Miss Grand International also known as Miss Grand is a beauty pageant franchise based in Thailand. It consists of the annual national pageant Miss Grand Thailand, as well as the international competition Miss Grand International, to which participating rights are licensed to organizers in other countries.
Miss Grand International was founded in 2013 by Nawat Itsaragrisil, a Thai television host and producer. The pageant was founded in Thailand amidst a political crisis, inspiring the organizers to use the slogan 'No mob, Stop the Wars' as part of its identity,[2] later rephrased to 'Stop the War and Violence' in the following year.[3][4][5] The pageant aims to promote peace by being against all kinds of conflicts.[6][3]
The contest features contestants selected by licensees in each country. Its first three competitions were held in Thailand under the sponsorship of the country's government and televised worldwide via Channel 7,[4] while subsequent events have also taken place overseas,[19] and was broadcast via the local television channels together with the social media platforms including its official YouTube channel and Facebook page.[20]
In 2019, the pageant was being held in Venezuela amid the country's political crisis; several candidates withdrew from the competition due to security concerns and visa regulation problems, such as South Korea, Cambodia, and Laos.[21][22][23][24] Later in 2020, the pageant was also scheduled to be held in Venezuela on 25 October but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was postponed to 2021 and the venue was moved to Bangkok, Thailand.[25]
Contestant selection
Spanish preliminary pageant for Miss Grand International, Miss Grand Spain 2019, held at Hotel Campomar in Cantabria on 6 July 2019
The contestants of each edition of the pageant were selected by the franchise holder in respective countries or territories, through either a national contest, internal casting, or being hand-picked.[26][27] Being a newly established international pageant, almost half of the participated contestants were selected as the national representative without acquiring the national title in the respective state pageant. Nonetheless, in pageant popular countries, especially in Far East and the Americas,[22] annual national pageants are usually being held to crown a winner to compete in the Miss Grand International pageant,[28] for example; Miss Grand Cambodia, Miss Grand Malaysia, Miss Grand Nepal, and Miss Grand Paraguay,[29][30][31][32] some of them were the runner-up or obtained the supplementary title at other national pageants, e.g. the delegates from Femina Miss India (2015–2021), Binibining Pilipinas (2013, 2015 – 2022), Miss Mexico (2017 – 2020),[33][34][35]Felvidék Szépe (2015 – 2017), etc.[36][37][38]
Although the title of Miss Grand pageant was global registered copyright, some national or local pageants unrelated to the Miss Grand International has been observed such as the Azerbaijan model search contest named "Miss and Mister Grand Azerbaijan" which was organized by Elxan Pashayev since 2018,[51][52] '"Miss Zimbabwe Grand", headed by Farai Zembeni since 2019, the pageant finalists participate in various continental contests in Africa,[53][54] as well as the local pageant in the Bahamas, "Miss Grand Bahama", established in 1970, which the name "Grand Bahama" refer to the third largest island in the northernmost region of the country.[55]
Main pageant
Miss Grand International is the platform's annual international beauty pageant. Its inaugural edition was held in Bangkok in 2013 under sponsorship from Thailand's government[4][56] and featured 73 participating countries; the inaugural titleholder was Janelee Chaparro of Puerto Rico.[57][58] In 2016, the pageant was held for the first time outside Thailand, at Westgate Las Vegas, Las Vegas, US, on 25 October.[20] Since 2015, the grand final is usually held on 25 October each year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 editions of the pageant were delayed, the 2020 edition was first scheduled to be held on 25 October 2020, but was postponed to 27 March 2021, and the venue was also moved to Bangkok, Thailand,[25] similar to the 2021 edition which was held in December 2021, two months behind the traditional schedule.[59]
The current Miss Grand International titleholder is Luciana Fuster of Peru, who was crowned on 25 October 2023 at Phú Thọ Indoor Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam making her the second woman from Peru to win the crown.
The pre-pageant activities of Miss Grand International usually consist of three main events, the swimsuit competition, a national costume parade, and the preliminary contest. The swimsuit competition is organized at a separate venue to determine the winner of the Best in Swimsuit award while the national costume and the preliminary round of each edition are usually held at the same venue of the grand final round.[69][70] All aforementioned events are live streamed via the pageant's Facebook and YouTube accounts.[70] In the preliminary round, all contestants will compete in swimwear and evening gowns in front of a panel of preliminary judges.[70] Each round of the preliminary competition and the Swimsuit competition will determine the winner of Best Evening Gown and Best in Swimsuit awards which will be announced later on the final stage of the contest as well as the winner of other special awards including Best National Costume and Miss Popular vote. Moreover, the scores from all ancillary events, preliminary competition, together with a closed-door interview portion and the swimsuit competition, also determine the Top 20 finalists during the grand final telecast of the pageant.[71]
List of the main special award winners in the Miss Grand International pageant
The grand final of the pageant is usually broadcast worldwide on television and the social media platforms of the pageant. As the tradition of the pageant, twenty semi-finalists are chosen from the initial pool of contestants through observation during the entire pageant, a closed-door interview, swimsuit round as well as a preliminary competition, which featured contestants competing in swimsuits and evening gowns.[71][79] However, the "Country of the year" was first introduced in 2020 edition, which was selected by the audience on social networks.[6][80] The winner of this category automatically enters the twenty finalists regardless of all previous scores.[80] The Top 20 would then compete in a swimsuit competition, with 10 of them advancing to the Top 10,[79] this number eventually was reduced to 9 with the 10th semi-finalist being the Top Popularity Winner determined through mobile voting,[71][6] all 10 semi-finalists would then compete in an evening gown and give their speeches with a ‘Stop the War and Violence' theme.[81][82]
After the speech round and evening gown competitions, the judges then select the top five to compete in the question-and-answer portion,[79][81] where all entrants will be asked the same question about an ongoing global situation; such as the management of COVID-19 pandemic crisis,[83] the 2016 United States presidential election,[7][61] and the ongoing socioeconomic and political crisis in Venezuela.[84] The judges will select the winner based on their answer and all previous accumulate scores, then the host will sequentially announce the fourth, third and second runners-up.[75][85] The last 2 candidates of the top 5 finalists will stand in the center of the stage then one of them will be named Miss Grand International.[6][75][86][87][85]
The summary of the pageant selection process is shown below.
The events/rounds that are used to determine the qualifier (s).
Awarded, category still exists
Awarded, category renamed
Awarded, category no longer exists
^ abThe winner of Country of the Year award was automatically placed at Top 20 finalists in 2020 edition, regardless of the accumulated score.
^ abThe winner of Miss Popular vote award has been automatically placing at Top 10 finalists since 2015, regardless of the accumulated score.
Crowns and awards
As the tradition of this pageant, the crown of the title holders, known as the Golden Crown, has been set to be changed every 3 years,[89] all versions of the Golden Crown are made of gold and brass for structural integrity, while the exterior is adorned by diamond, and emerald.[19] Its first version was designed by a Thaijewellery design company, God Diamond, headed by Chawalit Chommuang,[90] and was used for the first three editions of the pageant.[19] The crown used from 2016 – 2018 (2nd version) and 2019 – 2021 (3rd version) was designed by an unrevealed company and George Wittels, respectively.[19][64][91]
The latest version of the golden crown, which was going to be used for the 2022 – 2024 edition, was also made by a Venezuelanjewellery designer, George Wittels,[92] who signed as the official jewel sponsor of the Miss Grand International Organization during 2019 – 2024.[64][91] He additionally designed the crown for all four runners-up of the pageant since the 2019 edition, the first time that the organization provided the crown for the runner-up positions.[91]
Since 2014, the organizer has also been offering USD$ 40,000 cash to each year winner for spending a year work as the organization's spokesperson in its campaign,[30][72][75][93] the prize was increased from USD$ 30,000 in 2013;[58][93] however, some Vietnamese media published that Nguyễn Thúc Thùy Tiên earned USD$ 60,000 for winning the contest in 2021.[89] Furthermore, all four runners-up of each edition, also received cash prizes, ABS-CBN reported that Samantha Bernardo of the Philippines got USD$ 6,000 in cash after she had obtained the first runner-up title at the Miss Grand International 2020 pageant in Bangkok, Thailand,[94]Vartika Singh of India received USD$ 4,000 for her second runner-up finish at the 2015 edition,[95][96] and 3,000 and US$$2,000 for the third and fourth runners-up, respectively.[96] Besides the finalists, the winner of each special award also received a prize; approximately USD$ 1,000 – 3,000 according to the 2013 to 2015 contests.[93][96][97][98]
After relinquishing the crown to the successor, the immediate predecessor is provided with a replica tiara; the replica is usually produced by the same designer as its master.
