Miss Congeniality, the public's vote, and other special awards at Miss Universe 2024

It was a glorious day for the blonde Danish beauty queen Victoria Kjær Theilvig as she climbed up the ranks of the Miss Universe competition to finally be crowned the winner of 2024.

Victoria is 20 years old and a very good dancer. She gives lessons in dance but also has a degree in Business Administration and Marketing. The world is at her feet.

In the top five of the competition, two Latin-American countries were represented, one African nation, and one Asian country.

Nigeria's Chidimma Adetshina came really close to winning Miss Universe 2024. However, she would also win a First Prize of her own. After the ceremony, she was announced as the Continental Winner of Miss Universe Africa & Oceania.

Maria Fernanda Beltran of Mexico, who had shown us a spectacular national costume honoring Mayan traditions, became the second runner-up in the contest. A great feat for the host country!

The honor of making it to fourth place, or, as they say in beauty pageant language, third runner-up, went to Thailand's Opal Suchata Chuangsri.

Venezuela's Ileana Marquez Pedroza, a fan favorite, made it to fifth place. One of the highlights of Miss Universe 2024 was her national costume depicting the natural beauty and indigenous beliefs of the country.

Along with the general competition, the jury handed out four continental awards. They were divided into Africa & Oceania - whose winner is Chidimma Adetshina from Nigeria, photographed here - as well as Asia; the Americas; and Europe & Middle East.

There was a lot of buzz on social media surrounding Miss Universe Philippines Chelsea Manalo, partly because she's from a country that traditionally performs strongly in the beauty pageant, and partly because she had remarkable charisma and was the first participant of African descent representing the country.

Photo: manalochelsea / Instagram

While nearby Denmark took the crown of Miss Universe, the Finnish Matilda Wirtavuori was honored with the Continental Award of Miss Universe Europe & Middle East.

Meanwhile, for the Americas, Tatiana Calmell from Peru took home the Continental Award.

Apart from a jury vote, there was also a popular vote for Miss Universe 2024. Chile's Emilia Dides was the highest voted by fans. She ultimately finished in the top 12 of the pageant.

Miss Universe Trinidad and Tobago, Jenelle Thongs, was voted Miss Congeniality in the contest. She is 32 years old, has a degree in Biology, and runs a dental clinic.

Did you know there was also a special award for the contestant with the most beautiful skin? Miss Universe Honduras, Stephanie Cam, took home the award.

It's not all just looks and smiles. To give the famous contest more depth, Miss Universe also pays a lot of attention to the role of women in social change. It honored ten contestants for their powerful messages in the pursuit of environmental, economic, feminist, or LGBTQ activism.

Three candidates were considered the absolute best in terms of advocacy. They will donate "half of their prize to a cause close to their heart," the Miss Universe Instagram page says. Among them is Ana Gabriela Villanueva from Guatemala. She is 22 years old and studying Legal and Social Sciences to make a change in Guatemalan society.

The winner by popular vote was 33-year old Davin Prasath from Cambodia. She not only works as a model and actress but also as a philanthropist.

The third gold winner was Miss Universe Bolivia, Juliana Barrientos. She is not just a talented musician but also an expert in biochemicals. Her involvement in the development of a nail polish that can detect whether a substance was added to your drink in a bar or club, is one of the projects she's been praised for. You can find more information about this project on her Instagram page.

Photo: julianabarriientosg / Instagram

Also the winner of the Continental Award for Europe & the Middle East, Matilda Wirtavuori from Finland has been honored for her activism in mental health. Matilda once suffered from anorexia and wants to help others who are going through the same thing.

Another Silver finalist in the Voice for Change competition is Miss Universe from the island of Aruba, Anouk Eman. She is 32 years old and does important work in Early Autism Intervention as a psychologist.

Image: missuniversearuba_official / Instagram

Raegan Rutty, Miss Universe from the Cayman Islands, has brought the element of sports into the beauty pageant. She is an Olympic Gymnast and an important 'Voice for Change' for mental health awareness.

Image: officialmissuniversecayman / Instagram

Opal Suchata Chuangsri is 20 years old and the third runner-up for the crown in 2024. Her talk in the Voice for Change competition stood out because she wants to raise awareness for br ea st cancer and encourage as many women as possible to undergo preventive screenings. The project is called 'Opal for Her'.

25-year-old Snit Tewoldemedhin was also a Silver finalist in 'Voice for Change'. She works a lot to support children with learning disabilities.

Photo: misseritreauniverse / Instagram

Another Silver 'Voice for Change' is Miss Universe Guinea Saran Bah. This inspiring woman is involved in educational projects for girls in her country.

Photo: saranbahofficial / Instagram

As a journalist, Bahrain's Miss Universe Shereen Ahmed works to make a change in her country and those neighboring it.

Photo: shereenahmed / Instagram

One of the social purposes of Miss Universe is to make people around the world familiar with the unique qualities and problems of women. An important task for the new Miss Universe, Victoria Kjaer, is to travel the world and empower girls and women by talking about her road to success.

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