Miss Universe 2012 was the 61st Miss Universe pageant, held at the PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, on December 19, 2012.
At the conclusion of the event, the pageant was won by Olivia Culpo of the United States, who was crowned by Leila Lopes of Angola. It was the United States' first win in fifteen years, and its eighth win at the pageant.
There were contestants from eighty-nine countries and territories, three more than the previous year. It was hosted by Andy Cohen and Giuliana Rancic, with Jeannie Mai as backstage correspondent. American rock band Train and Australian musician Tim Omaji performed in this year's pageant.
Background
Location and date In March 2012, the Miss Universe Organization announced that the pageant was postponed to mid-December as broadcaster, NBC, was unable to broadcast the pageant at the same time as the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2012 United States presidential election. In April 2012, it was announced that Bangladesh would host the pageant on December 13, 2012. However, in July, the Bangladeshi president announced that they would not host the pageant because of financial constraints.
In August 2012, the Dominican government received a proposal from the Miss Universe Organization to host the competition on December 11, 2012. The Dominican Republic had previously hosted Miss Universe 1977 in Santo Domingo. The organization was considering hosting the final night at the Hard Rock Resort and Casino in Punta Cana. However, the government said that the country was not able to provide any kind of financial assistance to the pageant, and so was not granted the hosting rights.
The organization moved the pageant to Las Vegas, Nevada in December changing from the customary mid-year scheduling. On September 27, 2012, the organization confirmed that the 2012 pageant would be held at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 19, 2012.
Selection of participants Contestants from eighty-nine countries and territories were selected to compete in the competition. Seven of these were appointed to their positions after being a runner-up of their national pageant or were selected through a casting process, while nine were selected to replace the original winners.
Adwoa Yamoah, the first runner-up of Miss Universe Canada 2012, was appointed to represent Canada after Sahar Biniaz, Miss Universe Canada 2012, withdrew for personal reasons. Ioánna Yiannakoú, the runner-up of Star Cyprus 2012, was appointed to represent Cyprus after Ntaniella Kefala, Star Cyprus 2012, withdrew for undisclosed reasons. Carola Durán, Miss Dominican Republic 2012, was to compete, but was dethroned after it was discovered that she was previously married and is divorced. She was replaced by, Dulcita Lieggi, the first runner-up. Natalie Korneitsik, the first runner-up of Miss Estonia 2012, was appointed to represent Estonia after the winner Kätlin Valdmets, withdrew due to lack of sponsorship. Marie Payet, the second runner-up of Miss France 2012, was appointed to represent France due to a potential date conflict between Miss Universe 2012 and Miss France 2013, at which Delphine Wespiser, Miss France 2012, was contractually obligated to be present.
Channa Divouvi, the first runner-up of Miss Gabon 2012, was appointed to represent Gabon due to a potential date conflict between Miss Universe 2012 and Miss Gabon 2013, at which winner Marie-Noëlle Ada, was contractually obligated to be present. Shilpa Singh, the first runner-up of I Am She 2012, was appointed to represent India after Urvashi Rautela, Miss Universe India 2012, withdrew due as she was underage and also the reigning Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International at that time. Avianca Böhm, Miss Universe New Zealand 2012, was replaced by her first runner-up, Talia Bennett, due to citizenship issues. Isabella Ayuk, Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2012, switched pageants with Damiete Charles Granville, Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria Universe 2012, due to being overage at Miss World.
Andrea Huisgen, Miss Spain 2011, was unable to participate as the Miss Spain organization was bankrupt, and the license was awarded to a new organization called Miss Universe Spain. Although the rights had changed, Huisgen was allowed to compete having changed contracts.
This contest saw the debuts of Gabon and Lithuania, and the returns of Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Namibia, and Norway. Bulgaria, Ethiopia, and Namibia last competed in Miss Universe 2009, while Norway last competed in Miss Universe 2010. Egypt, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Slovenia, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands withdrew. Aĭnur Tolyeuova of Kazakhstan withdrew as she was underage. Egypt, Portugal, Slovenia, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands withdrew after their respective organizations failed to hold a national competition or appoint a delegate.
