Miss America 2020

The Miss America 2020 competition was held on Thursday, December 19, 2019. This was the 93rd Miss America pageant/competition, though the Miss America Organization celebrated its 99th anniversary in 2019. This discrepancy is due to national pageants not being held from 1928 to 1932 or in 1934 because of financial problems associated with the Great Depression.^[4]

Miss America 2020
Date	December 29, 2019
Presenters	Kit Hoover[1] Mario Lopez[1]
Venue	Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut[2]
Broadcaster	NBC[3]
Entrants	51
Placements	15
Winner	Camille Schrier Virginia
← 2019 2022 →

In May 2019, it was announced that the 2020 competition would be broadcast on NBC after previously being aired on ABC since 2011.^[3] NBC previously aired Miss America pageants for more than two decades until ABC was selected to air the Miss America 1998 pageant in September 1997.^[3] This is also the first beauty pageant to be aired by NBC since the network terminated its contract with the Miss Universe Organization in June 2015 over controversial remarks that were made by Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.^[5][6]

In July 2019, it was announced that the 2020 competition would be held at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut on Thursday, December 19, 2019, making this the ninth edition of the competition that would not be held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.^{[2][7][8][9][10]}

Miss America 2019, Nia Franklin of New York, officially crowned Camille Schrier of Virginia as her successor at the end of the event.^[11]

Schrier's reign was originally to end in December 2020, but the reign will be extended due to outside factors, with the next pageant now scheduled for at least the end of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic making it unfeasible to be held before 2020's end.^[12]

Overview

Organization of competition

The preliminary competition consisted of private interviews with judges (20% of preliminary score), on-stage interview (15%), talent competition (50%), and "social impact pitch" (15%).^[13] Candidates were not judged in an evening gown or swimsuit competition.

The fifteen candidates from the preliminary competition with the highest overall scores were announced during the televised event. For the top 15 finalists, their preliminary scores contributed to 25% of their final night score.^[13] The top 15 was then immediately whittled down to the top 7 candidates (without any phase of competition being completed or televised).^[14] Then the top 7 competed in on-stage "job interview"; the top 5 performed their respective talents; and the top 3 candidates presented their "social impact pitch" to the panel of judges.^[13][14] These phases of competition contributed to 25%, 30%, and 20% of their final night score respectively.^[13] The final two candidates then were asked the same question (alternating answering first) and given the chance to agree or give rebuttal to the other candidate's answer.^[14] From this, the judges then determined the placements of the finalists.^[13]

Judges

Preliminary judges

On December 15–16, 2019, judges for the preliminary competition selected winners of the preliminary competitions as well as the top finalists for the final night of competition. The panel included composer and music producer, Anthony Barfield; model and lifestyle consultant, Holly Pelham Davis; and executive director for the Clinton Foundation, Stephanie S. Streett.^[15]

Final night judges

The panel of judges on the final night of competition on December 19, 2019, included actress, Lauren Ash; TV host, Karamo Brown; and singer, songwriter, and actress, Kelly Rowland.^[1]

Results

Placements

Placement[16]	[17][18] Contestant[19][20]
Miss America 2020	Virginia – Camille Schrier
1st Runner-Up	Georgia – Victoria Hill
2nd Runner-Up	Missouri – Simone Esters
3rd Runner-Up	Oklahoma – Addison Price
4th Runner-Up	Connecticut – Jillian Duffy
Top 7[21]	Alabama – Tiara Pennington Colorado – Monica Thompson
Top 15[22]	California – Eileen Kim Florida – Michaela McLean Hawaii – Nicole Holbrook Kansas – Annika Wooton New Jersey – Jade Glab New York – Lauren Molella North Carolina – Alexandra Badgett Texas – Chandler Foreman

Awards

Preliminary awards

Awards	Contestants
On Stage Interview	Georgia – Victoria Hill[23] New Jersey – Jade Glab[24]
Private Interview	Michigan – Mallory Rivard[25] Oregon – Shivali Kadam[23]
Talent	Georgia – Victoria Hill[26] Virginia – Camille Schrier[23]

Equity and Justice Scholarship awards

In September 2019, the Miss America Organization announced that a new scholarship, the Equity and Justice Scholarship, will be awarded at the 2020 competition to the candidate, "who best exemplifies inclusion and acceptance of these principles in her social impact initiative."^[27]

