miss World pageant, held at the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, Hainan, China, on 19 December 2015.
Rolene Strauss of South Africa crowned Mireia Lalaguna of Spain as her successor at the end of the event. It was the first time in the history of Miss World that Spain won the pageant. Since this year, the swimsuit competition (Miss World Beach Beauty) has been officially removed from the pageant. Runner-Up was Sofia Nikitchuk from Russia and third was Maria Harfanti from Indonesia.
Returns and withdrawals This edition saw the return of Botswana, Bulgaria, Chile, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Samoa, and Zambia in 2013.
Barbados, Belarus, Canada, Chad, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, Kosovo, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Martinique, São Tomé and Príncipe and Switzerland, withdrew from the competition.
Anastasia Lin of Canada, was willing and entitled to participate in the event as Miss World Canada, and the pageant still lists her as a contestant. However, up to the last minute, Lin waited for an official invitation that is necessary for Chinese visa application, but to no avail and hence missed the official deadline of 20 November 2015 for entry to the pageant and was declared persona non grata by the Chinese Government. Lin had openly criticised China's human rights violations. She was allowed by the Miss World Organization to compete at Miss World 2016.
Results Placements Placement Contestant Miss World 2015 – Mireia Lalaguna 1st Runner-Up – Sofia Nikitchuk 2nd Runner-Up – Maria Harfanti Top 5 – Sanneta Myrie – Valerie Abou Chacra Top 11 – Tess Alexander – Hinarere Taputu – Lisa Punch – Hillarie Parungao – Liesl Laurie – Trần Ngọc Lan Khuê § Top 20 – Catharina Choi Nunes – Yuan Lu – Camila Marañón – Regina Vandysheva – Margot Hanekamp – Deborah Lambie – Leanne McDowell – Marta Pałucka – Mhairi Fergusson – Ajaa Deng § People's Choice Winner
Continental Queens of Beauty Continental Group Contestant Africa – Liesl Laurie Americas – Catharina Choi Nunes Asia – Maria Harfanti Caribbean – Sanneta Myrie Europe – Mireia Lalaguna Oceania – Tess Alexander
Challenge events Beauty with a Purpose Placement Contestant Winner – Maria HarfantiTop 10 – Camila Marañón – Marcela Santamaria – Lisa Punch – Evana Manandhar – Stefanía Alemán – Sofia Nikitchuk – Latafale Auva'a – Lilian Kamazima – Annie Mutambu
Multimedia Challenge Placement Contestant Winner – Hillarie ParungaoTop 5 – Lisa Punch – Aditi Arya – Sanneta Myrie – Deborah Lambie
Sports Challenge Placement Contestant Winner – Steffi van Wyk2nd place – Linne Freminot3rd place – Aria Perez TheisenTop 5 – Regina Vandysheva – Latafale Auva'a
Talent Challenge Placement Contestant Winner – Lisa Punch2nd place – Brynn Zalina Lovett3rd place – Sanneta Myrie4th place – Giovanna Cordeiro5th place – Latafale Auva'aTop 13 – Tess Alexander – Alyssa Rose – Sasha Wintz – Alexandra Krijger – Natasha Hemmings – Maria Harfanti – Thunchanok Moonnilta – Emma JenkinsTop 30 – Chantel O'Brian – Jessica Ngoua – Fernanda Sobarzo – Yuan Lu – Angélica Reyes – Angélica Reyes – Arlène Tacite – Arna Ýr Jónsdóttir – Aditi Arya – Khin Thein Myint – Steffi van Wyk – Deborah Lambie – Hillarie Parungao – Keysi Vargas – Mateja Kociper – Liesl Laurie – Mireia Lalaguna – Victoria Mendoza
Top Model Challenge Placement Contestant Winner – Mireia LalagunaTop 5 – Hinarere Taputu – Keysi Vargas – Sofia Nikitchuk – Greta GalassiTop 30 – Kristina Bakiu – Daniela Mirón – Tess Alexander – Annika Grill – Catharina Choi – Jessica Ngoua – Yuan Lu – Andréa N'Guessan – Kisanet Teklehaimanot – Nuka Karalashvili – Gabriela Salazar – Aditi Arya – Sacha Livingstone – Chika Nakagawa – Regina Vandysheva – Valerie Abou Chacra – Margot Hanekamp – Giovanna Cordeiro – Hillarie Parungao – Marta Pałucka – Liesl Laurie – Ajaa Deng –Natalia Fogelund – Anyela Galante – Trần Ngọc Lan Khuê