Transgender women allowed to compete Beginning with Miss Universe 2013, the Miss Universe Organization allowed transgender women to compete, following the consultation with the GLAAD Organization. The changes in the rules came after Jenna Talackova, a transgender woman competing at Miss Universe Canada 2012, was reinstated, having been removed from the pageant. Her removal was because she "did not meet the requirements to compete". A month after her removal, the organization allowed Talackova to compete provided that "she meets the legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, and the standards established by other international competitions." Talackova reached the top 12, and was one of the four contestants to win the Miss Congeniality award.
Six years after the pageant rules were changed, Ángela Ponce of Spain made history at Miss Universe 2018 as the first transgender contestant to compete at Miss Universe.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss Universe 2012 – Olivia Culpo 1st Runner-Up – Janine Tugonon 2nd Runner-Up – Irene Esser 3rd Runner-Up – Renae Ayris 4th Runner-Up – Gabriela Markus Top 10 – Marie Payet – Ágnes Konkoly – Karina González – Elizaveta Golovanova – Melinda Bam Top 16 – Elizabeta Burg – Shilpa Singh – Diana Avdiu – Nicole Faveron – Marcelina Zawadzka – Çağıl Özkul
Special awards Award Contestant Miss Congeniality – Laura Godoy Miss Photogenic – Diana Avdiu
Best National Costume Placement Contestant Winner – Xu Jidan 1st runner-up – Karina González 2nd runner-up – Nathalie den Dekker 3rd runner-up – Sabrina Herft 4th runner-up – Gabriela Markus Top 10 – Abigail Hyndman – Farah Eslaquit – Maria Selena – Stephanie Vander Werf – Nicole Faverón
Pageant Format As with Miss Universe 2011, fifteen semifinalists were chosen through the preliminary competition, that was composed of the swimsuit and evening gown competitions, and closed-door interviews. Internet voting was still being implemented, with fans being able to vote for another delegate to advance into the semifinals, making the number of semifinalists sixteen. The winner of the fan vote was not revealed during the final telecast. The sixteen semifinalists competed in the swimsuit competition, narrowing them down to ten. The ten then competed in the evening gown competition, and were narrowed down to five. The five finalists competed in the question and answer round and the final look.
Selection committee
Preliminary competition Carlos Anaya – Host for My Lifestyle Extra Beverly Frank – Executive Vice-president for Business Affairs for 19 Entertainment Duane Gazi – International scout with the Trump Model Management Michael Greenwald – Vice-President of Talent at Don Buchwald & Associates Jimmy Nguyen – Entertainment and new media lawyer Corinne Nicolas – President of the Trump Model Management Amy Sadowsky – Senior Vice-President of Public Relations for Planet Holywood International Crystle Stewart – Miss USA 2008 from Texas
Final telecast Nigel Barker – Fashion photographer and the host of The Face Diego Boneta – Singer, actor and songwriter from Mexico Scott Disick – Businessman, entrepreneur and reality star of Keeping Up With the Kardashians Brad Goreski – Fashion stylist and reality star of It's a Brad, Brad World Masaharu Morimoto – Chef and star of Iron Chef and Iron Chef America from Japan Ximena Navarrete – Miss Universe 2010 from Mexico Pablo Sandoval – Professional baseball player from Venezuela Lisa Vanderpump – Reality star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Kerri Walsh Jennings – Professional beach volleyball player and triple gold medalist in Summer Olympics
Contestants Eighty-nine contestants competed for the title.
