Miss USA 2020 was the 69th Miss USA pageant. It was held at the Exhibition Centre and the Soundstage at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 9, 2020. Akbar Gbaja-Biamila and Allie LaForce served as hosts, while Cheslie Kryst and Christian Murphy served as backstage commentators, and Haley Reinhart performed. Cheslie Kryst of North Carolina crowned Asya Branch of Mississippi as her successor at the end of the event. Branch is the second consecutive African American to win the title, and the fourth one in five years. This is Mississippi's first win at the Miss USA pageant. Branch represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2020 pageant and placed in the Top 21.
Originally scheduled to be held in spring 2020 and was initially to air on Fox, the competition was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 31, the Miss Universe Organization announced that the competition would be held on November 9 of the same year.
FYI served as the new broadcaster of the pageant, replacing Fox, which had broadcast the pageant since 2016. The show was also rebroadcast on November 18, 2020, on YouTube. The competition marked the first year that a new crown made by jeweler Mouawad is used at Miss USA, effectively retiring the Mikimoto Crown.
For a third consecutive year, the competition was held concurrently alongside the Miss Teen USA competition. This was the last Miss USA to be organized by Miss Universe Organization before being split into its separate organization beginning in Miss USA 2021.
Background Location
On August 30, 2020, Graceland announced on their schedule that the competition would be held on November 9 on their premises in Memphis, Tennessee. The MUO later confirmed that the competition would be hosted at Graceland the following day. This was the first time since Miss USA 1983 that the state of Tennessee would be hosting the pageant.
Hosts and performer On October 22, it was announced that the competition would be hosted by Akbar Gbaja-Biamila and Allie LaForce, while Cheslie Kryst and Christian Murphy would serve as backstage correspondents. Gbaja-Biamila is a commentator on American Ninja Warrior and former professional football player, while LaForce formerly was crowned Miss Teen USA 2005, and has worked as a sports reporter for Fox and Turner Sports.
On the same day, American Idol alum Haley Reinhart was announced as the musical guest.
Selection of contestants Delegates from 50 states and the District of Columbia were selected in state pageants which began in September 2019 and concluded in February 2020. The first state pageant was Texas, held on September 1, 2019, while the final pageant was Kentucky, held on February 1, 2020. Nine of these delegates were former Miss Teen USA state winners, six of them were former Miss America state winners, one delegate was a former Miss America's Outstanding Teen state winner, and one was former Miss Earth United States winner who competed at Miss Earth 2017.
Rachel Slawson, Miss Utah USA 2020, became the first openly LGBT woman to compete in Miss USA; Slawson identifies herself as queer. One state titleholder was appointed as a replacement after the original titleholder was unable to compete. Katie Bozner, the original Miss Wyoming USA 2020, resigned three weeks before Miss USA 2020 due to her academic obligations in optometry school. She was replaced by Lexi Revelli, who was the first runner-up of the Miss Wyoming USA 2020 pageant.
COVID-19 restrictions The pageant was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions implemented included an audience of only 300 spectators for both the preliminary and final competitions, and daily temperature checks, COVID-19 testing and social distancing measures for contestants and staff members. If a delegate tested positive from COVID-19, she would automatically withdraw from the competition, resulting in all of the delegates testing negative prior to arriving in Memphis. Other in-person events such as pre-pageant activities had been cancelled, including press briefings from pageant commentators.
Results
Placements PlacementContestantMiss USA 2020 – Asya Branch1st runner-up – Kim Layne2nd runner-up – Mariah Jane Davis3rd runner-up – Alexis Lete4th runner-up – Kelly HutchinsonTop 10 – Allyshia Gupta – Samantha Neyland – Olivia Pura – Gina Mellish – Andreia GibauTop 16 – Cierra Jackson – Alyssa Beasley – Mariah Clayton – Megan Renee Kelly – Victoria Olona § – Sthephanie Miranda
§ – Voted into Top 16 by viewers
Special award Award Contestant Miss Congeniality Washington – Imani Blackmon
Pageant Format For the first time since 2012, the number of finalists increased to sixteen, up from fifteen in previous years. The results of the preliminary competition — which consisted of the swimsuit competition, the evening gown competition, and the closed-door interview determined the first fifteen semi-finalists who advanced at the first cut. The sixteenth finalist was determined through an online vote from the viewing public. During the final competition, the top sixteen competed in swimsuit, and the top ten in evening gown. The top five format returned for the first time since Miss USA 2015, where the five finalists competed in two question rounds. The winner and her runners-up were determined by a panel of judges.
