Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant that has been run since 1983 by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. Unlike its sister pageants Miss Universe, which currently broadcasts on JKN18 and Miss USA, this pageant is webcast on the Miss Teen USA website and simulcast on mobile devices and video game consoles. The Miss Universe Organization previously operated Miss Teen USA, as well as Miss USA, until 2020 when the rights to produce both pageants were licensed to Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart prior to her suspension in October 2022, thus returning the said pageants to the Miss Universe Organization.[1] The parent company of all three pageants and the Miss Universe organization remains the same under the licensing agreement: JKN Metaverse Inc., a subsidiary of JKN Global Group.
For the most recent competition, see Miss Teen USA 2023.Predecessor
1959 (Teen magazine)
August 30, 1983 (Miss Universe Organization)
- Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip (2022 – Present)
- Raul Rocha (2024 – Present)
Laylah Rose
Prior to 1983, a beauty contest bestowing the title of Miss Teen USA was first held in 1959 as a mail-in photo contest by Teen magazine.[2][3]
It next became an annual live stage event through the 1960s and in 1983, the pageant began being produced annually as part of the Miss Universe family of pageants.[4] It was broadcast live on CBS until 2002 and then on NBC from 2003 to 2007. In March 2007, it was announced that the broadcast of the Miss Teen USA pageant on NBC had not been renewed, and that Miss Teen USA 2007 would be the final televised event.[5]
From 2008 to 2015, the pageant was held at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort, located in Nassau, Bahamas. Since 2016, the pageant has been held in the United States once more, and since 2018, it is held concurrently with its sister Miss USA pageant in a single city a few days before the start of Miss USA final competition.[6]
Notable pageant winners include actresses Kelly Hu (1985, Hawaii), Bridgette Wilson (1990, Oregon), Charlotte Lopez-Ayanna (1993, Vermont), Vanessa Minnillo (1998, South Carolina) and Shelley Hennig (2004, Louisiana).
The current Miss Teen USA is UmaSofia Srivastava of New Jersey who was crowned on September 28, 2023 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada.
Competition rounds
Prior to the final telecast the delegates compete in the preliminary competition, which involves private interviews with the judges and a presentation show where they compete in swimsuit and evening gown.
During the final competition, the semi-finalists are announced and go on to compete in swimsuit and evening gown. From 1983 to 2002 all semi-finalists also competed in an interview competition as well as both swimsuit and evening gown, followed by one or two final interview questions. In 2003, a new format was introduced where the top fifteen competed in evening gown, the top ten competed in swimsuit and the top five competed in the final question. In 2006, the order of competition was changed where the top fifteen competed in swimsuit and the top ten in evening gown. The latest competition format was used since 2008 the final not broadcast on TV, where the top fifteen both competed in swimsuit and evening gown, and the top five competed in the final question who all signed up by a panel of judges.
Former Miss Teen USA Katherine Haik supported calls to eliminate the swimsuit competition.[65] The swimsuit category was chastised for exploiting and sexualizing young women and not promoting diverse body types. The new active-wear portion will increase the focus on wellness and health of young ladies.[65]
Broadcasting of the pageant
1983–2007: Viewership and later decline
The pageant's viewership peak was hit in 1988, when the pageant averaged over 22 million viewers on CBS. Even as recently as 1999, the show managed to bring in over 10 million viewers. The 2006 airing was the second lowest rated in the pageant's 23-year history, with only 5.6 million viewers watching the live broadcast (the lowest: 2004, with 5.34 million).[67] The 2007 telecast (25th Anniversary, scheduled for August 24, 2007) was the last time Miss Teen USA aired live on television.
2008–present: internet pageant
The 2008 pageant was held, untelevised, on August 16, 2008. One factor that prevented NBC from broadcasting was its prime time commitment to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Since then, it is broadcast over the Internet on the Miss Teen USA website. It can be viewed worldwide, without any region restrictions via geolocation. Currently, it is hosted by YouTube (Ustream from 2008 to 2013). In addition, the webcast can be accessed on the pageant's Facebook page and on mobile devices using the official Miss Universe mobile app released during Miss USA 2016.
In 2012, the pageant began to simulcast in selected regions on Microsoft's Xbox Live service, allowing owners of the Xbox 360 (until 2017) and/or Xbox One consoles to watch the pageant on a television screen. In 2017, the pageant was also broadcast on Sony's PlayStation Network service.
The 2017 pageant was the first to include both a 360-video option for virtual reality headsets and HDR10 support for Xbox One S owners. The 2018 pageant featured support for Dolby Atmos audio and 4K video on the Xbox One S and X consoles.