Miss Teen USA 2026 was the 44th Miss Teen USA pageant, held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida on August 26, 2026.
Mailyn Marsh of Missouri crowned Kiran Reddy of Georgia as her successor at the end of the event, marking the first title for the state in the pageant's history. For the first time, she will represent the United States at Miss Teen Universe 2026 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia this October.
Background Location
On March 5, 2026 it was announced that the competition will take place in Miami, Florida. A month later, it was announced the venue will be held at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
Broadcaster On June 23, 2026, it was announced the pageant was originally to be aired on The CW on what would be its third time in four years after having previously signed a three-year deal in 2024. However, on August 20, a week before the pageant, The CW pulled off from the schedule along with concurrent Miss USA pageant in favor for the Queen Beauty Network streaming platform for its second consecutive year and still scheduled as planned.
Selection of contestants The selection of contestants for the state pageants taking place in May to July 2026. The first state pageant was Arkansas and held on May 3, 2026 the final state pageant is the tri-states of Maryland, New Jersey, and New York, scheduled to be held on July 26, 2026.
Appointed contestants As with the previous year, several states in the competition can not hold traditional state pageants due to state directorship contract issues and will get via an open casting call conducting by the national organization. On May 15, 2026, it was announced sixteen states will give an open casting call with applications in separate parts.
The first Open Call began voting in early June and those states are Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Vermont into three voting rounds each, the top two on each assigned group from the final voting round would make it to the judges round upon submitting their videos determining those hopefuls would select the eight women to appoint each of the eight state titles. The second Open call for the remaining eight states began voting at the end of June with the "Redemption Round" twist to have most of first batch eliminated hopefuls would have got a second chance, with new hopefuls will begin voting in mid-July; those states are Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming with the same format.
Results
Placements Placement ContestantMiss Teen USA 2026 Georgia – Kiran Reddy1st Runner-Up Arkansas – Raquel Olea2nd Runner-Up New York – Elisa Akin3rd Runner-Up Indiana – Kiersten Alvarado4th Runner-Up Texas – Chloe Bella DietzTop 10 California – Ava Grace Nichols Iowa – Avery Bradley Missouri – Vegas Turner Oregon – Reagan Strazzeri Virginia – Madyson Blizzard §Top 20 Arizona – Ella Hansen Connecticut – Maggie Peterson Idaho – Shayleena Wijerathna Louisiana – Kadie Sumbler § Michigan – Mia Vanessa Prom New Mexico – Olivia Biggs Ohio – Emma Fossum South Carolina – Isabella Brandt § West Virginia – Gracia Knight Wyoming – Joie Kennedy § Voted into the Top 20 by viewers
Special awards AwardContestantPreliminary Best in Fitness & Activewear Indiana – Kiersten AlvaradoBest in Interview Oregon – Reagan StrazzeriBest in State Costume Tennessee – Alana DixonMiss Teen FLIXXE Wisconsin – Leia RiosPeople's Choice Louisiana – Kadie SumblerMiss Photogenic Connecticut – Maggie PetersonMiss Congeniality South Dakota – Jasmine Jerke
Pageant Judges Kelsey Swanson — The Real Housewives of Rhode Island star and Miss Rhode Island USA 2017 Kylan Darnell — Miss Ohio Teen USA 2022 and Miss Teen USA 2022 Top 16 finalist Kiʻilani Arruda — Miss Teen USA 2020 from Hawaii Kaliegh Garris — Miss Teen USA 2019 from Connecticut Marie P. Anderson — owner of Boss Babe Models Bessie Besana — Fashion designer and founder of the luxury brand Bessie Besana
Contestants As of July 2026, the confirmed contestants are competing for the title. State/DistrictContestantHometownNotes AlabamaMontgomery AlaskaAnchorage ArizonaTempe ArkansasMaysville CaliforniaLa Jolla Colorado†Brighton ConnecticutHartford DelawareNewark District of ColumbiaWashington, D.C.Previously Miss District of Columbia's Teen 2025 4th runner-up at Miss America's Teen 2026 FloridaCrystal River GeorgiaKiran Reddy†Douglas HawaiiMaui Idaho†Corona, CA IllinoisBureau IndianaIndianapolis IowaMuscatinePreviously Miss Iowa's Teen 2024 Top 11 & Preliminary Fitness Winner at Miss America's Teen 2025 KansasWichita Kentucky†Louisville Louisiana Kadie SumblerBaton Rouge MaineOgunquit MarylandBaltimore MassachusettsOxford Michigan†Tampa, FL2nd runner-up at Miss Florida Teen USA 2026 MinnesotaRogers Mississippi†Charleston, SC1st runner-up at Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2026 MissouriSpringfield Montana†Glendale, AZ Daughter of Shellene Cockrell Miss Colorado 1994 3rd runner-up at Miss Arizona's Teen 2026 NebraskaBennington NevadaLas Vegas New Hampshire†Gurnee New JerseyNewark New MexicoWhite Sands New YorkNew York City North Carolina Lumberton North DakotaFargo Ohio†Dallas, TXPreviously Miss Texas' Teen 2025 2nd runner-up at Miss America's Teen 2026 Semi-finalist at Miss Texas Teen USA 2024 OklahomaChloe BraxtonTulsa Oregon†Marina del Rey, CASemi-finalist, Miss Congeniality, and Miss Photogenic at Miss California Teen USA 2025 Pennsylvania†Laredo, TX Rhode IslandJohnston South CarolinaCharleston South DakotaSioux Falls Tennessee†DeSoto, TX Texas†TomballPreviously Miss Texas High School America 2025 2nd Runner-Up at Miss High School America 2025 UtahSt. George Vermont†Houston, TX VirginiaPurcellville Washington†Temecula, CA1st runner-up at Miss California Teen USA 2026 West VirginiaBridgeport WisconsinBrookfield Wyoming†Niwot, COSemi-finalist & Miss Photogenic at Miss Colorado Teen USA 2024 1st runner-up at Miss Colorado's Teen 2024 3rd runner-up at Miss Colorado's Teen 2026 † The chosen delegate was appointed from an Open Casting Call
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