Results	Contestant	Social Impact Initiative
Winner	North Carolina – Alexandra Badgett[28]	N.I.N.E.: No is Not Enough
Finalists[29]	Illinois – Ariel Beverly	Advocating for Arts Education
	Maryland – Caitlyn Stupi	#CommonCents: Promoting Financial Literacy at the Primary Grade Level
	Michigan – Mallory Rivard	Read to Succeed
	Tennessee – Brianna Mason	Advocates for Autism

Social Impact Initiative Scholarship awards

Formerly called “Quality of Life Award”

Results	Contestant	Social Impact Initiative
Winner	Kansas – Annika Wooton[28]	The Artist's Fingerprint: The Transformative Power of the Arts
1st runner-up	South Carolina – Morgan Nichols[28]	Stronger with STEM
2nd runner-up	South Dakota – Amber Hulse[28]	Operation Overload
Finalists[29]	Nevada – Nasya Mancini	Patch for a Purpose #FindYourVoice
	Utah – Dexonna Talbot	Servesteem – Increasing Self-Esteem Through Service

STEM Scholarship awards

Results	Contestant
Winner	South Carolina – Morgan Nichols[28]
1st runner-up	Massachusetts – Lyndsey Littlefield[28]
2nd runner-up	New York – Lauren Molella[28]
Finalists[29]	Arkansas – Darynne Dahlem Montana – Mo Shea

Women in Business Scholarship awards

Results	Contestant
Winner	Kentucky – Alex Francke[28]
1st runner-up	Hawaii – Nicole Holbrook[28]
Finalists[29]	Arizona – Jacqueline Thomas District of Columbia – Katelynne Cox Idaho – Grace Zimmerman

Other awards

Awards	Contestant(s)
Miss Congeniality	Idaho – Grace Zimmerman
Dr. & Mrs. David Allman Medical Scholarship	Montana – Mo Shea[28]
Beacom College STEM Scholarship	Missouri – Simone Esters[30]
Non-finalist Talent Award	Louisiana – Meagan Crews
Tiffany Phillips Scholar-Athlete Scholarship	Nebraska – Allie Swanson[28]

Candidates

The Miss America 2020 candidates were:

State or district	Name	Hometown	Age[a]	Talent	Social Impact Initiative	Placement	Special awards	Notes
Alabama	Tiara Pennington[31]	Helena	20	Classical Vocal, “Nessun Dorma" from Turandot	National Psoriasis Foundation: Psoriasis Take Action[citation needed]	Top 7		Previously Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen 2016[32]
Alaska	Maile Johnston[33]	Eagle River	20	Contemporary Dance, "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"	A Case for Hope[citation needed]
Arizona	Jacqueline Thomas[34]	Phoenix	24	Piano, "Malagueña"	Lady Leaders[citation needed]		Women in Business Scholarship Finalist[29]
Arkansas	Darynne Dahlem[35]	Greenwood	22	Vocal, “Somewhere" from West Side Story	Refashioning Lives: What You Can Spare[citation needed]		STEM Scholarship Finalist[29]
California	Eileen Kim[36]	Orange	22	Violin	Let's Talk: Opening the Discussion and Prevention of Self-Harm[citation needed]	Top 15
Colorado	Monica Thompson[37]	Aurora	24	Classical Vocal, "Les Filles de Cadix"	Building Strong Girls[38]	Top 7
Connecticut	Jillian Duffy[39]	Burlington	22	Vocal, "Once Upon a Time" from Brooklyn	Jillian's Journey: Pediatric Cancer Research and Awareness[citation needed]	4th runner-up[40]
Delaware	Hillary May[41]	Mount Vernon, IN	23	Vocal, "Valerie"	Bring Awareness to the Stigma Surrounding Mental Illness[citation needed]
District of Columbia	Katelynne Cox[42][43]	Washington, D.C.[43]	25	Vocal	Silence Is Not Compliance[citation needed]		Women in Business Scholarship Finalist[29]	Previously Miss Missouri for Miss Earth United States 2016[44]
Florida	Michaela McLean[45]	Clermont	21	Lyrical Dance, "You Say"	Brave and Beautiful, LLC[citation needed]	Top 15		Previously Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen 2014[46]
Georgia	Victoria Hill[47]	Canton	20	Classical Vocal, "Chacun le sait" from La fille du régiment	Flip the Script on Foster Care[citation needed]	1st runner-up[48]	Preliminary On Stage Interview Award[23] Preliminary Talent Award[26]
Hawaii	Nicole Holbrook[49]	Laie	20	Classical Piano, “Concerto in A Minor"	SNAP: Service Nurtures All People[citation needed]	Top 15	Women in Business Scholarship 1st runner-up
Idaho	Grace Zimmerman[50]	Weiser	21	Ceramics Demonstration	Be the Impact: American Heart Association[citation needed]		Miss Congeniality Women in Business Scholarship Finalist[29]	Was originally named first runner-up at Miss Idaho 2019 pageant[51] Assumed the title when original winner, Rachel Forest, stepped down to continue to pursue her education[50]
Illinois	Ariel Beverly[52]	Springfield	24	Vocal, "Son of a Preacher Man"	Advocating for Arts Education[citation needed]		Equity & Justice Scholarship Finalist[29]
Indiana	Tiarra Taylor[53]	New Albany	21	Vocal, "You Will Be Found" from Dear Evan Hansen	Bringing Advantages to Disadvantaged Youth[citation needed]
Iowa	Emily Tinsman[54]	Bettendorf	22	Classical Vocal	Americans for the Arts – Advocate, Educate, Invest[citation needed]
Kansas	Annika Wooton[55]	Overland Park	25	Speed painting	The Artist's Fingerprint: The Transformative Power of the Arts[citation needed]	Top 15	Social Impact Initiative Scholarship Winner
Kentucky	Alex Francke[56]	Lexington	22	Vocal, "Maybe This Time"	Adopt an Art[citation needed]		Women in Business Scholarship Winner	Previously Miss Kentucky's Outstanding Teen 2014[57]
Louisiana	Meagan Crews[58]	Bossier City	22	Vocal	LEAD – Leadership Empowerment and Development[citation needed]		Non-finalist Talent Award	Previously Miss Louisiana's Outstanding Teen 2014[59]
Maine	Carolyn Brady[60]	Brunswick	22	Violin	Immigration Builds Our Nation[citation needed]			First African American to win Miss Maine[60]
Maryland	Caitlyn Stupi[61]	Westminster	21	Cello, "The Swan"	#CommonCents: Promoting Financial Literacy at the Primary Grade Level[citation needed]		Equity & Justice Scholarship Finalist[29]
Massachusetts	Lyndsey Littlefield[62]	Taunton	22	Lyrical Dance	Girls, INC.[citation needed]		STEM Scholarship 1st runner-up
Michigan	Mallory Rivard[63]	Bay City	24	Vocal	Read to Succeed[citation needed]		Equity & Justice Scholarship Finalist[29] Private Interview Award[25]
Minnesota	Kathryn Kueppers[64]	Mendota Heights	21	Jazz Vocal, "Nature Boy"	The Invisible Crown[citation needed]			Daughter of Miss Minnesota 1983, Vicki Plaster Kueppers[64]
Mississippi	Mary Margaret Hyer[65]	Hattiesburg	23	Vocal, "Queen of the Night" aria by Mozart	Promoting Organ and Tissue Donation[66]
Missouri	Simone Esters[67]	Columbia	20	Baton Twirling, "Turn the Beat Around"	Mentoring Youth[citation needed]	2nd runner-up[68]	Beacom College STEM Scholarship[30]
