Miss Universe Sri Lanka

Miss Universe Sri Lanka (formerly known as Miss Ceylon) is a national pageant in Sri Lanka to choose ambassador for the Miss Universe pageant.

Miss Sri Lanka Organization

Formation	1953
Type	Beauty pageant
Headquarters	Colombo
Location	Sri Lanka
Membership	Miss Universe
Official language	Sinhala Tamil
President	Nirmal Bandara

History

Miss Sri Lanka identified in 1953 with Manel Illangakoon of Colombo and became the oldest national pageant in Sri Lanka.^[1] Sri Lanka was previously named British Ceylon between 1902 and 1948, then gained independence in 1948 as Ceylon. In 1953 was the first beauty pageant era in Sri Lanka by its government in Colombo. The first Miss Ceylon went to Miss World and debuted at Miss Universe in 1955 with Maureen Neliya Hingert of Colombo.^[2]

In 1973 Ceylon changed its name as Sri Lanka as permanent. Miss Sri Lanka crowned national winner to Miss Universe and also runners-up to Miss World, Miss International and Miss Asia Pacific International.

In 1997 beauty pageant in Sri Lanka had separated and did not exist at Miss Universe until 2004 where Sri Lanka had no national franchise holder in that period. Shivanthini Dharmasiri is the last Miss Sri Lanka between 1953 and 1996.^[3]

In 2005 twelve finalists competed for the title.^[4] The pageant nowadays is in under Mrs. Rosita Wickramasinghe and sponsoring in different companies per year.^[5][6]

Beginning in 2024, Nirmal Bandara took over the Miss Universe license in Sri Lanka.^{[citation needed]}

National franchise holders

Miss Sri Lanka has become national franchise holder for Miss Universe and Miss International.

Number of wins under Miss Sri Lanka
Pageant	Wins
Miss Universe	0
Miss International	0

Titleholders

Year	Miss Sri Lanka	District	Notes
1953	Manel Illangakoon	Colombo	Miss Ceylon Beauty Pageant – British Ceylon-Government
1954	Jeannette de Jonk	Colombo
1955	Maureen Neliya Hingert	Colombo
1957	Camellia Rosalia Perera	Colombo
1960	Yvonne Eileen Gunawardene	Colombo	Miss Sri Lanka – Sound and Vision with Bandula Jayasekera Productions
1961	Kamala Athauda	Kalutara
1962	Yvonne D'Rozario	Colombo
1963	Manel de Silva	Colombo
1964	Dona Annette Felicia Kulatunga	Colombo
1965	Shirlene Minerva de Silva	Colombo
1966	Lorraine Roosmalecocq	Colombo
1967	Seedevi de Zoysas Tewaitta Ragama	Colombo
1968	Sheila Jayatilleke	Colombo
1969	Marlene Beverly Seneveratne	Colombo
1970	Yolanda Shahzadi Ahlip	Colombo
1971	Gail Abayasinghe	Colombo
1972	Damayanthi Gunewardena	Colombo
1973	Shiranthi Wickremesinghe	Badulla	The wife of the sixth President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa
1974	Melani Irene Wijendra	Colombo
1975	Shyama Hiramya Algama	Colombo
1976	Genevieve Bernedette Parsons	Colombo
1977	Sobodhini Nagesan	Colombo
1978	Dilrukshi Wimalasoonya	Colombo
1979	Vidyahari Vanigasooriyar	Colombo
1980	Bernadine Rosi Ramanayake	Colombo
1981	Renuka Varuni Jesudhason	Matale
1982	Ann Monica Tradigo	Colombo
1983	Shyama Ayesa Cecilia Fernando	Colombo
1984	Nilmini Iddamalgoda	Colombo
1985	Ramani Liz Bartholomeusz	Colombo
1986	Indra Kumari	Colombo
1987	Nandaine Wijiegooneratna	Colombo
1988	Deepthi Alles	Colombo
1989	Veronica Ruston	Colombo
1990	Roshani Aluwihare	Colombo
1991	Diloka Seneviratne	Colombo
1992	Hiranthi Devapriya	Colombo
1993	Chamila Wickramesinghe	Colombo
1994	Nushara Fernando	Colombo
1995	Shivani Vasagam	Colombo
1996	Shivanthini Dharmasiri	Colombo
2005	Rozanne Diasz	Gampaha	Miss Universe Sri Lanka – Rosita Wickramasinghe (Essential Entertainment) directorship
2006	Jacqueline Fernandez	Colombo	Bollywood Actress
2007	Aruni Madusha Rajapakse	Kandy
2008	Faith Landers	Badulla
2010	Ishanka Madurasinghe	Kegalle
2011	Stephanie Siriwardhana	Colombo	Sri Lanka-Lebanese descent
2012	Sabrina Herft	Colombo
2013	Amanda Ratnayake	Colombo
2014	Avanti Marianne	Colombo
2016	Jayathi De Silva	Colombo
2017	Christina Peiris	Colombo
2018	Ornella Gunesekere	Colombo
2024	Melloney Dassanayake	Colombo	Nirmala Bandara directorship

Titleholders under Miss Sri Lanka org.