Gallery of Miss Grand International crowns
The first edition of the golden crown, as worn by Miss Grand International 2014, Lees Garcia
The second edition of the golden crown, as worn by Miss Grand International 2018, Clara Sosa
The third edition of the golden crown, as worn by Miss Grand International 2020, Abena Appiah
Han Lay pleads for help for her country on Miss Grand International 2020 stage, on 27 March 2021, YouTube video
Han Lay gave an interview to the BBC about the ongoing democracy protests in Myanmar, YouTube video
Myanmar military regime
At the grand final of the 2020 edition in Bangkok, Thailand, in addition to crowning the winner, the representative of Myanmar, Han Lay, also took the stage to make a declaration against alleged atrocities committed by the Myanmar military in her home country and requested international awareness of the ongoing democratic struggle following the military coup on 1 February 2021.[65][99][100][101] She additionally requested the United Nations to take action against the Myanmar regime and pleaded for urgent international aid for the ongoing bloodshed.[65][99][100][101] Following her speech, she received life-threatening criticisms on her social media accounts, but the vast majority of comments were supportive of her actions.[100] Furthermore, the Myanmar military government allegedly issued an arrest warrant against her under a law against all material intended to cause a member of the armed forces to mutiny or disregard their duty,[102][103] which caused her to apply for refugee status and a work permit in Thailand with the support of Burmese labor in Thailand.[104][102][103] The pageant organizer also supported her with the necessary expenses and hired her as company personnel until she immigrated to Canada for political asylum in late 2021.[104][102][103][105]
Another political impact also occurred in the 2021 edition when the representative of Vietnam, Nguyễn Thúc Thùy Tiên, who was later elected 2021 winner, declared a sentence in Thai during the semi-finalists' speech round that means ' Make the world a better place for everyone' while raising the three-finger salute, a protest symbol inspired by the Hunger Games and has been adopted by many pro-democracy protest movements in Southeast Asian countries, which includes Thailand.[117][118] The aforementioned action has greatly displeased supporters of the Thaimilitary government, causing them to gather to present letters of protest to the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok, accusing that her action is interfering in Thai internal affairs since the Constitutional Court of Thailand has determined that using the three-finger salute in Thailand is intended to overthrow the Thai regime.[119][120] However, Vietnam's foreign affairs has no official diplomatic responsiveness to such an issue, despite some Thai government's political groups claiming that Vietnam's Ministry of Culture has made a statement to take action and remind her to refrain from making public speeches on issues that may affect Thailand–Vietnam relations.[121][122]
In addition, Radio Free Asia also reported that Thuy Tien's speech with the pro-democracy three-finger salute was censored by the Vietnamese government, which does not allow the domestic press to release any media, comments, or explain its meanings. In the case of regulatory violations, all materials were removed shortly after being published. In the days after Thuy Tien's coronation, public compliments and supporting comments for her inspiring three-finger salute movement were observed on various Vietnamese press-released media, but most of those articles or paragraphs were shortly disappeared, no longer accessible, or the details was not mentioned. Moreover, in many press-released videos, the section of such action or even the entire video was removed.[123]
Russo-Ukrainian war-related issue
On October 3, 2022, the pageant organizer revealed all the roommate pairing lists of Miss Grand International 2022 candidates in a live video streamed on the pageant's official Facebook page, in which the Russian and Ukrainian candidates were paired as roommates amid the ongoing war between the two countries.[124][125][126] The issue has sparked an overwrought discussion on many social media sites because of the tense political situation between the two countries over the past few months,[127][128][129] Some accused the organizer of attempting to profit from the conflict by pairing the two contestants on purpose to make the contest viral and demanded the organizer adjust the room sharing situation, while others advised thinking optimistically and that the beauty competition had nothing to do with the war.[128]
However, even though the representative from Russia, Ekaterina Astashenkova, has stated through social media that there is no problem staying together with the Ukrainian representatives during the contest, the Ukrainian representative, Olga Vasyliv, denied doing so and also called for removing Russia from the competition,[125][130][131][132] a part of her statement is shown below.[125][130][132]
...I received a letter that instilled in me feeling of rage and pain, my assigned roommate is going to be a competitor from a terrorist country, from a country that lost all laws and order, from the depot country, from the disgusting and deceitful stain on the body of our beautiful planet, from Russia. Dear Nawat Itsaragrisil, believe me, I am also for peace, love, friendship, and support, but not for those who I can not forgive, not for those who tortured my brothers and sisters, not for those who took the lives of so many fellow Ukrainians. I am important! My feelings are important! And my Ukraine is important! Glory to Ukraine!
— Olga Vasyliv, Miss Grand Ukraine 2022
The public debate on social media and the call from the Ukrainian representative caused the organizers to change roommates for both of them after the two contestants had arrived in Bali, to prevent any further issues.[129]
Dethroned/Resignation
Since the establishment of the contest, there was one case of resignation from her title when 2015 Miss Grand International winner Anea Garcia from Rhode Island, a Dominican American model, who later placed third in the Miss USA 2015 pageant then represented Dominican Republic in the Miss Grand International.[133] She stepped down from her reign and was replaced by first runner-up Claire Elizabeth Parker from Australia in which the contest cited "with immediate effect, Miss Anea Garcia will step down from her position as Miss Grand International 2015 due to unable to fulfill and follow the contractual agreement with Miss Grand International Organization."[134][135][136][137] The organization further stated, "her studies were in the way, making it very hard for us to schedule her activities."[133] Garcia was interviewed by The Providence Journal and stated that she resigned since "her safety was in jeopardy when she was sexually assaulted in South Sudan while representing the organization and [they] showed no concern about the incident" after she informed the organizers.[138][139] The Miss Grand International later claimed that Garcia was "dethroned" for being "demanding and disrespectful" and for taking an "inappropriate photo while wearing the crown with a revealing slit in her dress in the upper leg-crotch area," as opposed to the organization's initial press release that she "stepped down."[138]
Parker, who succeeded Anea Garcia as Miss Grand International 2015 after her resignation, was later stripped off from her title in February 2019, almost four years after her reign ended and the organization released a statement that she's no longer be addressed to as Miss Grand International 2015 when she decided to take part in a major national pageant title, Miss Universe Australia 2019 a preliminary of one of the Big Four international beauty pageants, Miss Universe.[140][137]
Several statements and actions made by the pageant's founder, Nawat Itsaragrisil, have attracted controversy to the pageant itself.
In 2016, Nawat was reported by Miss Iceland 2015 Arna Ýr Jónsdóttir to have said that "she's too fat and needed to lose weight" prior to the finals of Miss Grand International 2016 held in Las Vegas on 25 October 2016,[141] eventually dropping out of the pageant before the coronation due to the controversy. Jónsdóttir, a former member of the Icelandic national athletics team, stated "I decided to stand by myself and women in general, I'm not going to have anyone telling me that I am too fat to look good on stage."[142] In a statement, Nawat said that they give similar advice to other contestants who asked what should they do to improve to win. Nawat eventually said that he had spoken with Jónsdóttir along with the company's vice president and clarified matters.[143] The pageant organizers was also accused of withholding her passport and "threatened me by saying, you can get your passport back if you pay 3,000 dollars"[144] after she withdrew from the contest. Jónsdóttir was eventually able to retrieve her passport.[citation needed]
Nawat has also expressed displeasure[145] about the behavior of Filipino pageant fans online. This is after several incidents of Filipino pageant fans attacking him on social media. These incidents include accusations of Nawat rigging the results of Miss Grand International, of him having a bias against Filipina contestants,[146][non-primary source needed][147] an Instagram post where Nawat insinuated that the coronation of Catriona Gray as Miss Universe 2018 was a rigged affair[148] and saying that Miss Philippines 2018 didn't make it due to the rest of the contestants being better than her.[148]
Nawat has also gotten into a verbal row with the Miss Supranational organization after the then reigning Miss Supranational 2021, Chanique Rabe did not include Miss Grand into what she considers the "Big Five" of pageants, saying that those pageants were "minor crowns".[149]
Cultural appropriation
The pageant stirred another controversy when the organizers allowed Emily Delgado, who represented the United States in the Miss Grand International 2019 to parade in a Native American-inspired costume with headdress and walked on the stage with stereotypical gestures in which she drew ire in the social media for cultural appropriation.[150] The mockery of the Native values was initially confirmed and denounced by Ashley Callingbull of Alberta's Enoch Cree Nation, Canada's first Indigenous woman to win the Mrs. Universe title in 2015.[151]
Miss Grand National
In addition to Thailand, several national licensees have been separately organizing their preliminary pageants to select the representatives for the Miss Grand International pageant. As listed below, the lists were divided into 4 geographic continent groups, including; Africa, the Americas, Asia-Oceania, and Europe.
