Congratulations are in order for Miss New York, Nia Franklin — she was officially named the winner of the 2019 Miss America competition after some tough competition on Sept 9, 2018!
And your new Miss America is…Nia Franklin! The gorgeous representative from New York was crowned the champion after competing against beautiful and talented women from across the country, and we could not be happier for her! Those in the audience supporting Nia went wild as she was named the champion, beating out runner-up, Miss Connecticut, second runner-up, Miss Louisiana, third runner-up, Miss Florida, and fourth runner-up, Miss Massachusetts.
Things were a bit different during the pageant this year, as new CEO, Gretchen Carlson, teamed up with board members to get rid of the swimsuit competition that was so prevalent in years’ past. The groundbreaking decision was announced in June in the midst of the #MeToo movement. At the time, Gretchen explained that Miss America would no longer be considered a pageant; Rather, it will be known as a “competition” from now on. “It’s going to be what comes out of their mouth that we’re interested in,” Gretchen explained.
Still, Nia didn’t need to show off her amazing body to earn the title. Instead, she used her intelligence and grace to wow the judges, Laila Ali, Bobby Bones, Jessie James Decker, Randy Jackson, Soledad O’Brien, Alli Webb and Carnie Wilson.
Nia succeeds Cara Mund in holding the Miss America title, which she will now have to herself for a full year. As the face of Miss America, Nia will participate in various charity and community service events throughout the year, and work to represent the company in the best light possible.
For this moment, though, she deserves to celebrate, while enjoying and soaking in the moment. Congratulations!
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