Miss Universe Sri Lanka

•   : Declared as Winner
•   : Ended as runner-up or top 5/6 qualification
•   : Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
•   : Ended as special awards winner

Year	Miss Sri Lanka	Placement at Miss Universe	Special Awards	Notes
Nirmal Bandara directorship — a franchise holder to Miss Universe from 2024
2025	Lihasha White[7]	TBA	TBA
2024	Melloney Dassanayake[8]	Unplaced
Rosita Wickramasinghe directorship — a franchise holder to Miss Universe between 2005 and 2018
Did not compete between 2019 and 2023
2018	Ornella Mariam Jayshree Gunesekere	Unplaced	Miss Congeniality	Ornella was 3rd Runner-up at Miss Supranational 2016, Top 10 and Miss Popular Vote at Miss Grand International 2015 and Top 15 and Miss Friendship at Miss Tourism International 2011.
2017	Christina Peiris	Top 16		Crowned in special event after the annual Miss Sri Lanka did not recruit candidates to make a batch.
2016	Jayathi De Silva	Unplaced
Did not compete in 2015
2014	Avanti Marianne	Unplaced
2013	Amanda Ratnayake	Unplaced
2012	Sabrina Herft	Unplaced	Best National Costume (3rd Runner-up)
2011	Stephanie Siriwardhana	Unplaced		Sri Lanka-Lebanese descent
2010	Ishanka Madurasinghe	Unplaced
2009	Faith Landers	Did not compete
2008	Aruni Madusha Rajapakse	Unplaced		Aruni won in 2007 and allocated to Miss International 2007 before coming to Miss Universe 2008.
Did not compete in 2007
2006	Jacqueline Fernandez	Unplaced	Best National Costume (Top 20)
2005	Rozanne Diasz	Unplaced
Sound and Vision with Bandula Jayasekera Productions — a franchise holder to Miss Universe between 1958 and 1996
Did not compete between 1997 and 2004
1996	Shivanthini Dharmasiri	Unplaced
1995	Shivani Vasagam	Unplaced
1994	Nushara Fernando	Unplaced
1993	Chamila Wickramesinghe	Unplaced
1992	Hiranthi Devapriya	Unplaced
1991	Diloka Seneviratne	Unplaced
1990	Roshani Aluwihare	Unplaced
1989	Veronica Ruston	Unplaced
1988	Deepthi Alles	Unplaced
1987	Nandaine Wijiegooneratna	Unplaced
1986	Indra Kumari	Unplaced
1985	Ramani Liz Bartholomeusz	Unplaced
Did not compete in 1984
1983	Shyama Ayesa Cecilia Fernando	Unplaced
1982	Ann Monica Tradigo	Unplaced
1981	Renuka Varuni Jesudhason	Unplaced
1980	Hyacinth Kurukulasuriya	Unplaced
1979	Vidyahari Vanigasooriyar	Unplaced
1978	Dilrukshi Wimalasoonya	Unplaced
1977	Sobodhini Nagesan	Unplaced
1976	Genevieve Bernedette Parsons	Unplaced
1975	Shyama Hiramya Algama	Unplaced
1974	Melani Irene Wijendra	Unplaced
1973	Shiranthi Wickremesinghe	Unplaced
Did not compete in 1972
1971	Gail Abayasinghe	Unplaced
1970	Yolanda Shahzadi Ahlip	Unplaced
1969	Marlene Beverly Seneveratne	Unplaced
1968	Sheila Jayatilleke	Unplaced
Did not compete in 1967
1966	Lorraine Roosmalecocq	Unplaced
1965	Shirlene Minerva de Silva	Unplaced
1964	Dona Annette Felicia Kulatunga	Unplaced
1963	Manel de Silva	Unplaced
1962	Yvonne D'Rozario	Unplaced
1961	Ranjini Nilani Jayatilleke	Unplaced
British Ceylon-Government directorship — a franchise holder to Miss Universe between 1955 and 1957
Did not compete between 1958 and 1960
1957	Camellia Rosalia Perera	Unplaced
Did not compete in 1956
1955	Maureen Neliya Hingert	2nd Runner-up

Miss International Sri Lanka

•   : Declared as Winner
•   : Ended as runner-up or top 5/6 qualification
•   : Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
•   : Ended as special awards winner

Year	Miss International Sri Lanka	Placement at Miss International	Special Awards	Notes
Rosita Wickramasinghe directorship — a franchise holder to Miss International between 2005 and 2018: Below is the list of Miss International Sri Lanka winners under Miss Sri Lanka Organization between 2005 and 2018, Rosita directorship. Began 2019 an independent pageant, Miss International Sri Lanka selected the winner to Miss International.
Miss Sri Lanka Organization did not send any representatives to Miss International since 2019—present
2018	Natalee Fernando	Unplaced
Did not compete in 2017
2016	Ayesha Fernando	Unplaced
2015	Angela Richard Jayatissa	Unplaced
2014	Tamara Shanelle Makalanda	Unplaced
Did not compete in 2013
2012	Madusha Rushani Mayadunne	2nd Runner-up
Did not compete in 2011
2010	Ornella Mariam Jayasiri Gunesekere	Unplaced
Did not compete in 2009
2008	Faith Landers	Unplaced
2007	Aruni Madusha Rajapakse	Top 15
Did not compete in 2006
2005	Gayesha Perera Wickramarachchige	Unplaced

Notes

• Miss Sri Lanka 1973: Shiranthi Rajapaksa is the wife of the sixth President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa
• Miss Sri Lanka 1985: Bartholomeusz died on 30 June 1987 at the age of 20 when she allegedly jumped out of the car while Kamal Addararachchi was driving it after a dispute. Exact details are unknown.
• Miss Sri Lanka 2008: Faith Landers did not compete at the Miss Universe 2009 due to lack sponsorship. She only competed at Miss International 2008 in Macau.

See also

• Miss World Sri Lanka
• Miss Earth Sri Lanka
• Miss Sri Lanka Online