Legend
Active: The most recent titleholder was chosen through the Miss Grand National pageant.
Inactive: Miss Grand National pageant was defunct, the current titleholder was appointed without organizing any contest, or no representative
Merged: Miss Grand National pageant was merged into other pageants, and one of those pageants' finalists was elected Miss Grand titleholder
Projected: Miss Grand National pageant was supposed to be held in the year mentioned.
Separately organized annually since 2015.[163] Its first five editions (2015 – 2019) was arranged under the direction of Boonkerd Angamnuaysiri. Since 2020, the license has belonged to Mohahang Production.[164][165]
Held as a stand-alone contest 3 times during 2018 – 2020.[168] Beginning in 2023, the winner of a newly established national beauty contest, Miss Mega Bintang Indonesia, will be assumed to be Miss Grand Indonesia.[169]
Held as a stand-alone pageant in 2016 – 2018. The other titleholders were determined through either the Miss Supranational Netherlands (2014 – 2015) or the 12 Months of Beauty (2020 and 2022) pageants.
Separately organized 3 times; in 2017 and 2018 by Di Benedetto Models agency,[199][200] and another in 2021 by the Pageant Group Canada Inc.[201] The country delegates for the Miss Grand International pageant have been selected via the Miss World Canada competition since 2022.
Liberia entered the Miss Grand International pageant for the first time in 2021. The country representative was Hajamaya Mulbah, one of the Miss Grand Liberia 2021 finalists, who was promoted to replace the original winner of such a contest, Goretti Itoka.[225][226][227] The organizers cited Itoka wished to relinquish the title willingly, howbeit, Itoka later contended that she was removed without any direct clarification from the organizers.[225][226][227] The Ministry of Information, Culture affairs, and Tourism of Liberia (MICAT) was also involved to manipulate the situation and has sent a communication document to the organizer, however, no organizer's official response.[227]
Botswana joined the Miss Grand International only once in 2014, with the representation of Lillian Lillie Dlamini, who won the inaugural national contest Miss Grand International Botswana 2014, outclassing 12 other finalists,[229] The event was held on 26 July at Cresta Lodge Hotel in Gaborone, under the management of Dineo Matlapeng, a South Africa-based businessperson.[152]
National franchises have a lot of latitude in choosing candidates for Miss Grand International. Some are the winners of individual contests for their Miss Grand International, others get the honor by winning first or second runner-up from contests for candidates to multiple international pageants, and yet others are chosen in different ways.
The following is the list of Miss Grand International participating countries and territories, the competition result, as well as the national licensee entities since 2013. The list was divided into 6 groups based on the geographic continents.
Africa
Color key:
Declared as the winner
10 Top 10 finalists
C Withdrew during the competition
First runner-up
20 Top 20 finalists
R Representative determined but did not compete
Second runner-up
Y Unplaced
N No representative
Third runner-up
Fourth runner-up
Miss Grand national licensees in African countries. The list can be scrolled manually or interactively.
miss, grand, international, thai, conglomerate, company, most, recent, edition, 2023, upcoming, edition, 2024, also, known, miss, grand, beauty, pageant, franchise, based, thailand, consists, annual, national, pageant, miss, grand, thailand, well, internationa. For a Thai conglomerate see Miss Grand International company For the most recent edition see Miss Grand International 2023 For the upcoming edition see Miss Grand International 2024 Miss Grand International also known as Miss Grand is a beauty pageant franchise based in Thailand It consists of the annual national pageant Miss Grand Thailand as well as the international competition Miss Grand International to which participating rights are licensed to organizers in other countries Miss Grand InternationalTypeInternational women s beauty pageantParent organizationMGI PCLHeadquartersBangkok ThailandFirst edition2013Most recent edition2023Current titleholderLuciana Fuster PeruPresident and founderNawat ItsaragrisilVice PresidentTeresa ChaivisutLanguage sEnglishWebsitemissgrandinternational wbr comThe current Miss Grand International is Luciana Fuster of Peru who was crowned on 25 October 2023 1 Contents 1 History 2 Contestant selection 3 Main pageant 3 1 Pre pageant activities 3 2 Grand Final 3 3 Crowns and awards 4 Recent Titleholders 5 Controversies 5 1 Political related issues 5 1 1 Myanmar military regime 5 1 2 Anti Thailand military government 5 1 3 Vietnam s freedom of expression 5 1 4 Russo Ukrainian war related issue 5 2 Dethroned Resignation 5 3 Nawat Itsaragrisil 5 4 Cultural appropriation 6 Miss Grand National 6 1 Liberia 6 2 Botswana 7 Participating countries and territories 7 1 Africa 7 2 Asia 7 3 Europe 7 4 North America 7 5 Oceania 7 6 South America 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksHistoryMiss Grand International was founded in 2013 by Nawat Itsaragrisil a Thai television host and producer The pageant was founded in Thailand amidst a political crisis inspiring the organizers to use the slogan No mob Stop the Wars as part of its identity 2 later rephrased to Stop the War and Violence in the following year 3 4 5 The pageant aims to promote peace by being against all kinds of conflicts 6 3 The pageant has primarily been focusing on humanitarian issues with the reigning titleholders dedicating their year to work as the organization s spokesperson as well as involved in the charity events related to the said campaigns 6 7 For instance corresponding with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR to raise funds available for humanitarian aid 8 visiting and donated necessities to the internally displaced people in the refugee camps 9 10 11 12 being the guest speaker at the related events and act as the ambassador of the NGOs e g Catholic Medical Mission Board Model United Nations 13 14 or taking part in any projects of the local charitable organization in the visited countries 13 15 16 Before 2021 the winner of the contest together with all runners up often serve as the campaigners of the Tourism Authority of Thailand to promote the tourism industry of the pageant based country 17 18 The contest features contestants selected by licensees in each country Its first three competitions were held in Thailand under the sponsorship of the country s government and televised worldwide via Channel 7 4 while subsequent events have also taken place overseas 19 and was broadcast via the local television channels together with the social media platforms including its official YouTube channel and Facebook page 20 In 2019 the pageant was being held in Venezuela amid the country s political crisis several candidates withdrew from the competition due to security concerns and visa regulation problems such as South Korea Cambodia and Laos 21 22 23 24 Later in 2020 the pageant was also scheduled to be held in Venezuela on 25 October but due to the COVID 19 pandemic the event was postponed to 2021 and the venue was moved to Bangkok Thailand 25 Contestant selection nbsp Spanish preliminary pageant for Miss Grand International Miss Grand Spain 2019 held at Hotel Campomar in Cantabria on 6 July 2019The contestants of each edition of the pageant were selected by the franchise holder in respective countries or territories through either a national contest internal casting or being hand picked 26 27 Being a newly established international pageant almost half of the participated contestants were selected as the national representative without acquiring the national title in the respective state pageant Nonetheless in pageant popular countries especially in Far East and the Americas 22 annual national pageants are usually being held to crown a winner to compete in the Miss Grand International pageant 28 for example Miss Grand Cambodia Miss Grand Malaysia Miss Grand Nepal and Miss Grand Paraguay 29 30 31 32 some of them were the runner up or obtained the supplementary title at other national pageants e g the delegates from Femina Miss India 2015 2021 Binibining Pilipinas 2013 2015 2022 Miss Mexico 2017 2020 33 34 35 Felvidek Szepe 2015 2017 etc 36 37 38 Despite not being considered an economically popular event in Europe and Africa many countries have conducted national pageants for instance Miss Grand Albania 39 Miss Grand Kosovo 40 Miss Grand Spain 41 42 Miss Grand France 43 Miss Grand Italy 44 and Miss Grand South Africa In Spain Italy and many countries in Asia each administrative division i e province state region