World Designer Award The world designer event was also the first stage of the Miss World Top Model Challenge Event, which takes place on 12 December. Placement Contestant Winner – Trần Ngọc Lan KhuêTop 10 – Marijana Marković – Catharina Choi – Andréa N'Guessan – Arlène Tacite – Aditi Arya – Maria Harfanti – Greta Galassi – Anu Namshir – Keysi Vargas
Judges The judges panel for Miss World 2015 were: Julia Morley – Chairman of the Miss World Organization Mike Dixon – Musical Director Ken Warwick – Hollywood producer and executive producer and director of Miss World Andrew Minarik – head of the team for Miss World Hair & Beauty Donna Walsh – professional dancer and director Linda Pétursdóttir – Miss World 1988 from Iceland Agbani Darego – Miss World 2001 from Nigeria Azra Akın – Miss World 2002 from Turkey Zhang Zilin – Miss World 2007 from China PR Ksenia Sukhinova – Miss World 2008 from Russia Liliana Tanoesoedibjo – CEO of Media Nusantara Citra, Owner and National Director of Miss Indonesia
Contestants 114 delegates competed in Miss World 2015. Country/Territory Contestant Age Hometown Albania Kristina Bakiu 20 Tirana Argentina Daniela Mirón 22 Malargüe Aruba Nicole Van Tellingen 20 Oranjestad AustraliaTess Alexander 24 Brisbane AustriaAnnika Grill 21 Gmunden Bahamas Chantel O'Brian 21 Nassau Belgium Leylah Alliët 22 Roeselare Belize Jasmin Jael Rhamdas 19 Belmopan Bermuda Alyssa Rose 22 Hamilton Bolivia Vivian Serrano 22 Santa Cruz Bosnia and HerzegovinaMarijana Marković 20 Prnjavor BotswanaSeneo Mabengano 19 Selebi-Phikwe Brazil Catharina Choi Nunes 25 São Paulo British Virgin Islands Sasha Wintz 18Tortola Bulgaria Veneta Krasteva 23 Sofia Cameroon Jessica Ngoua 24 Douala Chile Fernanda Sobarzo 20 Santiago China Yuan Lu 21 Hefei Colombia María Alejandra López Pérez 21 Pereira Costa Rica Angélica Reyes 20 San José Côte d'Ivoire Andréa N'Guessan 22 Yamoussoukro Croatia Maja Spahija 22 Šibenik Curaçao Alexandra Krijger 18 Willemstad Cyprus Rafaela Charalampous 25 Nicosia Czech Republic Andrea Kalousová 19 Jaroměř Denmark Jessica Hvirvelkær 18 Aarhus Dominican Republic Cinthya Núñez 23 San Francisco Ecuador María Camila Marañón Solorzano 20 Chone El Salvador Marcela Santamaria 24 San Salvador England Natasha Hemmings 19 Cheshire Ethiopia Kisanet Teklehaimanot 21 Adigrat Fiji Brittany Hazelman 24 Suva Finland Carola Miller 24 Helsinki France Hinarere Taputu 25 Tahiti Gabon Reine Ngotala 18 Tchibanga Georgia Nuka Karalashvili 24 Tbilisi GermanyAlbijona Muharremaj 20 Munich Gibraltar Hannah Bado 22 Gibraltar Guadeloupe Arlène Tacite 22 Basse-Terre Guam Aria Perez Theisen 19 Barrigada GuatemalaMaría José Larrañaga 24 Guatemala City Mama Aissata Diallo 19 Conakry Guyana Lisa Punch 24 Georgetown Haiti Seydina Allen 24 Port-au-Prince Honduras Gabriela Salazar 24 Tegucigalpa Hungary Daniella Kiss 21 Bag IcelandArna Ýr Jónsdóttir 20 Kópavogur India Aditi Arya 22 Gurgaon IndonesiaMaria Harfanti 23 Yogyakarta IrelandSacha Livingstone 20 Dublin ItalyGreta Galassi 17 Rovereto JamaicaSanneta Myrie 24 Kingston JapanChika Nakagawa 20 Niigata KazakhstanRegina Vandysheva 22 Almaty KenyaCharity Mwangi 24 Kiambu County Kyrgyzstan Tattybubu Samidin-Kyzy 20 Osh Latvia Lāsma Zemene 20 Riga Lebanon Valerie Abou Chacra 23 Beirut Lesotho Relebohile Kobeli 19 Maseru Macedonia Emilija Rozman 24 Skopje Malaysia Brynn Zalina Lovett 22 Beaufort MaltaKatrina Pavia 25 Victoria Mauritius Aurellia Bégué 19 Port Louis Mexico Yamelin Ramírez Cota 22 Navojoa MoldovaAnastasia Iacub 19 Băcioi Mongolia Anu Namshir 24 Ulaanbaatar Montenegro Nataša Milosavljević 24 Herceg Novi Myanmar Khin Thein Myint 24 Mandalay Namibia Steffi van Wyk 20 Windhoek Nepal Evana Manandhar 24 Kathmandu Netherlands Margot Hanekamp 19 Nijkerk New Zealand Deborah Lambie 25 Auckland Nicaragua Stefanía Alemán 24 Masatepe Nigeria Unoaku Anyadike 21 Ibadan Northern IrelandLeanne