Selection committee Carolyn Aronson – businesswoman and hairstylist Lynnette Cole – Miss USA 2000 from Tennessee Abby Hornacek – Fox Nation journalist and media personality Gloria Mayfield Banks – motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur Kimberly Pressler – Miss USA 1999 from New York Susan Yara – businesswoman and social media personality
Contestants Fifty-one contestants competed for the title. State/districtContestant AgeHometown Notes Alabama Kelly Hutchinson 23 Auburn Previously Miss Georgia's Outstanding Teen 2013 Alaska Hannah Carlile 25 Fairbanks Arizona Yesenia Vidales 24 Phoenix Arkansas Haley Pontius 24 Houston California Allyshia Gupta 26 Los Angeles Later contestant on season 29 of The Bachelor Colorado Emily DeMure 22 BoulderLater crowned Miss Grand United States of America 2022 Connecticut Chelsea Demby 24 Farmington Delaware Katie Guevarra 27 Middletown District of Columbia Cierra Jackson 28 Washington, D.C. Previously Miss District of Columbia 2016 Florida Monique Evans 28 Naples Previously Miss Texas 2014 Georgia Alyssa Beasley 22 Brunswick Previously Miss Georgia 2017 Hawaii Samantha Neyland 24 Honolulu First African-American Miss Hawaii USAPreviously Miss Hawaii Teen USA 2013 Idaho Kim Layne 26 Nampa Previously Miss Idaho Teen USA 2012 Illinois Olivia Pura 22 ChicagoPreviously Miss Illinois Teen USA 2016 Indiana Alexis Lete 24 New AlbanyIowa Morgan Kofoid 23 LeonPreviously Miss Iowa Teen USA 2013Kansas Hayden Brax 21 LeawoodKentucky Lexie Iles 24 Louisville Louisiana Mariah Clayton 24 ZacharyMaine Julia Van Steenberghe 22 Old TownMaryland Taelyr Robinson 28 Annapolis Starred in The VineyardMassachusetts Sabrina Victor 23 BrocktonMichigan Chanel Johnson 27 DetroitMinnesota Taylor Fondie 22 Blaine Former Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader Mississippi Asya Branch 22 Booneville First African-American Miss Mississippi USAPreviously Miss Mississippi 2018 Missouri Megan Renee Kelly 24 Kansas City Montana Merissa Underwood 28 Missoula Nebraska Megan Swanson 27 Omaha Previously Miss Nebraska 2014Sister of Allie Swanson, Miss Nebraska 2019Nevada Victoria Olona 27 Las Vegas Fan vote winnerNew Hampshire Alyssa Fernandes 26 Merrimack New Jersey Gina Mellish 21 Oceanport Previously Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2016 New Mexico Cecilia Rodriguez 28 Las Cruces New York Andreia Gibau 25 Brooklyn Previously Miss Earth United States 2017North Carolina Jane Axhoj 22 Charlotte Previously Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2015North Dakota Macy Christianson 24 Minot Previously Miss North Dakota 2016Ohio Sthephanie Miranda 27 Campbell Later Top 6 at Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2021Oklahoma Mariah Jane Davis 24 Norman Oregon Katerina Villegas 27 HillsboroPennsylvania Victoria Piekut 24 Pittsburgh Rhode Island Jonét Nichelle 25 North Providence Former New England Patriots Cheerleader South Carolina Hannah Jane Curry 21 Greenville South Dakota Kalani Jorgensen 26 Sioux FallsPreviously Miss South Dakota Teen USA 2012Tennessee Justice Enlow 26 Nashville Texas Taylor Kessler 24 HoustonUtah Rachel Slawson 25 Provo First openly LGBT person to compete at Miss USAVermont Shannah Weller 24 MiddleburyVirginia Susie Evans 27 Poquoson Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2011Later winner of season 26 of The BachelorWashington Imani Blackmon 25 Tacoma Previously Miss Washington Teen USA 2013.West Virginia Charlotte Bellotte 26 Charles Town Wisconsin Gabriella Deyi 28 Madison Wyoming Lexi Revelli 26 LymanOriginally first runner-up, but assumed the title after winner Katie Bozner resigned the title three weeks before Miss USA due to her academic obligations.
Notes
References
External links
Miss USA official website