The 93rd annual Miss Mississippi pageant is underway at the Vicksburg Convention Center, with this year’s winner set to be crowned at the end of the week.
Ashley Thompson, a former Miss Mississippi who now serves as the pageant’s executive producer, says “there’s no place like Vicksburg” when the river city is transformed each summer by makeup, gowns, and an eons of talent among women vying to represent the state at Miss America.
Thompson said she and fellow organizers have spent more than 11 months preparing for this year’s competition. Meanwhile, 38 women earned their spots by winning local pageants across Mississippi and arrived in Vicksburg earlier this week to begin rehearsals ahead of preliminary competition, which starts Wednesday night.
“It’s definitely a year-long effort. We take a break of about a week and a half from the production side of it before we get started on planning for next year’s show,” Thompson explained. “But we are so excited for our first night of preliminary competition.”
Now that rehearsals are complete and “hopefully the nerves are gone” among contestants, Thompson is looking forward to what she believes will be one of the best Miss Mississippi pageants yet. Here’s what to know and how to tune in.
Who’s competing in Miss Mississippi?
38 contestants are looking to be the successor to Anna Leah Jolly, the first foreign-born Miss Mississippi. Jolly, who is originally from Ukraine but was adopted by a Mississippi family, has spent the past year making public appearances, promoting the Miss Mississippi brand, and furthering her social impact initiative of ensuring children know no matter where they’re from, they can succeed. She also competed in Miss America, placing in the top 11.
Those competing in the 93rd annual Miss Mississippi pageant are:
- Malley Chase Faulkner (Miss All-America City)
- Jaycee Drew Janzen (Miss Barnes Crossing)
- Gracie Vanek (Miss Byram)
- Jane Granberry (Miss Capital City)
- Madeline Little (Miss Central Mississippi)
- Jacqueline Pratt (Miss Fairpark)
- Mariah Smith (Miss Golden Triangle)
- Annah-Bryce Clark (Miss Greene County)
- MaKayla Luper (Miss Greenwood)
- Paige McNeil (Miss Hattiesburg)
- Sarah Randolph (Miss Heart of the South)
- Anna Kate Ratcliffe (Miss Heartland)
- Keliyah Monree-Williams (Miss Heritage)
- Amari Cooper (Miss Hinds Tri-County)
- Savannah Ogden (Miss Jones County)
- Rylee Hailey (Miss Key to the South)
- Katelyn Perry (Miss Leaf River Valley)
- Lauryl Joyner (Miss Madison County)
- Haley Fortenberry (Miss Magnolia)
- Madison Delancey (Miss Meridian)
- Nataleigh Nix (Miss Metro Jackson)
- Crosby Taylor (Miss Midsouth)
- Karolina Heathcock (Miss Mississippi State University)
- Rose Stafford (Miss Natchez Trace)
- Kayla Braswell (Miss New South)
- Faith Wascomb (Miss Pearl River Community College)
- Laura Smith (Miss Pearl River County)
- Sarah Grace Blackwelder (Miss Pine Belt)
- Hannah Grace Crain (Miss Queen City)
- Anna Rains (Miss Singing River)
- Jerica Brown (Miss Southern Grace)
- Morgan Nelson (Miss Starkville)
- Peyton Cocroft (Miss Swinging Bridge)
- Kylah Young (Miss Thee I Love)
- McKenzie Cox (Miss Tupelo)
- Cameron Davis (Miss University)
- Alea Hudson (Miss University of Southern Mississippi)
- Sylar Harden (Miss Vicksburg)
While Thompson did not speak on the contestants individually, she said the group as a whole is going to make for a show worth watching.
“I may be biased, because I am the producer of it, but I feel like it’s one of our best ones,” she said.
Miss Mississippi schedule
Although rehearsals, social gatherings, and some autograph parties have already happened, the bulk of the program remains.
- Wednesday, June 10: Preliminary competition beginning at 8 p.m.
- Thursday, June 11: Downtown Vicksburg autograph party from 10 to 11 a.m.
- Thursday, June 11: Preliminary competition beginning at 8 p.m.
- Friday, June 12: Preliminary competition beginning at 8 p.m.
- Saturday, June 13: Miss Mississippi pageant at 8 p.m.
Preliminary segments consist of private interview, talent, health and fitness, evening gown, and on-stage question. Saturday’s show is when the next Miss Mississippi will be crowned.
Built-in preparation for Miss America
Whether contestants realize it or not, all of them are actually preparing for Miss America through Miss Mississippi, Thompson said. But only one will advance to compete on the national stage.
“One thing that we’re very proud of here in Mississippi is we try to give the contestants the Miss America experience,” Thompson explained. “We mirror their schedule, what they do on stage, and everything so the contestant that wins Miss Mississippi and goes to Miss America is well-prepared and can just walk right off the stage from Vicksburg to West Palm Beach, Florida.”
Miss America 2026 will take place Aug. 28 to Sept. 6 at the Palm Beach Convention Center.
Has a Miss Mississippi ever won Miss America?
Four Mississippians have been crowned Miss America since the competition’s inception in 1921: Mary Ann Mobley (1959), Lynda Lee Mead (1960), Cheryl Prewitt (1980), and Susan Akin (1986).
How to watch Miss Mississippi
Some tickets are still available for preliminary rounds and the pageant itself. Those tickets can be purchased here. For those watching from home, Saturday night’s broadcast will air on local TV news stations statewide. A live stream of both preliminary rounds and the pageant can be found here.
Miss Mississippi’s Teen happening too
If Miss Mississippi didn’t make for a busy enough week in Vicksburg, Miss Mississippi’s Teen pageant is running simultaneously at the convention center.
“Because I guess one event wasn’t enough,” Thompson said with a laugh. “We combined Miss Mississippi with Miss Mississippi’s Teen.”
There are 26 teen contestants competing in the preliminary competition on Thursday and Friday, with the crown winner announced on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Financial component
In addition to earning a spot in Miss America, the winner of Miss Mississippi receives a massive cash scholarship toward her college or graduate school education.
“We are so proud that our colleges and universities support the Miss Mississippi organization,” said Thompson, who paid for her undergraduate and part of her graduate degrees by winning pageants. “Our teen winner receives a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to both Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi, as well as other scholarships from the University of Southern Mississippi, Delta State, and community colleges across the state.”
Some runners-up will also earn scholarships throughout the pageant. In addition to the scholarships offered by local schools, the Miss Mississippi organization has $122,000 in scholarships for Miss Mississippi contestants and $15,000 for Miss Mississippi’s Teen contestants.