holds a preliminary competition to choose their delegate for the national pageant 41 44 45 46 Moreover in some provinces of Spain Malaysia and Thailand third level divisions pageants are also held to determine delegates for the provincial competition in which winners hold the title Miss Grand Province for the year of their reign 41 47 46 Unfortunately cultural impediments in the swimsuit competition have precluded some countries such as ultraconservative and Muslim countries from participating 48 49 while some countries have not participated because of a lacking of funding 50 Although the title of Miss Grand pageant was global registered copyright some national or local pageants unrelated to the Miss Grand International has been observed such as the Azerbaijan model search contest named Miss and Mister Grand Azerbaijan which was organized by Elxan Pashayev since 2018 51 52 Miss Zimbabwe Grand headed by Farai Zembeni since 2019 the pageant finalists participate in various continental contests in Africa 53 54 as well as the local pageant in the Bahamas Miss Grand Bahama established in 1970 which the name Grand Bahama refer to the third largest island in the northernmost region of the country 55 Main pageantMiss Grand International is the platform s annual international beauty pageant Its inaugural edition was held in Bangkok in 2013 under sponsorship from Thailand s government 4 56 and featured 73 participating countries the inaugural titleholder was Janelee Chaparro of Puerto Rico 57 58 In 2016 the pageant was held for the first time outside Thailand at Westgate Las Vegas Las Vegas US on 25 October 20 Since 2015 the grand final is usually held on 25 October each year However due to the COVID 19 pandemic the 2020 and 2021 editions of the pageant were delayed the 2020 edition was first scheduled to be held on 25 October 2020 but was postponed to 27 March 2021 and the venue was also moved to Bangkok Thailand 25 similar to the 2021 edition which was held in December 2021 two months behind the traditional schedule 59 The current Miss Grand International titleholder is Luciana Fuster of Peru who was crowned on 25 October 2023 at Phu Thọ Indoor Stadium Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam making her the second woman from Peru to win the crown Edition Date Final venue Host country Entrants Ref 2013 19 November Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani Nonthaburi Thailand 71 57 2014 7 October Indoor Stadium Huamark Bangkok 85 60 2015 25 October 77 56 2016 Westgate Las Vegas Las Vegas Nevada United States 74 61 2017 Vinpearl Convention Center Phu Quốc Vietnam 77 62 2018 The One Entertainment Park Yangon Myanmar 75 63 2019 Poliedro de Caracas Caracas Venezuela 60 64 2020 27 March 2021 Show DC Hall Bangkok Thailand 63 65 2021 4 December 59 59 2022 25 October Sentul International Convention Center West Java Indonesia 68 66 2023 Phu Thọ Indoor Stadium Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam 69 67 2024 Yangon Myanmar 68 Pre pageant activities The pre pageant activities of Miss Grand International usually consist of three main events the swimsuit competition a national costume parade and the preliminary contest The swimsuit competition is organized at a separate venue to determine the winner of the Best in Swimsuit award while the national costume and the preliminary round of each edition are usually held at the same venue of the grand final round 69 70 All aforementioned events are live streamed via the pageant s Facebook and YouTube accounts 70 In the preliminary round all contestants will compete in swimwear and evening gowns in front of a panel of preliminary judges 70 Each round of the preliminary competition and the Swimsuit competition will determine the winner of Best Evening Gown and Best in Swimsuit awards which will be announced later on the final stage of the contest as well as the winner of other special awards including Best National Costume and Miss Popular vote Moreover the scores from all ancillary events preliminary competition together with a closed door interview portion and the swimsuit competition also determine the Top 20 finalists during the grand final telecast of the pageant 71 List of the main special award winners in the Miss Grand International pageant Edition Best in Swimsuit Best National Costume Best Evening Gown Miss Popular Vote Country s Power of The Year Best Social Media Ref 2013 nbsp Latvia nbsp China nbsp Dominican Republic nbsp Myanmar Award given since 2020 Not Awarded 58 2014 nbsp Thailand nbsp Vietnam nbsp Indonesia nbsp Cambodia nbsp Japan 60 2015 nbsp Costa Rica nbsp Philippines nbsp Japan nbsp Sri Lanka nbsp India 72 2016 nbsp Bahamas nbsp Indonesia nbsp England nbsp Korea nbsp Jamaica 7 2017 nbsp Costa Rica nbsp Indonesia nbsp China nbsp Indonesia nbsp Paraguay 62 2018 nbsp Cuba nbsp Peru nbsp Thailand nbsp Vietnam nbsp Indonesia 73 2019 nbsp Panama nbsp Ecuador nbsp Peru nbsp Vietnam Not Awarded 74 2020 nbsp Brazil 3 Countries nbsp Guatemala nbsp Japan nbsp Thailand nbsp Mexico nbsp Malaysia nbsp Cambodia 75 2021 nbsp Puerto Rico 3 Countries nbsp Angola nbsp Malaysia nbsp Peru nbsp Thailand nbsp Cambodia Not Awarded 76 2022 Not Awarded 4 Countries nbsp Peru nbsp Thailand nbsp United Kingdom nbsp Vietnam nbsp Mexico nbsp Mauritius nbsp Vietnam nbsp Czech Republic 77 2023 nbsp Dominican Republic 3 Countries nbsp Japan nbsp Nigeria nbsp Vietnam nbsp Russia nbsp Myanmar nbsp Myanmar Not Awarded 78 Grand Final source source source source source source source source The opening show of the 2021 grand final performed by Abena Appiah Miss Grand International 2020 together with all 2021 delegatesThe grand final of the pageant is usually broadcast worldwide on television and the social media platforms of the pageant As the tradition of the pageant twenty semi finalists are chosen from the initial pool of contestants through observation during the entire pageant a closed door interview swimsuit round as well as a preliminary competition which featured contestants competing in swimsuits and evening gowns 71 79 However the Country of the year was first introduced in 2020 edition which was selected by the audience on social networks 6 80 The winner of this category automatically enters the twenty finalists regardless of all previous scores 80 The Top 20 would then compete in a swimsuit competition with 10 of them advancing to the Top 10 79 this number eventually was reduced to 9 with the 10th semi finalist being the Top Popularity Winner determined through mobile voting 71 6 all 10 semi finalists would then compete in an evening gown and give their speeches with a Stop the War and Violence theme 81 82 After the speech round and evening gown competitions the judges then select the top five to compete in the question and answer portion 79 81 where all entrants will be asked the same question about an ongoing global situation such as the management of COVID 19 pandemic crisis 83 the 2016 United States presidential election 7 61 and the ongoing socioeconomic and political crisis in Venezuela 84 The judges will select the winner based on their answer and all previous accumulate scores then the host will sequentially announce the fourth third and second runners up 75 85 The last 2 candidates of the top 5 finalists will stand in the center of the stage then one of them will be named Miss Grand International 6 75 86 87 85 The summary of the pageant selection process is shown below Miss Grand International Selection Criteria 88 EventsRounds AwardsPost crowneddomestic activities International pageant campAncillary events Online processes Closed door interview Sub contests Preliminary contest Grand finalSwimsuit competition National costume section Swimsuit round Evening gown round Swimsuit round Evening gown round Speech round Q amp A portionQuarter finalist Top 20 1 spot 2020 2022 i Semi finalist Top 10 1 spot 2015 present ii Finalist Top 5 WinnerSpecial awardsCountry of the year Twice in 2020 2022 i Best National costume 2016 present 2013 presentBest in Swimsuit 2016 present 2013 present 2013 presentBest Evening gown 2021 present 2013 presentBest Social media 2014 2022Miss Popular vote ii 2013 present The events rounds that are used to determine the qualifier s Awarded category still exists Awarded category renamed Awarded category no longer exists a b The winner of Country of the Year award was automatically placed at Top 20 finalists in 2020 edition regardless of the accumulated score a b The winner of Miss Popular vote award has been automatically placing at Top 10 finalists since 2015 regardless of the accumulated score Crowns and awards As the tradition of this pageant the crown of the title holders known as the Golden Crown has been set to be changed every 3 years 89 all versions of the Golden Crown are made of gold and brass for structural integrity