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The 74th Annual Miss USA pageant has made history.
During the Miss USA finals on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., it was announced that the Miss Congeniality Award would be renamed after the late former Miss Universe Chelsi Smith.
Smith died in September 2018 at the age of 45, a year after being diagnosed with liver cancer.
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News of the history-making name change was announced by pageant co-host Olivia Jordan, the winner of the Miss USA 2015 pageant. She co-hosted the event with sports analyst and former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho.
“We are making history,” said Jordan. “We have decided to rename the Miss Congeniality award after one of the most iconic beauty queens in history. In 1995, Chelsi Smith won Miss Texas USA, Miss USA and then Miss Universe.”
With the wins, Smith became the first and only woman from Texas to win both Miss USA and Miss Universe, as well as the first American woman to claim the Miss Universe title in 15 years.
“She also won Miss Congeniality in nearly every pageant she competed in,” continued Jordan. “In 2018, Chelsi lost her battle with cancer. The Miss USA organization wants to honor her legacy by renaming Miss Congeniality the Chelsi Smith Congeniality award.”
Miss Delaware, Tetra Shaylice Shockley, won the award this year. Miss Nebraska, Audrey Eckert, was named Miss USA 2025. Miss New Jersey, Ivy Harrington, was named the first runner-up.
The night’s judges included Nia Sanchez, who won the Miss USA title in 2014. She went on to compete in the 2014 Miss Universe pageant, finishing as first runner-up.
The Bachelor season 19 contestant, Jade Roper Tolbert, who runs her own cosmetics company, was also a judge.
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Rounding out the judges’ table were former Dancing with the Stars pro Sasha Farber, fashion designer Kenneth Barlis and model scout Hannah Edwards.