McDowell 19 Cookstown NorwayFay Teresa Vålbekk 23 Oslo Panama Diana Jaén 24 Penonomé Paraguay Giovanna Cordeiro 25 Asunción Peru Karla Chocano 24 Trujillo Philippines Hillarie Parungao 24 Solano Poland Marta Pałucka 24 Sopot Portugal Rafaela Pardete 24 Setúbal Puerto Rico Keysi Vargas Vélez 24 Quebradillas Romania Natalia Onet 26 Satu Mare Russia Sofia Nikitchuk 22 Yekaterinburg Saint Kitts and Nevis Jackiema Flemming 22 Basseterre Samoa Alofa Dawn Latafale Auva'a 22 Apia ScotlandMhairi Fergusson 21Stirling Serbia Marija Ćetković 20 Novi Sad SeychellesLinne Freminot 22 Mahé Singapore Charity Lu 24 Singapore Slovakia Lujza Straková 21 Banská Bystrica SloveniaMateja Kociper24Maribor South Africa Liesl Laurie 24 Johannesburg South Korea Chyung Eun-ju 22 Seoul South Sudan Ajaa Deng 23 Juba Spain Mireia Lalaguna 23 Barcelona Sri LankaThilini Amarasooriya 20 Colombo SwedenNatalia Fogelund 21 Gothenburg Tanzania Lilian Kamazima 19 Arusha Thailand Thunchanok Moonnilta 22 Chiang Mai Trinidad and Tobago Kimberly Farrah Singh 21 Port of Spain Tunisia Maroua Heni 24 Sidi Bouzid Turkey Ecem Çırpan 19 Bursa Uganda Zahara Nakiyaga 24 Kampala UkraineKhrystyna Stoloka 18 Kyiv United States Victoria Mendoza 20 Phoenix United States Virgin Islands Jahne Massac 19 St. Thomas Uruguay Sherika De Armas † 18 Montevideo Venezuela Anyela Galante Salerno 24 Guanare Vietnam Trần Ngọc Lan Khuê 23 Ho Chi Minh City Wales Emma Victoria Jenkins 22 Llanelli Zambia Michelo Malambo 24 Ndola Zimbabwe Annie Grace Farayi Mutambu 19 Harare – 2015 contestants source:
Notes
Designations – Jasmin Jael Rhamdas was appointed "Miss World Belize 2015" after a casting call was organised by Michael Arnold, national director of Miss World Belize. – Angelica Reyes was appointed "Miss Costa Rica Mundo 2015" by Allan Aleman national director for Miss World in Costa Rica after a casting call was organised by Reinas de Costa Rica organisation franchise holder for Miss World in Costa Rica. – Alexandra Krijger was appointed "Miss World Curaçao 2015" by Dushi-Magazine, franchise holders for Miss World in Curaçao after the pageant was not held due to lack of funding and sponsorships. Krijger was the 3rd runner-up at the Miss Curaçao World 2014 pageant. – Marcela Santamaría was appointed to represent El Salvador by Liz De Castaneda, national director of Nuestra Belleza El Salvador after the national pageant was postponed until January 2016. Santamaría was crowned Reinado de El Salvador International 2011. – Lisa Punch was selected as Guyana's representative to Miss World 2015 by the national director of Miss World Guyana, Natasha Martaindale, after the Miss World Guyana 2015 pageant was cancelled due to lack of applicants and the upcoming General elections in Guyana. Punch was chosen from the few applicants who applied for the pageants 2015 edition before it was cancelled. She was a finalist at ABC's Rising Star show. – Emilija Rozman was appointed "Miss Makedonija 2015" by Lidija Velkovska, national director of Miss Macedonia pageant. – Fay Teresa Vålbekk was appointed "Miss World Norway 2015" at a casting call held by Morten Sommerfeldt, national director of Miss World Norway. Vålbekk was the 1st runner-up at the Frøken Norge 2011 pageant. – Giovanna Cordeiro was chosen "Miss Mundo Paraguay 2015" by Promociones Gloria, franchise holders for Miss World in Paraguay. Nuestra Belleza Paraguay was not held this year due to lack of time in organising the pageant hence the representatives to various international pageants were chosen in a closed door election from the contestants of Nuestra Belleza Paraguay 2014.Cordeiro was the 3rd runner-up at Nuestra Belleza Paraguay 2014. – Natalia Onet was appointed "Miss World Romania 2015" by Ernest Hadrian Böhm the president of Miss World Romania after a casting call was organised by ExclusivEvent agency franchise holders for Miss World in Romania.