Country/Territory Contestant Age Hometown Albania Adrola Dushi 19 Rrëshen Angola Marcelina Vahekeni 22 Ondjiva Argentina Camila Solórzano 23 Tucumán Aruba Liza Helder 23 Oranjestad Australia Renae Ayris 22 Perth Bahamas Celeste Marshall 20 Nassau Belgium Laura Beyne 20 Brussels Bolivia Yéssica Mouton 24 Santa Cruz Botswana Sheillah Molelekwa 19 Gaborone Brazil Gabriela Markus 24 Teutônia British Virgin Islands Abigail Hyndman 22 Road Town Bulgaria Zhana Yaneva 23 Sofia Canada Adwoa Yamoah 26 Calgary Cayman Islands Lindsay Japal 24 Georgetown Chile Ana Luisa König 22 Santiago China Xu Jidan 22 Shanghai Colombia Daniella Álvarez 24 Barranquilla Costa Rica Nazareth Cascante 22 Alajuela Croatia Elizabeta Burg 19 Vrbanja Curaçao Monifa Jansen 19 Willemstad Cyprus Ioanna Yiannakou 19 Paphos Czech Republic Tereza Chlebovská 22 Krnov Denmark Josefine Hewitt 19 Esbjerg Dominican Republic Dulcita Lieggi 23 Santo Domingo Ecuador Carolina Aguirre 19 Guayaquil El Salvador Ana Yancy Clavel 20 San Salvador Estonia Natalie Korneitsik 23 Tallinn Ethiopia Helen Getachew 22 Addis Ababa Finland Sara Chafak 22 Helsinki France Marie Payet 20 Saint-Denis Gabon Channa Divouvi 21 Ngounié Georgia Tamar Shedania 20 Zugdidi Germany Alicia Endemann 23 Hamburg Ghana Gifty Ofori 24 Accra Great Britain Holly Hale 22 Llanelli Greece Vasiliki Tsirogianni 24 Thessaloniki Guam Alyssa Cruz Aguero 24 Barrigada Guatemala Laura Godoy 24 Guatemala City Guyana Ruqayyah Boyer 22 Georgetown Haiti Christela Jacques 19 Pétion-Ville Honduras Jennifer Andrade 24 Tegucigalpa Hungary Ágnes Konkoly 25 Budapest India Shilpa Singh 23 Samastipur Indonesia Maria Selena 22 Semarang Ireland Adrienne Murphy 22 Dublin Israel Lina Makhuli 19 Haifa Italy Grazia Pinto 24 Catania Jamaica Chantal Zaky 24 Port Antonio Japan Ayako Hara 24 Sendai Kosovo Diana Avdiu 19 Mitrovica Lebanon Rina Chibany 21 Zahle Lithuania Greta Mikalauskytė 19 Šiauliai Malaysia Kimberley Leggett 19 Penang Mauritius Ameeksha Dilchand 26 Curepipe Mexico Karina González 21 Aguascalientes Montenegro Andrea Radonjić 20 Podgorica Namibia Tsakana Nkandih 22 Windhoek Netherlands Nathalie den Dekker 22 Amstelveen New Zealand Talia Bennett 26 Auckland Nicaragua Farah Eslaquit 21 La Concepción Nigeria Isabella Ayuk 26 Ikom Norway Sara Nicole Andersen 20 Oslo Panama Stephanie Vander Werf 26 Panama City Paraguay Egni Eckert 25 Luque Peru Nicole Faverón 24 Iquitos Philippines Janine Tugonon 23 Balanga Poland Marcelina Zawadzka 23 Malbork Puerto Rico Bodine Koehler 20 San Juan Romania Delia Duca 26 Brașov Russia Elizabeth Golovanova 19 Smolensk Saint LuciaTara Edward25Gros Islet Serbia Branislava Mandić 21 Čurug Singapore Lynn Tan 24 Singapore Slovakia Ľubica Štepanová 24 Prievidza South Africa Melinda Bam 23 Pretoria South KoreaLee Sung-hye24Seoul Spain Andrea Huisgen 22 Barcelona Sri Lanka Sabrina Herft 25 Colombo Sweden Hanni Beronius 22 Gothenburg Switzerland Alina Buchschacher 21 Bern Tanzania Winfrida Dominic 19 Dar es Salaam Thailand Farida Waller 19 Krabi Trinidad and Tobago Avionne Mark 23 Champ Fleurs Turkey Çağıl Özge Özkul 24 Ankara Ukraine Anastasia Chernova 19 Kharkiv United States Olivia Culpo 20 Cranston Uruguay Camila Vezzoso 19 Artigas Venezuela Irene Esser 21 Río Caribe Vietnam Lưu Thị Diễm Hương 22 Ho Chi Minh City
Notes