while the exterior is adorned by diamond and emerald 19 Its first version was designed by a Thai jewellery design company God Diamond headed by Chawalit Chommuang 90 and was used for the first three editions of the pageant 19 The crown used from 2016 2018 2nd version and 2019 2021 3rd version was designed by an unrevealed company and George Wittels respectively 19 64 91 The latest version of the golden crown which was going to be used for the 2022 2024 edition was also made by a Venezuelan jewellery designer George Wittels 92 who signed as the official jewel sponsor of the Miss Grand International Organization during 2019 2024 64 91 He additionally designed the crown for all four runners up of the pageant since the 2019 edition the first time that the organization provided the crown for the runner up positions 91 Since 2014 the organizer has also been offering USD 40 000 cash to each year winner for spending a year work as the organization s spokesperson in its campaign 30 72 75 93 the prize was increased from USD 30 000 in 2013 58 93 however some Vietnamese media published that Nguyễn Thuc Thuy Tien earned USD 60 000 for winning the contest in 2021 89 Furthermore all four runners up of each edition also received cash prizes ABS CBN reported that Samantha Bernardo of the Philippines got USD 6 000 in cash after she had obtained the first runner up title at the Miss Grand International 2020 pageant in Bangkok Thailand 94 Vartika Singh of India received USD 4 000 for her second runner up finish at the 2015 edition 95 96 and 3 000 and US 2 000 for the third and fourth runners up respectively 96 Besides the finalists the winner of each special award also received a prize approximately USD 1 000 3 000 according to the 2013 to 2015 contests 93 96 97 98 After relinquishing the crown to the successor the immediate predecessor is provided with a replica tiara the replica is usually produced by the same designer as its master Gallery of Miss Grand International crowns nbsp The first edition of the golden crown as worn by Miss Grand International 2014 Lees Garcia nbsp The second edition of the golden crown as worn by Miss Grand International 2018 Clara Sosa nbsp The third edition of the golden crown as worn by Miss Grand International 2020 Abena AppiahRecent TitleholdersFor full list and details see List of Miss Grand International titleholders Edition Country Titleholder National Title Venue of Competition Number of Entrants2023 nbsp Peru Luciana Fuster Miss Grand Peru 2023 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam 692022 nbsp Brazil Isabella Menin Miss Grand Brazil 2022 West Java Indonesia 682021 nbsp Vietnam Nguyễn Thuc Thuy Tien Miss Grand Vietnam 2021 Bangkok Thailand 592020 nbsp United States Abena Appiah Miss Grand United States of America 2020 632019 nbsp Venezuela Valentina Figuera El Concurso by Osmel Sousa 2018 Caracas Venezuela 60Winners gallery nbsp Miss Grand International 2023Luciana Fuster nbsp Peru nbsp Miss Grand International 2022Isabella Menin nbsp Brazil nbsp Miss Grand International 2021Nguyễn Thuc Thuy Tien nbsp Vietnam nbsp Miss Grand International 2020Abena Appiah nbsp United States nbsp Miss Grand International 2019Valentina Figuera nbsp Venezuela nbsp Miss Grand International 2018Clara Sosa nbsp Paraguay nbsp Miss Grand International 2017Maria Jose Lora nbsp Peru nbsp Miss Grand International 2016Ariska Putri Pertiwi nbsp Indonesia nbsp Miss Grand International 2015Claire Elizabeth Parker nbsp Australia nbsp Miss Grand International 2014Lees Garcia nbsp Cuba nbsp Miss Grand International 2013Janelee ChaparroPuerto RicoCountry Territory by number of winsMiss Grand International s winning countries and territories by the number of wins nbsp Color key 2 titles 1 dethroned title 1 title 1 temporarily assumed titleList of countries by number of Miss Grand International wins Number of win s Country Territory Years2 nbsp Peru 2017 20231 nbsp Brazil 2022 nbsp Vietnam 2021 nbsp United States 2020 nbsp Venezuela 2019 nbsp Paraguay 2018 nbsp Indonesia 2016 nbsp Australia a 2015 nbsp Dominican Republic b nbsp Cuba 2014 nbsp Puerto Rico 2013Notes Originally placed 1st runner up Assumed as the winner after the original titleholder was dethroned DethronedControversiesPolitical related issues External videos nbsp Han Lay pleads for help for her country on Miss Grand International 2020 stage on 27 March 2021 YouTube video nbsp Han Lay gave an interview to the BBC about the ongoing democracy protests in Myanmar YouTube videoMyanmar military regime At the grand final of the 2020 edition in Bangkok Thailand in addition to crowning the winner the representative of Myanmar Han Lay also took the stage to make a declaration against alleged atrocities committed by the Myanmar military in her home country and requested international awareness of the ongoing democratic struggle following the military coup on 1 February 2021 65 99 100 101 She additionally requested the United Nations to take action against the Myanmar regime and pleaded for urgent international aid for the ongoing bloodshed 65 99 100 101 Following her speech she received life threatening criticisms on her social media accounts but the vast majority of comments were supportive of her actions 100 Furthermore the Myanmar military government allegedly issued an arrest warrant against her under a law against all material intended to cause a member of the armed forces to mutiny or disregard their duty 102 103 which caused her to apply for refugee status and a work permit in Thailand with the support of Burmese labor in Thailand 104 102 103 The pageant organizer also supported her with the necessary expenses and hired her as company personnel until she immigrated to Canada for political asylum in late 2021 104 102 103 105 Anti Thailand military government Since the Thai coup d etat in mid 2014 the organization s personnel have always been showing their political aspects against the country s military government causing them to receive criticism from the ultraconservative and far right political citizens generally called Salim in Thai on various social media platforms 106 107 108 and they have also been subjected to legal action after expressing their opinions against a government measure over the police and military violent crackdown on anti government protests and the handling of the COVID 19 pandemic in early 2021 108 109 110 Many pageant contestants also took action against the Thailand military government for the aforementioned incidents such as Helen Maher of Scotland and Samantha Bernardo of the Philippines 111 112 In the Miss Grand International 2021 competition the pageant s preliminary events were entirely scheduled for Phuket however some ancillary activities was cancelled due to the opposing political views between the organizer and the pro military government local community which caused the application for property use to be revoked 113 114 115 The local government also declined to facilitate the event arrangement in the province 113 114 115 116 Vietnam s freedom of expression Another political impact also occurred in the 2021 edition when the representative of Vietnam Nguyễn Thuc Thuy Tien who was later elected 2021 winner declared a sentence in Thai during the semi finalists speech round that means Make the world a better place for everyone while raising the three finger salute a protest symbol inspired by the Hunger Games and has been adopted by many pro democracy protest movements in Southeast Asian countries which includes Thailand 117 118 The aforementioned action has greatly displeased supporters of the Thai military government causing them to gather to present letters of protest to the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok accusing that her action is interfering in Thai internal affairs since the Constitutional Court of Thailand has determined that using the three finger salute in Thailand is intended to overthrow the Thai regime 119 120 However Vietnam s foreign affairs has no official diplomatic responsiveness to such an issue despite some Thai government s political groups claiming that Vietnam s Ministry of Culture has made a statement to take action and remind her to refrain from making public speeches on issues that may affect Thailand Vietnam relations 121 122 In addition Radio Free Asia also reported that Thuy Tien s speech with the pro democracy three finger salute was censored by the Vietnamese government which does not allow the domestic press to release any media comments or explain its meanings In the case of regulatory violations all materials were removed shortly after being published In the days after Thuy Tien s coronation public compliments and supporting comments for her inspiring three finger salute movement were observed on various Vietnamese press released media but most of those articles