Miss Utah USA Takes the Crown: Miss Utah USA Noelia Voigt was crowned Miss USA 2023 on Friday night at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada.
Voigt received her crown from Morgan Romano, Miss USA 2022, at the pageant, which was televised by The CW. Last year’s runner-up for Miss USA, R’Bonney Gabriel, who went on to become Miss Universe in January, was succeeded by Romano.
UmaSofia Srivastava Crowned Miss Teen USA 2023: A Triumph of Grace and Gratitude
Miss Utah USA Takes the Crown
Her LinkedIn profile indicates that Voigt, who resides in Salt Lake City, has connections to Alabama. According to LinkedIn, she attended the University of Alabama, Jefferson State Community College, and Aveda Institute Birmingham. Voigt also worked for RH Birmingham as an interior design consultant. Voigt was Miss Alabama USA’s first runner-up in 2022 (as Miss Camelia) and again in 2023 (as Miss Greystone) prior to being crowned Miss Utah USA. In April, she relocated to Salt Lake City, according to an Instagram post.
“Noelia Voigt embodies the essence of a transformational leader and a force for good,” states the Miss USA website. “As a student of interior design, her ambition is to establish her own design firm and present a television program in which she helps families in need of a home transformation.
“Her heritage as a bilingual Venezuelan-American woman enriches her cultural perspective. As the daughter of a Venezuelan immigrant, she places a high value on immigration rights. Noelia has championed dating violence awareness and prevention alongside the One Love Foundation for the past six years, educating over a thousand students across the nation on the essential characteristics of healthy and harmful relationships. She is also a published author of children’s books.
“Noelia enjoys teaching her Australian shepherd, Mila, routines, car camping in Utah’s national parks, and Latin dancing when she is off-duty. Her interest in adverse weather inspires her desire for future storm-chasing adventures.”
Voigt, as Miss USA, will compete in the Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador on November 18, 2023.
Voigt defeated fifty other contestants for the Miss USA title, including Sophie Burzynski, Miss Alabama USA 2023. Burzynski claimed the state title as Miss Auburn-Opelika USA in January. All contestants for Miss USA are the victors of earlier-held pageants.
Burzynski was among the top twenty competitors announced on Friday, competing in televised swimsuit and evening gown contests. The number of finalists was then reduced to five for a session of question and answer. (Miss USA does not have a competition for talent)
Burzynski did not reach the top five, so she did not answer a question for the evaluators on camera. Burzynski competed in a preliminary competition for Miss USA, a state masquerade contest, and other pageant events earlier this week.
Sophie Burzynski, Miss Alabama, United States of America
Miss Alabama USA Sophie Burzynski competes in the swimwear competition for Miss USA on September 29, 2023 in Reno, Nevada. The contest was broadcast on The CW. (TV screengrab by Mary Colurso for AL.com)
Miss Hawaii USA, Savannah Gankiewicz, was selected the runner-up for Miss USA. Miss Wisconsin USA, Alexis Loomans, won third place. Miss Pennsylvania USA, Jasmine Daniels, came in fourth place. Miss Texas USA Lluvia Alzate rounded out the top five finalists.
Voigt commences her reign as Miss USA for one year. Voigt will relinquish the Miss USA title to Gankiewicz, the runner-up, if she is crowned Miss Universe.
Vivica A. Fox, Nicole Miller, Patrick Starr, Countess Luann Lesseps, and Emina Cunmulaj Nazarian served as judges for the Miss USA competition. Keltie Knight and Adrienne Bailon-Houghton hosted the program.
The Miss USA website states, “Our pageant is not just about outer beauty; we also celebrate the inner beauty and intelligence of our contestants.” “Our contestants come from disparate backgrounds and have a variety of interests, but they all share the common aim of empowering and inspiring young women around the globe. We believe that every woman has the ability to accomplish great things, and we are committed to providing them with the means to do so.”
The finals for Miss Teen USA were conducted on Thursday, September 28 at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino. 2023’s victor was UmaSofia Srivastava, who competed as Miss New Jersey Teen USA.
“UmaSofia Srivastava is the first Mexican-Indian Miss New Jersey Teen USA and hopes to become a United Nations ambassador,” according to the Miss Teen USA website. She works with the Lotus Petal Foundation to provide disadvantaged children in India with a well-rounded education, appropriate nutrition, and medical care. Additionally, UmaSofia collected over one thousand books for the Bridge of Books Foundation to donate to inner-city children in New Jersey.”
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This year, the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA organizations have a new proprietor, following a national scandal that shook the pageant world.
Laylah Rose, director of the VIP Pageantry television network and inventor of the clothing line Laylah Rose Couture, was named the new president and chief executive officer of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA in August. Rose takes over the Miss USA brand from Crystle Stewart, the pageant’s former national director, and her company, Miss Brand.
In October 2022, Stewart and the Miss USA pageant were accused of manipulating the competition to favor the eventual victor, Miss Texas USA R’Bonney Gabriel. Gabriel later went on to capture the Miss Universe title.
“After a thorough and extensive investigation, it was determined that the 2022 Miss USA Pageant allegations of rigging were false,” the Miss Universe Organization said in a statement released on August 1. “… However, after much discussion and consideration, MUO and Crystle were unable to reach an agreement as to Crystle and Miss Brand’s continuing involvement with Miss USA and the Miss Universe Organization.”
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According to an interview with Insider magazine, the new proprietor has made some adjustments to the pageant this year. Rose stated, for instance, that Miss USA 2023 would place a greater emphasis on contestant interviews and less emphasis on the swimsuit and evening gown phases. In the past, all three segments contributed equally to the evaluators’ final scores. Now, Rose explained, the interview round accounts for fifty percent of the total score, while the swimwear and evening-gown phases each account for twenty-five percent.
Miss USA is still affiliated with Miss Universe, but the global competition has a new proprietor. Thai businesswoman Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip purchased the Miss Universe Organization from Endeavor’s IMG for $20 million in October 2022, becoming the first woman to own Miss Universe in its 71-year history. She is the chief executive officer of the Thai media company JKN Global Group.
