Miss America 2026 crowned as first married mother to win the title
Justice Kelley, 31, from Virginia has been crowned Miss America 2026, becoming the first officially titled married mother to win the pageant. Her win was made possible by rule changes introduced in 2023.
Justice Kelley, a 31-year-old representative from Virginia, has been crowned Miss America 2026, becoming the first married woman and mother ever to officially hold the title in the pageant's history. Contestants from all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia competed for the crown, which was placed on Kelley's head by last year's winner, Audrey Eckert.
Kelley's victory was made possible by rule changes introduced in 2023 that removed the age restriction on contestants and allowed mothers to compete. A similar situation once caused a scandal in the pageant's history: in 1957, the title was awarded to Marian Leona Gage, but it was later revoked after it emerged that she was married and raising two sons — something the rules at the time did not permit.
Other top finishers
The first runner-up title went to the representative of South Carolina, while Elizabeth Vaught of Pennsylvania took second runner-up. Iowa's Madeline Erickson placed fourth, and Utah's Aleisia Christopher rounded out the top five.
The new titleholder will receive a prize package worth more than $685,000, including a $150,000 salary, a Range Rover vehicle, a year of living in a luxury apartment in Miami, various leisure perks, and a $30,000 wardrobe for competing in the Miss Universe pageant.