or paragraphs were shortly disappeared no longer accessible or the details was not mentioned Moreover in many press released videos the section of such action or even the entire video was removed 123 Russo Ukrainian war related issue On October 3 2022 the pageant organizer revealed all the roommate pairing lists of Miss Grand International 2022 candidates in a live video streamed on the pageant s official Facebook page in which the Russian and Ukrainian candidates were paired as roommates amid the ongoing war between the two countries 124 125 126 The issue has sparked an overwrought discussion on many social media sites because of the tense political situation between the two countries over the past few months 127 128 129 Some accused the organizer of attempting to profit from the conflict by pairing the two contestants on purpose to make the contest viral and demanded the organizer adjust the room sharing situation while others advised thinking optimistically and that the beauty competition had nothing to do with the war 128 However even though the representative from Russia Ekaterina Astashenkova has stated through social media that there is no problem staying together with the Ukrainian representatives during the contest the Ukrainian representative Olga Vasyliv denied doing so and also called for removing Russia from the competition 125 130 131 132 a part of her statement is shown below 125 130 132 I received a letter that instilled in me feeling of rage and pain my assigned roommate is going to be a competitor from a terrorist country from a country that lost all laws and order from the depot country from the disgusting and deceitful stain on the body of our beautiful planet from Russia Dear Nawat Itsaragrisil believe me I am also for peace love friendship and support but not for those who I can not forgive not for those who tortured my brothers and sisters not for those who took the lives of so many fellow Ukrainians I am important My feelings are important And my Ukraine is important Glory to Ukraine Olga Vasyliv Miss Grand Ukraine 2022 The public debate on social media and the call from the Ukrainian representative caused the organizers to change roommates for both of them after the two contestants had arrived in Bali to prevent any further issues 129 Dethroned Resignation Since the establishment of the contest there was one case of resignation from her title when 2015 Miss Grand International winner Anea Garcia from Rhode Island a Dominican American model who later placed third in the Miss USA 2015 pageant then represented Dominican Republic in the Miss Grand International 133 She stepped down from her reign and was replaced by first runner up Claire Elizabeth Parker from Australia in which the contest cited with immediate effect Miss Anea Garcia will step down from her position as Miss Grand International 2015 due to unable to fulfill and follow the contractual agreement with Miss Grand International Organization 134 135 136 137 The organization further stated her studies were in the way making it very hard for us to schedule her activities 133 Garcia was interviewed by The Providence Journal and stated that she resigned since her safety was in jeopardy when she was sexually assaulted in South Sudan while representing the organization and they showed no concern about the incident after she informed the organizers 138 139 The Miss Grand International later claimed that Garcia was dethroned for being demanding and disrespectful and for taking an inappropriate photo while wearing the crown with a revealing slit in her dress in the upper leg crotch area as opposed to the organization s initial press release that she stepped down 138 Parker who succeeded Anea Garcia as Miss Grand International 2015 after her resignation was later stripped off from her title in February 2019 almost four years after her reign ended and the organization released a statement that she s no longer be addressed to as Miss Grand International 2015 when she decided to take part in a major national pageant title Miss Universe Australia 2019 a preliminary of one of the Big Four international beauty pageants Miss Universe 140 137 Nawat Itsaragrisil Main article Nawat Itsaragrisil Several statements and actions made by the pageant s founder Nawat Itsaragrisil have attracted controversy to the pageant itself In 2016 Nawat was reported by Miss Iceland 2015 Arna Yr Jonsdottir to have said that she s too fat and needed to lose weight prior to the finals of Miss Grand International 2016 held in Las Vegas on 25 October 2016 141 eventually dropping out of the pageant before the coronation due to the controversy Jonsdottir a former member of the Icelandic national athletics team stated I decided to stand by myself and women in general I m not going to have anyone telling me that I am too fat to look good on stage 142 In a statement Nawat said that they give similar advice to other contestants who asked what should they do to improve to win Nawat eventually said that he had spoken with Jonsdottir along with the company s vice president and clarified matters 143 The pageant organizers was also accused of withholding her passport and threatened me by saying you can get your passport back if you pay 3 000 dollars 144 after she withdrew from the contest Jonsdottir was eventually able to retrieve her passport citation needed Nawat has also expressed displeasure 145 about the behavior of Filipino pageant fans online This is after several incidents of Filipino pageant fans attacking him on social media These incidents include accusations of Nawat rigging the results of Miss Grand International of him having a bias against Filipina contestants 146 non primary source needed 147 an Instagram post where Nawat insinuated that the coronation of Catriona Gray as Miss Universe 2018 was a rigged affair 148 and saying that Miss Philippines 2018 didn t make it due to the rest of the contestants being better than her 148 Nawat has also gotten into a verbal row with the Miss Supranational organization after the then reigning Miss Supranational 2021 Chanique Rabe did not include Miss Grand into what she considers the Big Five of pageants saying that those pageants were minor crowns 149 Cultural appropriation The pageant stirred another controversy when the organizers allowed Emily Delgado who represented the United States in the Miss Grand International 2019 to parade in a Native American inspired costume with headdress and walked on the stage with stereotypical gestures in which she drew ire in the social media for cultural appropriation 150 The mockery of the Native values was initially confirmed and denounced by Ashley Callingbull of Alberta s Enoch Cree Nation Canada s first Indigenous woman to win the Mrs Universe title in 2015 151 Miss Grand NationalIn addition to Thailand several national licensees have been separately organizing their preliminary pageants to select the representatives for the Miss Grand International pageant As listed below the lists were divided into 4 geographic continent groups including Africa the Americas Asia Oceania and Europe Legend Active The most recent titleholder was chosen through the Miss Grand National pageant Inactive Miss Grand National pageant was defunct the current titleholder was appointed without organizing any contest or no representative Merged Miss Grand National pageant was merged into other pageants and one of those pageants finalists was elected Miss Grand titleholder Projected Miss Grand National pageant was supposed to be held in the year mentioned Pageant Firstedition Status NoteMiss Grand national pageants in Africa nbsp Miss Grand Botswana 2014 Inactive Held only once in 2014 by a South Africa based businessperson Dineo Matlapeng 152 nbsp Miss Grand Ghana 2020 Active Separately organized 2 times in 2020 by Legacy Pageants Limited and another in 2022 by Akuaba Entertainment nbsp Miss Grand Liberia 2021 Inactive Due to the COVID 19 outbreak the pageant was held virtually nbsp Miss Grand Namibia 2015 Inactive Held as a stand alone contest three times during 2015 2018 by Magnolia Events Management ML Events Artistry 153 154 155 156 nbsp Miss Grand Nigeria 2015 Merged Individually organized twice in 2015 and 2016 Since 2020 the titleholder has been determined through The Nigerian Queen pageant nbsp Miss Grand South Africa 2015 Active Held annually since 2015 by different organizers nbsp Miss Grand Tanzania 2017 Inactive Happened once in 2017 by Rasheedah Jamaldin 157 158 nbsp Miss Grand Zimbabwe 2013 Inactive Held once in 2013 by Samantha Tshuma 159 160 161 Miss Grand national pageants in Asia and Oceania nbsp Miss Grand Australia 2014 Active Held annually since 2014 by different organizers 162 nbsp Miss Grand Cambodia 2015 Active Separately organized annually since 2015 163 Its first five editions 2015 2019 was