Everything you need to know about the Miss USA pageant

A new Miss USA will be crowned soon. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Miss USA is a beauty pageant that started in 1952. The current titleholder is Audrey Eckert.

The pageant features a swimsuit, an evening gown, and an interview round. All women 18 and up can compete.

The 2026 Miss USA pageant is taking place on August 27 in Miami.

It's almost time to crown the next Miss USA .

The famous pageant has had a tumultuous few years, including rigging accusations and two queens giving up their crowns . Thom Brodeur, who was named the new CEO and president of Miss USA in September 2025, has been working to usher in a new era.

But what's the story behind the pageant that introduced the world to the likes of Halle Berry and Olivia Culpo , and who is allowed to compete?

We've got the answers to all your questions before the finals on August 27.

What is Miss USA?

Noelia Voigt was crowned Miss USA 2023. Courtesy of Miss USA

Miss USA all started because of a swimsuit.

When Miss America 1951 winner Yolande Betbeze refused to pose for pictures in a swimsuit, Catalina — a swimwear company sponsoring the competition — created its own pageant. A year later, Jackie Loughery became the first-ever Miss USA. That same year was also the first Miss Universe pageant .

The Miss USA competition consists of three rounds: swimsuit, evening gown, and interview. Unlike Miss America , which offers scholarship money as part of its prize package, the winner of Miss USA is paid a salary for her yearlong reign that involves numerous appearances and speaking engagements across the country.

Every winner also competes at the annual Miss Universe pageant. Nine American women have won Miss Universe, the most of any country. Venezuela is in second place with seven wins.

Who has owned Miss USA?

Donald Trump with Olivia Culpo after she won Miss Universe in 2012. David Becker/Getty Images

The Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss Universe pageants were operated by the Miss Universe Organization until 2020. Donald Trump owned the Miss Universe Organization from 1996 to 2015. He sold the company to Endeavor after NBC dropped the show following remarks he made about Mexican immigrants when announcing his 2016 presidential campaign. Endeavor sold the Miss Universe Organization to Anne Jakrajutatip and her Thailand-based company, JKN Global Group, in October 2022.

In 2020, both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA were franchised to Crystle Stewart , who won Miss USA in 2008. The Miss Universe Organization still oversees every national pageant that sends delegates to Miss Universe and has the final say on any issues. So it was the organization that suspended Stewart in October 2022 amid allegations the Miss USA pageant had been rigged that year.

Though the Miss Universe Organization said it found no evidence of rigging during its investigation, Stewart and the organization parted ways in August 2023. Laylah Rose was named the next Miss USA president.

The Miss Universe Organization announced that Thom Brodeur was replacing Rose as the new Miss USA president and CEO in September 2025.

Who can compete at Miss USA?

Eligibility rules for the Miss USA pageant have changed drastically over the past few years. In 2023, the pageant began allowing married women and mothers to compete, which is still not permitted in the Miss America pageant.

All women aged 18 and over are now eligible to compete at Miss USA (the cutoff age was 28 until 2024). Women ages 14 to 19 can compete in Miss Teen USA. Once you've won a state pageant, you can only compete once for the Miss USA or Miss Teen USA title.

Miss USA contestants are allowed to have tattoos or undergo plastic surgery. There is also no height requirement.

Unlike Miss America, transgender women are also allowed to compete at Miss USA. The rule was put in place by Donald Trump in 2012 when he owned the organization.

Who has won Miss USA?

Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih was the first Middle Eastern woman to take home the crown. Denise Truscello/WireImage

The current Miss USA is Audrey Eckert , a seasoned pageant queen from Nebraska. Eckert also placed in the top five at Miss Teen USA in 2020 and reached the top 30 at Miss Universe 2025 .

Texas holds the record for the most Miss USA winners . Ten women have won the crown for the Lone Star State, which had a five-year winning streak from 1985 to 1989. Eighteen states have never won a Miss USA pageant , including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and New Jersey.

The youngest Miss USA in history is Myrna Hansen, who was 17 when she won the crown in 1953. R'Bonney Gabriel is the oldest winner on record, winning the title at 28 in 2022.

The Miss USA winner list has become more diverse in recent decades. Miss USA 1962 Macel Wilson was the first woman of color and the first Asian American to win the title, while Miss USA 1985 Laura Martinez-Herring was the first Hispanic winner. In 1990, Carole Gist became the first Black woman to win, and Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih Slaiby was the first Middle Eastern woman to take home the crown.

Gabriel was the first Filipina American to win Miss USA, while Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt was the first Venezuelan American to hold the title.

Why is Miss USA controversial?

UmaSofia Srivastava and Noelia Voigt both resigned their titles in May 2024. Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Supermodels Unlimited

The dust had barely settled from the scandals of 2022 when Miss USA found itself back in the headlines . In May 2024, Voigt announced she was giving up her crown. Two days later, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava followed suit.

Both women gave few details on their resignations, citing new nondisclosure agreements they had to sign to compete in 2023. But their mothers, Jackeline Voigt and Barbara Srivastava , told Business Insider at the time that their daughters had suffered through "eight months of torture and abuse" under Rose's leadership as president and CEO of Miss USA. Rose denied the allegations in an open letter s...