Montana	Mo Shea[69]	Helena	22	Vocal, "Let Me Be Your Star" from Smash	Love the Skin You're In: Skin Cancer Prevention[citation needed]		Dr. & Mrs. David Allman Medical Scholarship STEM Scholarship Finalist[29]	Previously Miss Montana's Outstanding Teen 2012[70]
Nebraska	Allie Swanson[71]	Omaha	24	Vocal	CyberSmartz: Protecting Yourself in a Digital World[citation needed]		Tiffany Phillips Scholar-Athlete Scholarship Winner	Sister of Miss Nebraska 2014 and Miss Nebraska USA 2020, Megan Swanson[72]
Nevada	Nasya Mancini[73]	Sparks	22	Comedic Monologue/Accent Impersonations	Upstage Dramatically Changing the Lives of Children[citation needed]		Social Impact Initiative Scholarship Finalist[29]
New Hampshire	Sarah Tubbs[74]	Sandown	25	Lyrical Dance	Choose One – Revolutionize the World[citation needed]
New Jersey	Jade Glab[75]	Belmar	19	Classical Vocal, "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi	Healthy Children, Strong America[citation needed]	Top 15	Preliminary On Stage Interview Award[24]
New Mexico	Misa Tran[76]	Alamogordo	20	Dance	Veterans: Home Is Where the Heart Is[citation needed]			Previously Distinguished Young Woman of New Mexico 2017[77]
New York	Lauren Molella[78]	Millbrook	24	Ballet en Pointe	Voices of Honor: Salute and Support Our Military[citation needed]	Top 15	STEM Scholarship Finalist[29]	Daughter of Miss Massachusetts 1983 and National Sweetheart 1982, Holly Mayer, and niece of Miss New York 1989, Lisa Molella[79] Previously Miss New York's Outstanding Teen 2011[79]
North Carolina	Alexandra Badgett[80]	Reidsville	22	Tap Dance, "This Is Me" by Keala Settle	N.I.N.E.: No is Not Enough[citation needed]	Top 15	Equity & Justice Scholarship Winner	Previously Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen 2012[81]
North Dakota	Haley Wolfe[82]	Carrington	22	Dance	#BeThe1To[83]			Previously Distinguished Young Woman of North Dakota 2016[84]
Ohio	Caroline Grace Williams[85]	Cincinnati	24	Classical Vocal	Caroline's Crisis Call[citation needed]
Oklahoma	Addison Price[86]	Edmond	20	Jazz Dance, Medley of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"	Empowering Individuals with Disabilities Through Self-Advocacy[citation needed]	3rd runner-up[87]		Previously Miss Oklahoma's Outstanding Teen 2016[b][89]
Oregon	Shivali Kadam[90]	Portland	25	Vocal, “Reflection" from Mulan	STEM to Bloom[citation needed]		Private Interview Award[23]
Pennsylvania	Tiffany Seitz[91]	Freeport	23	Dance	Adoption Advocacy: Restoring Hope, Transforming Lives[citation needed]
Rhode Island	Molly Andrade[92]	Middletown	20	Irish Step Dance	Self-Defense for Women as a Means of Empowerment[citation needed]
South Carolina	Morgan Nichols[93]	Lexington	22	Vocal, “Bridge Over Troubled Water"	Stronger with STEM[citation needed]		Social Impact Initiative Scholarship 1st runner-up STEM Scholarship Winner
South Dakota	Amber Hulse[94]	Hot Springs	20	Piano	Operation Overload[citation needed]		Social Impact Initiative Scholarship 2nd runner-up	Later Miss South Dakota USA 2023
Tennessee	Brianna Mason[95]	Nashville	23	Piano, "Piano Fantasy" by William Joseph	Advocates for Autism[citation needed]		Equity & Justice Scholarship Finalist[29]	First African American to win Miss Tennessee[96]
Texas	Chandler Foreman[97]	Pearland	22	Flute, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"	Leader Within[citation needed]	Top 15
Utah	Dexonna Talbot[98]	Spanish Fork	19	Ballet en Pointe	Servesteem – Increasing Self-Esteem Through Service[99]		Social Impact Initiative Scholarship Finalist[29]
Vermont	Jillian Fisher[100]	Burlington	20	Vocal, "Bennie and the Jets"	Fighting Addiction[citation needed]
Virginia	Camille Schrier[101]	Richmond[101]	24	Chemistry Demonstration	Mind Your Meds: Drug Safety and Abuse Prevention from Pediatrics to Geriatrics[citation needed]	Miss America 2020[11]	Preliminary Talent Award[23]	Current student at VCU School of Pharmacy[102]
Washington	Abbie Kondel[103]	Brush Prairie	21	Power Tap Dance, "Sax"	Be Smart Don't Start: Drug & Alcohol Awareness[citation needed]
West Virginia	Toriane Graal[104]	Morgantown	21	Baton Twirling, "Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)"	Let's Be Clear – Children's Leukemia[citation needed]
Wisconsin	Alyssa Bohm[105]	Mount Pleasant	24	Tap Dance, "Feeling Good"	Enhancing Opportunities for Individuals with Special Needs[citation needed]
Wyoming	Jordan Hardman[106]	Rock Springs	20	Clogging, "9 to 5"	Let Them Know We Care: Packages to the Military[citation needed]

Notes

1. Ages at the time of national competition
2. Appointed the state title after Nicole Jia crowned Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2017^[88]