arranged under the direction of Boonkerd Angamnuaysiri Since 2020 the license has belonged to Mohahang Production 164 165 nbsp Miss Grand China Cancelled The inaugural edition was expected to be held in 2021 but was canceled due to the COVID 19 pandemic 166 167 nbsp Miss Grand Indonesia 2015 Merged Held as a stand alone contest 3 times during 2018 2020 168 Beginning in 2023 the winner of a newly established national beauty contest Miss Mega Bintang Indonesia will be assumed to be Miss Grand Indonesia 169 nbsp Miss Grand Japan 2015 Active Held annually since 2015 by Eriko Yoshi ja 170 nbsp Miss Grand Korea 2017 Active Held annually since 2017 by different organizers 171 172 nbsp Miss Grand Laos 2017 Active Held individually 3 times in 2017 2018 and 2022 173 174 nbsp Miss Grand Malaysia 2013 Active Held annually since 2013 by three different organizers 175 nbsp Miss Grand Myanmar 2016 Inactive Separately held once in 2016 by Style Plus H 176 nbsp Miss Grand Nepal 2016 Active Held annually since 2016 by three different organizers 177 nbsp Miss Grand Philippines 2014 Merged Separately held once in 2014 During 2015 2022 the franchise belonged to the Binibining Pilipinas 178 nbsp Miss Grand Sri Lanka 2016 Inactive Held twice in 2016 and 2018 179 180 nbsp Miss Grand Thailand 2013 Active Held annually since 2013 181 nbsp Miss Grand Vietnam 2022 Active Held annually since 2022 by Sen Vang Entertainment 182 Miss Grand national pageants in Europe nbsp Miss Grand Albania 2014 Inactive Held in parallel with Miss Grand Kosovo from 2014 to 2018 then was separated into a stand alone contest in 2019 183 184 185 nbsp Miss Grand Belgium 2021 Active Under the direction of Carolyn Collinda the contest was organized twice in 2021 and 2022 186 187 nbsp Miss Grand France 2019 Active Held annually since 2019 188 189 190 191 nbsp Miss Grand Italy 2019 Active Held annually since 2019 by Giuseppe Puzio 192 193 194 nbsp Miss Grand Kosovo 2014 Inactive Held in parallel with Miss Grand Albania from 2014 to 2018 then was separated into a stand alone contest in 2019 nbsp Miss Grand Netherlands 2016 Active Held as a stand alone pageant in 2016 2018 The other titleholders were determined through either the Miss Supranational Netherlands 2014 2015 or the 12 Months of Beauty 2020 and 2022 pageants nbsp Miss Grand Spain 2016 Active Under the management of Vicente Gonzalez the pageant has been organized as a stand alone pageant since 2016 195 196 nbsp Miss Grand United Kingdom 2015 Inactive Held separately twice in 2015 by Holly Louise and in 2021 by Megan Darlington Miss Grand national pageants in North America nbsp Miss Grand Bahamas 2018 Inactive Held only once in 2018 by Navado Dawkins 197 198 nbsp Miss Grand Canada 2017 Merged Separately organized 3 times in 2017 and 2018 by Di Benedetto Models agency 199 200 and another in 2021 by the Pageant Group Canada Inc 201 The country delegates for the Miss Grand International pageant have been selected via the Miss World Canada competition since 2022 nbsp Miss Grand Costa Rica 2022 Active Held once in 2022 by the Concurso Nacional de Belleza de Costa Rica es CNB Costa Rica 202 nbsp Miss Grand Cuba 2023 Projected nbsp Miss Grand Curacao 2014 Inactive Held as a separate pageant only once in 2014 by the Senorita Curacao organization 203 204 nbsp Miss Grand Dominican Republic 2016 Inactive Held once in 2016 by Chantel Martinez the first runner up Miss Grand International 2013 205 206 nbsp Miss Grand Guatemala 2023 Projected nbsp Miss Grand Honduras 2022 Active First organized in 2022 to determine country representative for the 2022 and 2023 editions of Miss Grand International 207 208 209 nbsp Miss Grand Mexico 2023 Projected nbsp Miss Grand Nicaragua 2021 Active Organized individually once in 2021 by Saul Benitez to elect the winners for the 2021 and 2022 editions of Miss Grand International 210 211 nbsp Miss Grand United States 2016 Active Held annually since 2016 212 Miss Grand national pageants in South America nbsp Miss Grand Brazil 2014 Active Held annually since 2014 213 214 215 nbsp Miss Grand Chile 2017 Active Organized annually since 2017 by different organizers 216 217 nbsp Miss Grand Colombia 2018 Active Held individually twice in 2018 by Top 3 Latam 218 and 2022 by Cesar Prado 219 nbsp Miss Grand Ecuador 2021 Active Held separately once in 2021 by Tahiz Panuz the president of the CNB Ecuador 220 nbsp Miss Grand Paraguay 2017 Active Separately held annually since 2017 by Mygami Producciones SRL 221 222 nbsp Miss Grand Peru 2023 Active The first edition was expected to happen in mid 2023 nbsp Miss Grand Venezuela 2022 Active First organized in 2022 to determined the country representative for Miss Grand International 2023 223 224 Liberia Liberia entered the Miss Grand International pageant for the first time in 2021 The country representative was Hajamaya Mulbah one of the Miss Grand Liberia 2021 finalists who was promoted to replace the original winner of such a contest Goretti Itoka 225 226 227 The organizers cited Itoka wished to relinquish the title willingly howbeit Itoka later contended that she was removed without any direct clarification from the organizers 225 226 227 The Ministry of Information Culture affairs and Tourism of Liberia MICAT was also involved to manipulate the situation and has sent a communication document to the organizer however no organizer s official response 227 The Miss Grand Liberia 2021 is the inaugural edition of Miss Grand Liberia beauty contest due to the COVID 19 outbreak the pageant was held virtually via Zoom application featuring 9 national finalists in which a social media marketing strategist and the former Miss Mano River Union Goretti Itoka was elected as the national winner 225 228 Botswana Botswana joined the Miss Grand International only once in 2014 with the representation of Lillian Lillie Dlamini who won the inaugural national contest Miss Grand International Botswana 2014 outclassing 12 other finalists 229 The event was held on 26 July at Cresta Lodge Hotel in Gaborone under the management of Dineo Matlapeng a South Africa based businessperson 152 Miss Grand Botswana National Finalists 1 EditionDistrict 1st 2nd2014 TBDCentral Tsaone BoikhutsoChobe Modeline MbaakanyiFrancistown Gaborone Lillian Molose W Ghanzi Oweditse PhirinyaneJwaneng Onalenna PhofediKgalagadi Kefilwe BarobetseKgatleng Andreanne GasebalweKweneng Gaolebale LekauLobatse Gomolemo Majafhe Miss Grand Botswana National Finalists 2 EditionDistrict 1st 2nd2014 TBDNgamiland Tebogo LebannaNorth East Carole NgisiOrapa Selebi Phikwe Southern Lebogang KaisaraSouth East Kelly CharlesSowa Total 13Color keys W Winner R Runners up UnplacedParticipating countries and territoriesFor full list and details see List of Miss Grand International titleholders For full list and details see List of Miss Grand International runners up and finalists National franchises have a lot of latitude in choosing candidates for Miss Grand International Some are the winners of individual contests for their Miss Grand International others get the honor by winning first or second runner up from contests for candidates to multiple international pageants and yet others are chosen in different ways The following is the list of Miss Grand International participating countries and territories the competition result as well as the national licensee entities since 2013 The list was divided into 6 groups based on the geographic continents Africa Color key nbsp Declared as the winner 10 Top 10 finalists C Withdrew during the competition nbsp First runner up 20 Top 20 finalists R Representative determined but did not compete nbsp Second runner up Y Unplaced N No representative nbsp Third runner up nbsp Fourth runner upMiss Grand national licensees in African countries The list can be scrolled manually or interactively Country territory Year of participation 230 231 Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Licensee nbsp Algeria 2010s No pageant Y R R N N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensee2013 2015 Miss Algeria Organization nbsp Angola 2010s No pageant R N 20 N N N N2020s N 20 Y 10 to be determined Current Marcia de Menezes 2021 present 232 Former licensees2015 Meriam Kaxuxwena nbsp Botswana 2010s No pageant N Y N N N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2014 Dineo Matlapeng 233 non primary source needed nbsp Cameroon 2010s No pageant R Y N R N N N2020s N N R N to be determined Current Former licensees2014 2016 Miss Prestige Cameroun Organization nbsp Cape Verde 2010s No pageant N N N N N Y N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2018 Priscilla Gomes nbsp Congo Democratic Republic of the 2010s No pageant N R N N N N N2020s N N R N to be determined Current Former licensees2014 Naise Gumanda2022 Caroline Konde 234 nbsp Egypt 2010s No pageant Y N Y Y Y N Y2020s Y Y N Y to be determined Current Former licensees 2013 2021 Miss Egypt Org 235 nbsp Ethiopia 2010s No pageant Y nbsp Y Y Y N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2013 2017 Miss Ethiopia Organization nbsp Gabon 2010s No pageant R N N N N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2013 Mbou Wouono Henriette nbsp Ghana 2010s No pageant N N Y N N Y N2020s R N Y Y to be determined Current Abena Appiah 2022 present 236 Former licensees2015 2016 Charlee Berbicks2018 Oklepeme Foundation2020 Legacy Pageants Ltd nbsp Guinea 2010s No pageant Y N N N N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2013 Jasmine Sjoberg Sidibe nbsp Ivory Coast 2010s No pageant N Y N N N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2014 Richlove Amissah nbsp Kenya 2010s No pageant Y N Y N N N N2020s 20 N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2013 Beauties of Africa Organization 237 2015 Miss Earth Kenya Organization 238 2020 Irene Mukii nbsp Liberia 2010s No pageant N N N N N N N2020s N Y N N to be determined Current Former licensees2021 Miss Grand Liberia Org 225 226 227 nbsp Mauritius 2010s No pageant N Y N Y N N Y2020s Y Y 10 N to be determined Current Former licensees2014 Miss India Worldwide Mauritius Organization2016 Miss Supranational Mauritius Organization2019 2022 Ahmad Abbas 239 nbsp Mozambique 2010s No pageant N N N N N N N2020s N N Y N to be determined Current Former licensees2022 Pinto Musica 240 nbsp Namibia 2010s No pageant Y R Y R R R N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2013 Beauties of Africa Inc 2015 2016 Magnolia Events Management 154 153 By Magnolia Kuhanga 156 nbsp Nigeria 2010s No pageant R Y Y Y Y N Y2020s Y 20 20 20 to be determined Current The Nigerian Queen Org 2020 present 241 Former licensees2014 2019 Miss Earth Nigeria Organization2015 2017 Miss Grand Nigeria Organization 242 243 By Loveth Ajufoh 242 nbsp Reunion 2010s No pageant N N N N N N Y2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2019 Laetitia Hoareau Boyer nbsp Rwanda 2010s No pageant N N N Y N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2016 Sonia Gisa nbsp Seychelles 2010s No pageant N N N N N N N2020s N N N Y to be determined Current Gabriella Gonthier 2023 244 Former licenseesNo former licensee nbsp Sierra Leone 2010s No pageant N N N N Y Y N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2017 2019 IAMSL Pageant Agency nbsp South Africa 2010s No pageant N N Y Y Y Y 202020s Y nbsp Y Y to be determined Current Maggy Dee Productions 2015 Present 245 Former licensees2015 Reinhardt Drewel Foundation nbsp South Sudan 2010s No pageant N Y Y Y 10 N N2020s N N N R to be determined Current Former licensees2014 2017 Atong Demach 246 nbsp Tanzania 2010s No pageant N Y N N Y Y N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2014 2015 Miss Tanzania Organization2017 2018 Rasheedah Jamaldin 157 nbsp Tunisia 2010s No pageant N N Y N N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2015 Miss Tunisie Organization nbsp Uganda 2010s No pageant Y N Y N Y N N2020s N N Y N to be determined Current Oliver Nakakande Foundation 2022 present 247 Former licensees2013 2015 2017 Afrost Uganda Marketing Ltd nbsp Zambia 2010s No pageant N N N N N Y R2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2018 2019 Isabel Chikoti 248 nbsp Zimbabwe 2010s No pageant Y Y N N N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2013 Samantha Tshuma 159 2014 Chris Vukani Mhlanga 249 250 Asia Color key nbsp Declared as the winner 10 Top 10 finalists C Withdrew during the competition nbsp First runner up 20 Top 20 finalists R Representative determined but did not compete nbsp Second runner up Y Unplaced N No representative nbsp Third runner up nbsp Fourth runner upMiss Grand national licensees in Asian countries The list can be scrolled manually or interactively Country territory Year of participation 230 231 Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Licensee nbsp Armenia 2010s No pageant N N N N N N Y2020s N Y N N to be determined Current Former licensee2019 Janna Gregory 251 2021 Miss Armenia Org 252 nbsp Bangladesh 2010s No pageant R R R N N N N2020s N Y Y N to be determined Current Hiam Amani Hafizuddin 2021 present Former licensees2013 2014 Miss Bangladesh Organization nbsp Bashkortostan 2010s No pageant N N N N N N Y2020s Y N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2019 2020 Miss Bash Models Agency nbsp Cambodia 2010s No pageant R Y Y R Y Y R2020s 20 10 10 Y to be determined Current Sokunthea Im 2023 present 253 Former licensees2014 2019 Boonkerd Angamnuaysiri 254 2020 2022 Phalitakam Mohahang Co Ltd Mohahang Production 2020 present 255 256 nbsp China 2010s No pageant 20 Y Y Y 20 Y Y2020s Y R Y N to be determined Current Shirley Yu 2022 present Former licensees2013 2019 Guangzhou Zhoumeng Marketing Co Ltd 257 2020 2021 Xin Fu Lai Enterprise Management Co Ltd 258 non primary source needed nbsp Georgia 2010s No pageant Y N N N N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2013 IC Model Management nbsp Hong Kong 2010s No pageant N Y Y Y Y Y N2020s N Y Y Y to be determined Current Sasha Wasee 2022 Present Former licensees2013 Macau Pageant Alliance2015 2018 Adam Lee2020 2021 Xin Fu Lai Enterprise Management Co Ltd 258 nbsp India 2010s No pageant Y Y nbsp Y 20 nbsp Y2020s Y 20 Y 20 to be determined Current Glamanand Entertainment Pvt Ltd 2020 2022 Present 259 Former licensees2013 2014 Indian Princess Organization2015 2019 2021 The Times Group 260 nbsp Indonesia 2010s No pageant Y 10 Y nbsp 10 nbsp Y2020s nbsp 10 nbsp 10 to be determined Current Yayasan Dunia Mega Bintang Ivan Gunawan 2020 present 261 Former licensees2013 2016 2017 Yayasan Puteri Indonesia id 262 2014 2015 El John Pageants id 2018 2019 Dharma Gantari Foundation 263 nbsp Iran 2010s No pageant N Y Y N N N N2020s Y N N N to be determined Current Former licensee2014 2015 2020 Miss Iran Organization nbsp Iraq 2010s No pageant N N N Y N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensee2016 Klaodia Khalaf nbsp Israel 2010s No pageant R 20 Y N N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensee2013 2015 Yael Markovich nbsp Japan 2010s No pageant Y 20 10 Y Y nbsp 202020s 20 Y Y Y to be determined Current Eriko Inoda 2016 Present 264 Former licensee2013 2015 Stephen I Diaz nbsp Kazakhstan 2010s No pageant Y Y N N N 20 N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensee2013 2015 Miss Grand Kazakhstan Organization By AIM Studio 2018 Miss Tourism Russia Organization nbsp Kurdistan 2010s No pageant N Y C N N N N2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensees2014 2015 Dalia Rebwar Hassan 265 nbsp Kyrgyzstan 2010s No pageant N N N N N N N2020s N N R N to be determined Current Miss Kyrgyzstan 2022 present 266 Former licenseesNo former licensee nbsp Laos 2010s No pageant N N N N 20 Y R2020s Y Y Y 20 to be determined Current Saikeo Sidavong 2018 Present 267 Former licensees2017 Hongkham Souvannavong Miss Laos Ltd 49 nbsp Lebanon 2010s No pageant Y Y N N Y Y Y2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensee2013 2019 Al Sawsan International Foundation nbsp Macau 2010s No pageant Y Y Y 10 Y Y Y2020s N N N N to be determined Current Former licensee2013 2019 Macau Pageant Alliance nbsp Malaysia 2010s No pageant Y Y Y 20 Y Y Y2020s 10 20 Y Y to be determined Current HyperLive Entertainment Pte Ltd 2022 present 268 Former licensee2013 2014 Anson Chong 175 non primary source needed 2015 2021 Introducing Malaysia 269 nbsp Mongolia 2010s No pageant Y Y Y N Y N N2020s N N Y N to be determined Current Anton Sergeevi 2022 TBD Former licensee2013 2015 2017 2018 Miss World Mongolia Organization nbsp Myanmar 2010s No pageant 20 Y Y Y Y Y Y2020s 20 20 Y nbsp to be determined Current Glamorous International 2021 present Former licensee2013 2014 Miss Golden Land Myanmar Organization2015 2016 Style Plus H2017 2020 Miss Universe Myanmar Organization 270 nbsp Nepal 2010s No pageant Y Y Y N Y Y Y2020s Y Y Y Y to be determined Current Izodom Nepal amp Cosmo Group 2020 Present 271 Former licensee2013 2016 Looks Entertainment Pvt Ltd Mero Looks 177 272 2017 2019 RK Entertainment Group 273 nbsp Pakistan 2010s No pageant Y Y N N N N N2020s N Y Y N to be determined Current Hiam Amani Hafizuddin 2021 present Former licensees2013 2014 Miss Pakistan 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10 finalists C Withdrew during the competition nbsp First runner up 20 Top 20 finalists R Representative determined but did not compete nbsp Second runner up Y Unplaced N No representative nbsp Third runner up nbsp Fourth runner upMiss Grand national licensees in European countries The list can be scrolled manually or interactively Country territory Year of participation 230 231 Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Licensee nbsp Albania 2010s td, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
